AnTek PT's

[Khristophorous]

How does everyone feel about these as a brand? I saw a YT video that suggested them and saw a few guys in comments vouch for them. I wouldn't go and buy one based on a YT video alone. This is my first build and I plan on a post that will lay out everything I have in mind but for now I just wanted to know if this was a PT manufacturer that was worth considering.

[exnihilfit]

They are so cheap that I have three in my parts drawer waiting for a project

[dogburn]

I've got a couple Antek toroidal power transformers and they have worked just fine. They are certainly affordable, but they are bigger in size than I expected them to be. The size and shape means you have to mount them differently than your standard PTs, so make sure to account for that.

Right now I've got one in a 6AQ5 based 5f1/5f2 amp and have no problems at all.

[DeepBias]

Antek power transformers are generally considered a good value and reliable option. They are often described by people as a middle-of-the-road option, offering a very good balance of performance and price.

Pros:
Good Value/Price: Competitively priced, making them an excellent value.
Reliable Performance: It has been said they "do the job" with no inherent problems and work well in various applications, including tube amplifiers.
Low Hum/Noise: As toroidal transformers, they naturally have less magnetic interference and mechanical humming compared to traditional EI-core transformers.
High Efficiency: Their toroidal design contributes to higher efficiency, typically 95-99%.
Robust: They are designed with heavier gauge wires than normal requirements to minimize power loss and have high dielectric strength.

Cons:
Build Quality/Aesthetics: Some people notes that the cosmetic finish or "over-wrap" can be slightly sloppier compared to higher-end, more expensive brands like Plitron or Toroid Corp of Maryland.
Off-load Regulation: Some opinions suggest their off-load regulation is not the greatest, and it may be wise to use a model rated for a higher VA than the required load.
Limited Documentation: The Antek website can be limited in information.
 

[mountainhick]

I've built 3 amps with the 5T (50VA)series, and will use more. They are just fine. I have seen a couple cases where people used these undersized for the demand, like a pair of 6V6s, and wondered why the votages were low, but even then, they used them sucessfully. I used one for apair of 6AQ5 which are close to same spec as 6V6, and it is about at max, voltage gets pulled down if biased hotter.

They seem to handle extra load OK up to a point. I personally still would avoid using them at over their rated specs, and bump up to a 100VA as needed.

In another case, someone built a micro, and the 5T did not have enough load to draw it down to the spec voltage, so B+ was too high. They provide charts showing voltage at differeing currents, so size them accordingly.

One drawback for circumstances where you want to use a rectifier tube, some are not center tapped, so  bridge rectifier is in order. A hybrid bridge with rectifier tube can be accomplished, but they are not generally plug and play for a 5Y3 etc. Some do have two secondary coils that can be run in series or parallel with CT. You need to understand the coil configuration in the context of what you want to do.

Advantages: Toroids are quieter. The price is right.

[Khristophorous]

I actually do want to use a 5Y3. The Antek I was looking at for a PP EL84 (Something like a simplified Vox AC10 but with the 5Y3 instead of EZ81, however I am in the earliest of stages of my 1st build so everything is subject to change) is $80 and they sell a stand alone 5v TX for $20. When I say simplified I mean no tremolo, just a tone control. I may even go SE EL84 after I make some more posts and get some feedback. I live in an apartment and if I can't turn it up loud enough to get the sound that makes a tube amp a tube amp then what is the point? I appreciate the reply.

[mountainhick]

I actually do want to use a 5Y3. The Antek I was looking at for a PP EL84 (Something like a simplified Vox AC10 but with the 5Y3 instead of EZ81, however I am in the earliest of stages of my 1st build so everything is subject to change) is $80 and they sell a stand alone 5v TX for $20. When I say simplified I mean no tremolo, just a tone control. I may even go SE EL84 after I make some more posts and get some feedback. I live in an apartment and if I can't turn it up loud enough to get the sound that makes a tube amp a tube amp then what is the point? I appreciate the reply.

