Can anyone help me understand what a "vibrator" tranformer is? From what I can gather, it is a tranformer that steps up battery level DC to higher voltage. Guess they were in old autos -- stepping up voltages from the battery for tube radio use. I presume this topology got replaced by the 12V space charged tube lines -- right?
Is it possible to step up DC to DC or am I not reading things right? Does anyone still make these? Why did they go away? -- was it that this topology didn't work well or was it part of the overall move to the smaller tube packages.
Thx.
Is it possible to step up DC to DC or am I not reading things right? Does anyone still make these? Why did they go away? -- was it that this topology didn't work well or was it part of the overall move to the smaller tube packages.
Thx.
The reason they lost their popularity was the transistor.
(even us guys in the tube forum are probably vaguely familiar with them).
The vibrator makes a buzzing sound, and makes AC from the car's 12V so it can be transformed up to a couple 100 volts and rectified for tube power.
You can find some on Ebay if you want: vibrator transformer, eBay Motors, Toys Hobbies. Great deals on eBay!
(even us guys in the tube forum are probably vaguely familiar with them).
The vibrator makes a buzzing sound, and makes AC from the car's 12V so it can be transformed up to a couple 100 volts and rectified for tube power.
You can find some on Ebay if you want: vibrator transformer, eBay Motors, Toys Hobbies. Great deals on eBay!
Thanks much for the info -- not sure where the transistor fits in -- sorry for my denseness.
Transistor circuits don't need high voltage, they can be fed directly from a 12V car battery...
Different things yes?
Soooo - we are talking about two different devices here -- there is the vibrator which is presumably some kinda oscillator that takes 12V DC and makes it 12V AC (or thereabouts -- probably some loss). THEN the "vibrator" transformer (so named because it took 12V AC input) did the step-up . OK I got it -- thx again.
Soooo - we are talking about two different devices here -- there is the vibrator which is presumably some kinda oscillator that takes 12V DC and makes it 12V AC (or thereabouts -- probably some loss). THEN the "vibrator" transformer (so named because it took 12V AC input) did the step-up . OK I got it -- thx again.
The vibrator can be viewed as a specialized type of relay wired with one set of NC contacts in series with the input voltage to the coil. A second set of contacts controls power to the vibrator transformer.
When power is applied, the coil is energizes through the NC contact and field piece pulls in breaking the NC contact and killing power to the coil. It oscillates. Switching time is controlled by mechanical design, spring strength to filed piece, coil strength, etc.
When power is applied, the coil is energizes through the NC contact and field piece pulls in breaking the NC contact and killing power to the coil. It oscillates. Switching time is controlled by mechanical design, spring strength to filed piece, coil strength, etc.
I had not seen this one:
B+ Power Supplies
With mechanical rectifier, making a virtual DC-to-DC transformer.
SveinB
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
B+ Power Supplies
With mechanical rectifier, making a virtual DC-to-DC transformer.
SveinB
Facinating stuff folks -- thx much
Funny -- one of the main reasons I got drawn into this stuff (aside frm beng a hack guitar player looking for tone) was my history buff tendencies. Great reading here for geeks. Many thanks.
However, -- I would like to return to stepping up DC battery voltages (DC to DC). Is this really the best way with todays tech?? Are there other ways (using sand even
gasp).
On a side note -- this discussion would seem to suggest that there is nothing really unique about the vaibrator transformer -- right???? -- its just a garden variety step up that is "optimized" for a 12VAC input -- any transformer with 12VAC on one end (with appropriate current specs) would do -- right??
Thx folks -- sure great to have such knowlegible people a few taps away! Hope I can return the favor to someone else.
Funny -- one of the main reasons I got drawn into this stuff (aside frm beng a hack guitar player looking for tone) was my history buff tendencies. Great reading here for geeks. Many thanks.
However, -- I would like to return to stepping up DC battery voltages (DC to DC). Is this really the best way with todays tech?? Are there other ways (using sand even
gasp).On a side note -- this discussion would seem to suggest that there is nothing really unique about the vaibrator transformer -- right???? -- its just a garden variety step up that is "optimized" for a 12VAC input -- any transformer with 12VAC on one end (with appropriate current specs) would do -- right??
Thx folks -- sure great to have such knowlegible people a few taps away! Hope I can return the favor to someone else.
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I stripped a couple dead vibrators apart when I was a teenager. They were 4-pin cans that looked like caps.
I also remember making one of these to run a strobe light and florescent lights off of battery power:
12V to 120V Inverter
Simple 24VCT filament transformer and a pair of 2N3055s IIRC.
Oh yea, they do make noise (RF).
I also remember making one of these to run a strobe light and florescent lights off of battery power:
12V to 120V Inverter
Simple 24VCT filament transformer and a pair of 2N3055s IIRC.
Oh yea, they do make noise (RF).
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