F5 power amplifier

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Is it OK to run each FET on its own heatsink? I'm unable to get a reasonably substantial heatsink, so have to pick up individual 10" running lengths of an extrusion for each output device. I could mount each with its own thermistor on a 1c/w heatsink, but getting everything mounted on one is going to lead me into thermal problems for sure.

Do the two halves interact with each other thermally, and is it just going to take me a lot longer to adjust the bias? Or are there other gotchas with doing this?
 
Hi,
dual unlinked sinks could lead to thermal instability. This is way outside my area so it's just a guess.
What if one sink got a draught from facing an open window/door? Would that sink cool slightly and cause a DC offset?
Would the amp then go into a very slow hunt trying to bring the two sides back into equilibrium?
Could that slow hunt develop into an undamped oscillation?

I don't know, just throwing some thoughts into the pot.
 
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I thought so too, but since the two halves interact with each other for the bias adjustment (as well as offset, a bigger issue) delinking them might create output offset if the two halves are not at exactly the same temperature, or close enough.

I think the question is: Is the heatsink temperature partly a determiner of the bias and offset, or a byproduct? If the former, it will not be possible to totally unlink the two FETs. If the latter, I assume one can do it with impunity.
 
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Peter

*That* implementation is almost exactly what I had in mind, obviously mine is going to look like Frankenstein compared to yours, as I will be using protoboard, EI transformers and P2P wiring. My heatsinks are not as robust as yours though, how high are your temperatures? I have a large blank in the center, and though there are fins on all sides I assume they will not be as adequate as the ones in your pictures (thermal data is not really available).

I will try and put some plates at the back and top to link up the two halves, let's see how it goes. I was initially planning black glass for the front and perspex for the rear, now maybe I'll switch to some heavy-guage aluminum instead (the heatsinks will be vertically oriented like yours).
 
power thermistor circuit

Would anyone be able to post a picture of the wiring from the the AC line to the transformer? I can't find one in the thread that I can see well. I have the schematic but lack the practical experience to be certain I'm wiring this section correctly. And I'm being very cautious with AC. I'm sure I could follow a picture, being worth a thousand .....

Thanks for any assistance.
 
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Re: power thermistor circuit

trans said:
Would anyone be able to post a picture of the wiring from the the AC line to the transformer? I can't find one in the thread that I can see well. I have the schematic but lack the practical experience to be certain I'm wiring this section correctly. And I'm being very cautious with AC. I'm sure I could follow a picture, being worth a thousand .....

Thanks for any assistance.


what tranny is it?
 
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Tie leads of black and brown together and orange/white together.

Tore black/brown to 115v in/line, and orange white to neutral.

use a small fuse 1amp or less from line to transformer line as in manual to test.


Connect volt meter + to red and - to yellow before powering up. Turn to AC mode.

Dont touch anything not covered with plastic.

I use a GFI outlet on the workbench, and it will go offline if things are corrected wrong.
Unloaded the Plitron will probably run 20-22v AC.
 
Thanks Tea-Bag and Uriah. Transformer output wired for testing a la Tea-Bag checks out fine.

Where I remain uncertain, but did not make clear in my first post, is how to wire the CL-60s. I believe one thermistor lead connects to AC, and the black transformer lead, and C9; while the other lead of that thermistor connects only to the brown transformer lead. Perhaps it just looks strange when wired because it's point to point?
 
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AndrewT said:
I am not going to repeat for yet another time!

Chill Out Andrew.
:cool:
trans said:
Thanks Tea-Bag and Uriah. Transformer output wired for testing a la Tea-Bag checks out fine.

Where I remain uncertain, but did not make clear in my first post, is how to wire the CL-60s. I believe one thermistor lead connects to AC, and the black transformer lead, and C9; while the other lead of that thermistor connects only to the brown transformer lead. Perhaps it just looks strange when wired because it's point to point?

I wire the CL60's right to the tranny 120v wires, one to each pair.