• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

lm3886 + cathode follower PS problem

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I got a lm3886 kit from chipamp.com

Ive been looking for a simple way to make a tube buffer from it when i came across the lampizator cathode follower using the 6N6P.
Now he uses 2 circuits:(links at bottom)
CD DAC MAXI-Lampucera lampizator

In the hand drawn one:
grid R = 200k
cathode R = 330
then an output cap with no resistor to ground after it

In the hard to use office format:
It has an series input resistor of 1 ohm ??? going strait to grid
cathode R = 330
Then an output cap with a resistor(47k) to ground

Im assuming the hand drawn one is correct. Im also assuming (ms format) the input resistor is really the dac load output, and the resistor after the cap is a volume control pot.

Now heres were i have a problem, the heater and B+. My main transformer for the amp is a 22v + 22v (gonna be a 4ohm load). If i used the secondaries as a voltage source, what would be the best way to get 6.3vac(750ma) and 135-150vdc (i cant read his hand writing for current requirements, it looks like 011A or 019A for 2 tubes?

Since the B+ current requirements are so small i was thinking of tapping the rails for 44 and using a small 120/240 euro converter transformer.

Or should i just get a 6.3vac transformer and a 120/120 isolation transformer for the B+? I assume i cant get the B+ strait from the wall...
 
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Your assumption is right, DON'T EVER take any voltage "straight from the wall". This would be very deadly. Always use a transformer with two isolated windings (not a autotransformer) and a fuse.

Concerning your questions:

Not that I encourage you to do so, but you could wind a couple of turns of isolated wire onto the transformer's core (assuming it's a toroid) to get a 6.3V secondary. I'm only mentioning this because you may find this advice somewhere else and might even find some projects where people actually do that, but I strongly advise you not to!

Simply use a higher-voltage primary a regulator, 7806 or better LM317, and use DC for heating. The regulators can drop 20-30V and usually require a heatsink.
You should be able to determine the total current draw from the maximum dissipation of the tubes by looking at their datasheets.
To get the HT B+ from a LT supply can be done with a switchmode PSU, but these are usually noisy, complicated and less reliable. Use a designated transformer for the HT and heater, and make a nice star-ground.
Or even better, use a LT design for the tube buffer, like these:

Tube-buffered Gainclone
Building a valve-buffered Gainclone chip amp.
Tube Gainclone for DIY Buffs
Tubes & The Gainclones
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/69625-valve-buffer-gainclone.html

Hope this helps.
 
Hmm. All these are completely different from the chipamp's non inverted setup. However i do like the idea of using a low voltage 6dj8/6922. I will have a bit cooler rails at 30vdc since im shooting for 4ohms. I dont know how to do the math to make a standard cathode follower using this tube.

Back to the lampi version with the 6N6P. I was going to use 2 of these:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/XC-600060.pdf

So i convert the wall to 6.3vac for the heater, then i connect the 2nd one backwards and convert the 6.3vac back to wall voltage. This should give me both voltages i need for about 12 bucks. Ive seen this done in several flea layouts.
 
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Why not just go for a real low voltage tube. Here is a line stage that runs
off 24v. Or have you thaught about just using Nelson's B1 jfet buffer?
 

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So this uses 2 E188cc for stereo, 24vdc rails, and 12v heaters?

Hmm. If i went with this, could i use the 30vdc rails for B+? And with the 12v heaters i could just pop in a 12v regulator from the rails too, no extra transformers necessary.


EDIT: Holly crap these are $100 a pair or more...
 
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Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.