Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: fossilshark on May 26, 2017, 12:27:13 pm

Title: Calculate voltage for output tubes
Post by: fossilshark on May 26, 2017, 12:27:13 pm
How do i calculate the right bias voltage for 2 el34s running in push pull 50 watts. The bias current is 41ma theyre a matched pair.
Title: Re: Calculate voltage for output tubes
Post by: Glenn on May 26, 2017, 12:32:58 pm
Hi Fossil - I have used this and there are bias tables for some output tube types including EL34's

http://www.tedweber.com/webervst/tubes1/calcbias.htm (http://www.tedweber.com/webervst/tubes1/calcbias.htm)

hope this helps
Title: Re: Calculate voltage for output tubes
Post by: pompeiisneaks on May 26, 2017, 12:47:32 pm
Yup absolutely dig that weber calculator.

Also if you look, you'll need the plate voltage as well to see what is 'optimal' for that plate voltage.

~Phil
Title: Re: Calculate voltage for output tubes
Post by: sluckey on May 26, 2017, 01:00:25 pm
How do i calculate the right bias voltage for 2 el34s running in push pull 50 watts. The bias current is 41ma theyre a matched pair.
The right bias voltage??? Do you mean the negative bias voltage that will be applied to the control grids? If so, you don't calculate it. You build the bias voltage supply and make it adjustable between -35v and -50v.
Title: Re: Calculate voltage for output tubes
Post by: PRR on May 26, 2017, 05:58:00 pm
You need a pre-guess for design.

Figure Screen voltage, divided by Mu(g2).

For 6V6 6L6 EL34 6550 KT66 KT88 and friends, Mu(g2) is about 10. EL84 and a few other high-gain tubes, Mu(g2) is about 18.

So: 6L6, say 360V on screens. 360/10 is 36V.

You need a bit more than that to Cut-OFF the tube.

You need about half (maybe 0.6) of that to run the tube HOT.

So you would rig a bias supply and trim to go say -40V to -20V.