Sy don't tell me you broke your bank
...DIYer's might find this useful.
Space Charge and Other Low-Voltage Tubes
...DIYer's might find this useful. Space Charge and Other Low-Voltage Tubes
I believe the Porsche dudes wouldn't quite agree on this...
But it's an other story...
No it's not, do your research, my car is a 944.
Typical jealous statements, I have heard them all before.
A 944 has a 944 engine designed for a 944 based on half a 928 engine.
I have even been told it's a kit car, seriously who get's a 944 kit car?
Now show me how to put this large 2.5L into a transport, or produce one single picture.
I've never heard or seen a VW van hitting 6K on the tach. lol
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Nothing wrong with a Kia. I drive a pair of work boot's every once in a while!
So I read over that link. Seems to be a decent amplifier and "looks" like it uses conventional home audio tubes.
I don't know what type of tubes it uses, or if it has any suspension or not.
From the other pictures I googled it does not appear to have suspension.
I don't mind building a "spring hammock" like Doz has, on the other hand simpler is easier. Having suspension would mean having the need for a flexible wire path...etc.
I was thinking I could suspend a cake pan with springs easy enough.
A used BaM-235ab is around $2,200 so I'm confident I can build for well under that, otherwise I would have considered buying a used one to try it out as it is fairly compact.
Now as far as space etc. It's similar to having an amp and subwoofer. Pretty much everyone has room for it. It just depends if you want to see it or not, you do have to try a little harder to do a "stealth" install though. A "display" type install is easier, although you lose some space. I figure If I can tolerate space for SS amps and at least one woofer, why not a tube amp instead.
I can completely hide a SS stereo no problem in there. It has nice big "buckets" behind the back tires in the fender. Also a nice big compartment were the spare tire once was. This is were I will likely put the woofer(s). I could put mid-bass in the "buckets" behind the back tire and/or stereo gear.
I'm not sure weather to go full stealth or part display. Cooling will be a big factor for location ultimately. I'm certainly not adverse to using some sort of forced air cooling, either via fan and/or outside air forced in at speed.
I think I have made my mind up to use tubes though.
I was originally going to go the gainclone route, but there one would have any easier time if they just got a chip-amp that runs off 13.8V.
Hmmm, I wonder if I should bi-amp it?....
this is what popped into my mind right away also....
look for BK Butler's web site, he has dome some tubes for auto work...
all of BKs stuff sounds good when properly deployed, IMO
Currently working on a hybrid to fir in the new (much smaller car - a Citroen C1) a pair of 6n6p's driving a 41HZ Tripath thing, complete with EM84's for effect. Other things have got in the way though, and I messed up the board etch, ending up with the pre-amp working, but the EM84's facing the wrong direction!! Must give it some time. Butchering a small commercial inverter should give you a reasonable DC. They seem to generate some 300VDC, and then switch it back into a sandcastle "pseudo" sinewave with FETs to keep the efficency somewhere near. Just loose the pseudo sinewave bit.
Whew - raw nerve! Sorry thought yours was a 924 at a quick glance. When I worked on these in England we derisively referred to them as an "LT Coupe". The 944 is an entirely different story!
I'd go full display if I were you - it would be a shame to do all the work to build a workable unit and then hide it, and if the car is as stripped out as it seems in the photo, it should be easy(er) to engineer.
Don't forget that car audio speakers are not known for their forgiving impedance curves - your amp will need lots of output watts and very low output impedance to be truly practical
Yes I can be testy about that! lol
I was actually thinking of using regular tube type or other efficient type speakers in there.
As long as I get a moderately balanced frequency response I would be happy. Just a decent amount of bass inside the car would be nice. Not looking to shake the block, I realize there maybe some compromises. They good thing is tube gear seems to be and is usually so much louder then over-rated peak watts that SS gear.
I was actually thinking of using regular tube type or other efficient type speakers in there.
As long as I get a moderately balanced frequency response I would be happy. Just a decent amount of bass inside the car would be nice. Not looking to shake the block, I realize there maybe some compromises. They good thing is tube gear seems to be and is usually so much louder then over-rated peak watts that SS gear.