\

This one will work, though a pair of EL84 will probably pull it down. Do you know the dissipation of that AC10?

I think the current ratings are at the AC voltage so that drops rectified converted to DC.

 https://www.antekinc.com/content/AS-05TC250.pdf

You have to use the two secondary coils in series with the center connection as center tap, and use the 5V tap for the rectifier filament

Or are you thinking 100VA?

(Personally I think 1-5Watt tube amps do sound like tube amps... have made a few.)

[mountainhick]

I actually do want to use a 5Y3. The Antek I was looking at for a PP EL84 (Something like a simplified Vox AC10 but with the 5Y3 instead of EZ81, however I am in the earliest of stages of my 1st build so everything is subject to change) is $80 and they sell a stand alone 5v TX for $20. When I say simplified I mean no tremolo, just a tone control. I may even go SE EL84 after I make some more posts and get some feedback. I live in an apartment and if I can't turn it up loud enough to get the sound that makes a tube amp a tube amp then what is the point? I appreciate the reply.

Heck, looking at an AC10 schematic, you could use the ANTEK 100VA with the EZ81 just fine. 230V might get you there, 250v might be a few volts high based on the load. Woukd be significanlty more PT thatn actually needed, and rock solid voltage supply. That would definitely rock your apartment, might get complaints.

[Khristophorous]

Im asking ChatGpt about a lot of this - just to get ideas. I would *never* make that the sole source of my information. This is my first time building anything myself but I have repaired countless radios in the service and the repair of both CRT & flat panel TVs was my main gig afterward. So to refresh I am watching a lot of courses on YouTube (Blue Glow Electronics/D-Lab/Uncle Doug) and pitching ideas to the machine to see if they are even worth pursuing. Anyway, the one you suggested was actually my first idea, but it said that given the high internal resistance of 5Y3 and a PP EL84 output that I should use AS-4T400 - 400VA 400V. Now I know that for liability reasons that when asking it these sort of questions it is going to err on the side of caution. I too would rather over engineer it and spend $30-$40 more now than smoke check something later on and wreck who knows how many parts. But you guys have actually done this and the machine is just reading a book so I would tend to take your words over what it says, so if you say I can use something smaller = less expensive, then that would be the final word over the machine. I like the "breathing" sound of tube amps, sag I guess it is called, and from what Ive read the 5Y3 is good for that. Like I said though, ALL of this is subject to change. For simplicity's sake, if I do build a AC4 or Ac10 clone of sorts, by the time all is said and done who knows, I may go with EZ81 (as is shown in schematic) after all.

[mountainhick]

Anyway, the one you suggested was actually my first idea, but it said that given the high internal resistance of 5Y3 and a PP EL84 output that I should use AS-4T400 - 400VA 400V.

That is utterly absurd.

[acheld]

If this is your first build, I recommend building something simple and known.

You will learn a lot!  Trust me, I'm a human who has done this.

On your second build, and there will be that and many more, start pushing the envelope. 

First build is to learn about integrating a schematic with a layout, chassis, cabinet, and where to source screws, glue, wood, fabric et al. It's a lot more complex than it seems or what is shown on YT. 

The "known" designator will help us help you better.   For example, while there are many successful builds with Antek toroids, some of us, me included, have not used them (I've used Hammond and Edcor almost exclusively.)

[Khristophorous]

If this is your first build, I recommend building something simple and known.

You will learn a lot!  Trust me, I'm a human who has done this.

On your second build, and there will be that and many more, start pushing the envelope. 

First build is to learn about integrating a schematic with a layout, chassis, cabinet, and where to source screws, glue, wood, fabric et al. It's a lot more complex than it seems or what is shown on YT. 

The "known" designator will help us help you better.   For example, while there are many successful builds with Antek toroids, some of us, me included, have not used them (I've used Hammond and Edcor almost exclusively.)

