Which Tube to Start with?

[samsagaz]

Hi guys, i wanna build my first Tube amp, i will purchase some tubes from China (or some cheap place), so i want to know wich to purchase, can someone recommend me some simple schematic so i can know wich tubes i need to purchase?

Thanks in advance.

[45]

As first amp I would go for simple thing:
zero feedback PCL82 or PCL86 SE (with triode connected power section) for 1,6 and 2W output, respectively, at 4-5% THD tipically. So it is like many other 2-stage simple amps with the same power output, on the chart......
It's easy to build, cheap and sound really nice.


5K load is good compromise for both. Unfortunately they don't have the same pin-out.
Also I would buy a supply transformer with an additional 100V-0-100V secondary in order to add a direct coupled cathode follower or a MOSFET source follower soon after, getting some more undistorted power output and substantial improvement of sound in all departements.
I am sure you will get lots of music for few bucks!
I still have one of these amps and use it since many years.


PCL86 and PCL82 require 14V and 16V filament voltage supply respectively, but they are much cheaper than ECL types. Otherwise ECL's and PCL's are identical.

You can find more frequently Mullard made PCL82's around. Usually they are branded: Philips, Siemens, Valvo and Mullard, of course. However they have the B (Blackburn factory) code etched on the glass.

Excellent value PCL86's are the Polamp branded (old Tesla made).

Cheers,
45

[wakibaki]

HiFi or instrument amplifier?

Have you got any speakers? If so, which?

How much volume do you need?

w

[Jaap]

buy a complete kit

[JandG]

45 suggestion is a good one as good sounds for cheap $ . But the real question is what are your electronic skills, this will tell all. If absolutely 0, then a kit should be 1st or read, read, read & read........then read again everything you can on high voltage saftey with tube amps. I never did the kit gig & went direct to schematics, but I read & still read everything I can get my hands on. If you do not like reading then a well documented kit is what you should do IMO. remember this hobby can kill you or again at very least wish you had read 1st about safety. Trust me it will hurt & hurt bad if not kill.
J & G

[samsagaz]

Originally posted by wakibaki
HiFi or instrument amplifier?

Have you got any speakers? If so, which?

How much volume do you need?

w

Well i have some Full Range FR125S speakers, are really not sensible to use with tubes, but i can purchase other speakers later, i have some Ribbon Tweeters that i want to combine with some sensitive speaker to listen mainly Jazz and Cuban Music

Originally posted by Jaap
buy a complete kit

WherE?

Originally posted by JandG
45 suggestion is a good one as good sounds for cheap $ . But the real question is what are your electronic skills, this will tell all. If absolutely 0, then a kit should be 1st or read, read, read & read........then read again everything you can on high voltage saftey with tube amps. I never did the kit gig & went direct to schematics, but I read & still read everything I can get my hands on. If you do not like reading then a well documented kit is what you should do IMO. remember this hobby can kill you or again at very least wish you had read 1st about safety. Trust me it will hurt & hurt bad if not kill.
J & G

I want to build myself or maybe an kit will be great, but i want to go as cheap as possible, at least for start, later want to start doing more complicated amps, my skills are not 0, are like 4

[JandG]

4 is good , maybe better than my 4...*s*. I would ask 45 for a schematic of the 1 tube jobbers he is talking about. If it were me.
It will be the 1st of many, many amps you will no dought build. DIY Tube amps are highly addictive.
J & G

[kenpeter]

The cheapest route is restoring an anchor found at the curbside.
Plenty of opportunity to improvise improvements and make it
truly your own design. But you get the iron and the chassis.

Really, good transformers are more expensive than the tubes.

[samsagaz]

Here in Argentina will be hard to get nice Transformers. But i know 2 factories here, maybe i can give they the specs that i need for the transformers and maybe they ca build it for me, or just purchase from Usa or maybe China

[chrish]

My first tube amp, and the one still in my system, is Tubelab Simple SE

There are plenty of builders on the forum. Can be built quite cheaply if you use budget components. Lots of advice will be forthcoming to build a very high performance amp at a great price. Edcor make some very good budget output transformers and also make power transformers for tube amps. Their site does not list all of the power transformers available, but they do make a power transformer that matches up very well with the Simple SE, and last time I checked, their prices were very good.

I am sure you will get many good suggestions here!

Good luck with the search!

Chris