Book “Single Ended Amplifiers” by John (not Gordon) Rankin

[rick57]

www.octave-electronics.com/Magazines/Books.shtml

Who’s read this?
Worth US$ 50 to a newbie?

Cheers

[danFrank]

It depends...
If you are looking for a resource for tube audio information; MAYBE. It looks like most of the info available in this book can be had for free on the internet with some searching. On the other hand $50 for a 400+ page book isn't too bad, if it's an actual physical book and not an e-book. I didn't pay attention to what was being offered.
Personally, I would spend my money on a book full of audio circuit schematics so I could build something from other's people's ideas and hear the results.
Several things to remember about tube audio:

95-98% of the best tube audio techniques was already invented/discovered by 1960.

Most stuff that comes out that claims to be new is actually rehashed old stuff.

Try this link and go from there (it's free)

http://www.triodeel.com/dusty.htm

Here's another link with lots of info:

http://www.firebottle.com/fireforum/...b=ganews&mode=


This last link is for the 4th ed of the Radiotron Designer's Handbook, which many thing is the best book ever for vacuum tube design:

http://geek.scorpiorising.ca/RDH4.html


Have fun and BE CAREFUL with the high voltages... They can kill!!!
Daniel

[NickC]

After reading personnely
its more of a what components to used and what to do and what not to do in making single ended amps , very little theory in the book. Rather hard to understand schematics, drawn in circuitmaker and actually requires you to know about tube audio to decipher his schematics.
A book to keep when u are familiar with audio.
Personnely not recommended for a newbie. If you are planning to get a good book about audio get morgan jones many times more pratical and you actually learn much more. THis book is to help with component selection and some tips and is too focus on single ended(unless this is your fancy)
The book has some good ideas but in some areas rather conservative and old fashion thinking but on another hand rather forward thinking with his ideas about switchmode which by way in the book. This part is complicated reading. I myself who is slightly familar in this topic cant seem to really comprehend what he is talking about nor understand the schematics

[rick57]

Thank you for the very helpful responses.

I’ll read through the Dusty Files and other links.

I downloaded the Radiotron Handbook files. When this is sorted that should be very useful. I’ll get Morgan Jones and leave John Rankin for later.

Cheers