I knew the machine was spitting nonsense. That is why I started looking for forums and this is the one that seemed to be cited the most and was the most geared toward what I was looking to do. Would a AC4 or AC10 clone (for sake of simplification minus the tremolo ckt) qualify as simple and known?  I am fine with a AC4 or AC10 clone, I just read that the 5Y3 is the way to go for a sag-liquidy effect. Would that one modification be a gargantuan task? If I can get that breathing-liquidy quality out of EZ81 then all the better. Chances are this will be my only build for quite some time.

[Khristophorous]

Anyway, the one you suggested was actually my first idea, but it said that given the high internal resistance of 5Y3 and a PP EL84 output that I should use AS-4T400 - 400VA 400V.

That is utterly absurd.

Yeah, that is why I made an account here.

[acheld]

AC4 or AC 10 are relatively simple schematics, but the devil is in the details -- eg, the layout, the specific components, your mods.  So not so simple for a first time builder.

Don't focus on one component.  I am skeptical that using a 5Y3 rectifier tube will make much difference -- in skilled hands in the right venue (eg, amp is pushed hard) yes you can hear it.   (My family won't stand for the dB reading,  and I understand . . .)

But for most users in most circumstances, it won't matter a bit, 'cause you'll be playing within the design envelope of that "saggy" 5Y3.

To get back to your issue, which is to pick a design you can build and troubleshoot when the time comes, keep it simple man.  You won't regret it.     Check out RobRob's micro amps.  They can be surprisingly fun to play with and you can tinker with them at lowish cost.

[dogburn]

The AC4 is a single-ended amp, so if you go with that, you may not get the level of sag you are hoping for.

And on another note, AI is definitely not something you should rely on or even start with for info on building amps. It doesn't really read books - it processes them on a huge scale and uses that data to predict what text should come next. If you ask it what amp you should build as your first project, it will say a 5f1 Champ, which is what many people would in fact advise. But asking it more technical questions is going to get some really iffy output at times.

[Khristophorous]

To get back to your issue, which is to pick a design you can build and troubleshoot when the time comes, keep it simple man.  You won't regret it.     Check out RobRob's micro amps.  They can be surprisingly fun to play with and you can tinker with them at lowish cost.

I know this is HiFi, would it be difficult to make this but as guitar amp?

[dogburn]

Isn't this schematic just a phase inverter plus push-pull power section? You'd still need preamp section +volume and tone controls.

[shooter]

if you already have that amp, use this one to tweak it to guitar
otherwise use this one since it was already designed for guitars back in the middle of last century.


https://el34world.com/charts/Schematics/files/Fender/Fender_deluxe_5e3.pdf


EDIT:
both yours n Fenders will be to LOUD for neighbors that are close
the 5F1 would be a better choice for apartment livin

[Khristophorous]

What do you guys think about the 5E3 kits on Ebay? Some come with everything but the transformers, others are complete for like $350 once shipping is added. Its not an EL84 but they don't seem much more complex than the 5F1. The 6G2 is a simple 6V6 PP but it doesn't seem like there are many kits for those.

[dogburn]

Those ebay kits are going to be all made in China parts, mostly generic. They will probably work out fine, but you may have issues with quality and durability, and there's probably no support or warranty for them.

I'm sure there are a few 6G2 amp kits out there, but if you have no luck finding any, you can look for 5F11 amp kits, which are pretty much the same circuit.

[Khristophorous]

Ive also got a "hot" Filmosound 185. That is how I came across this site. It just has too much that needs to be done and it is an absolute wall to wall mess inside. I did manage to find some crystal f'ing clear first scan schematics for it and just about every other Filmosound amp chassis in one all inclusive PDF. The artistry in those hand drawn schematics and the comic book style lettering is a treat in and of itself. All the other Filmosound schematics I came across online before finding this PDF the other day were a blurry scan of a scan of a scan.....