What about some high efficiency full range drivers like Fostex, TangBand or even MarkAudio? With the car that dismantled one could even make enclosures for them in the body wells.....you could do some fun stuff
Yes! And open baffles!
Car doors can be used as infinite open baffles, with tube output stages. For subwoofer the whole cargo space, with class D amps.
Mobile valve amp ; first the supply
Hi all,
I made some considerations about an valve amp for car installations. I think it is feasible to build an reliable and safe amp. It can be done with any kind of circuit design . The limitation is only the power supply. It unlike at home where you have near unlimited amount of electrical power. In a average car the maximum input for additional equipment is somewhat of abt 500W with the engine running. For practical reason you should not draw the maximum available current from the cars power system. The generator shall after all have enough headroom to charge the battery after the engine crank action.
If you design an amp so it shall draw no more than abt 30 Amps. I build an power converter which was intended to run an HF PA with 200W for ham use in my car . But the project was superseded by an old 400W army power amp I came accidently across the other day.
The schematic of this inverter is shown below. I made a breadbord setup to make some measurements. At 13,8V input the output voltage for plate is 500V / 0.45A, screen supply are 375V/ 0.1A, and finally the grid bias 60V/ 50mA.
The efficiency is abt 80% at full load. The non load consumtion are 1A.
the inverter is build with common available parts, exept the transformer which is an double E ferrite core , Siemens/Matsushita/ Epcos EE55/20 mat. code N27. The core I used was salvaged from old equipment. The output chokes are also scrapyard recycled items.They are from PC power supplies.
The inverter will deliver enough power to run a 2 channel 2x50W amp with EL34/6CA7 or 6L6GC . As someone posted to use the russian GU-50 with the tank type sockets. They are intended to use in aircraft radio sets. They will be ideal for car hifi use.
PS:
I have try to get the schematic but it comes only in poor quality. If someone is interested, send me an email and I reply with the schematic.
regards
Wolfgang
DF6ZC
Hi all,
I made some considerations about an valve amp for car installations. I think it is feasible to build an reliable and safe amp. It can be done with any kind of circuit design . The limitation is only the power supply. It unlike at home where you have near unlimited amount of electrical power. In a average car the maximum input for additional equipment is somewhat of abt 500W with the engine running. For practical reason you should not draw the maximum available current from the cars power system. The generator shall after all have enough headroom to charge the battery after the engine crank action.
If you design an amp so it shall draw no more than abt 30 Amps. I build an power converter which was intended to run an HF PA with 200W for ham use in my car . But the project was superseded by an old 400W army power amp I came accidently across the other day.
The schematic of this inverter is shown below. I made a breadbord setup to make some measurements. At 13,8V input the output voltage for plate is 500V / 0.45A, screen supply are 375V/ 0.1A, and finally the grid bias 60V/ 50mA.
The efficiency is abt 80% at full load. The non load consumtion are 1A.
the inverter is build with common available parts, exept the transformer which is an double E ferrite core , Siemens/Matsushita/ Epcos EE55/20 mat. code N27. The core I used was salvaged from old equipment. The output chokes are also scrapyard recycled items.They are from PC power supplies.
The inverter will deliver enough power to run a 2 channel 2x50W amp with EL34/6CA7 or 6L6GC . As someone posted to use the russian GU-50 with the tank type sockets. They are intended to use in aircraft radio sets. They will be ideal for car hifi use.
PS:
I have try to get the schematic but it comes only in poor quality. If someone is interested, send me an email and I reply with the schematic.
regards
Wolfgang
DF6ZC
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i successfully use hybrid car amp (made by me ) with no problem.
Power supply isn't a problem. Simple push-pull SMPS and many many many turns for the HV Or you can make a boost converter from the positive power rail (in case of hybrids) like Nixie's smps.
Some tubes worked on MIGs...car is easier
) with no problem.Power supply isn't a problem. Simple push-pull SMPS and many many many turns for the HV
Or you can make a boost converter from the positive power rail (in case of hybrids) like Nixie's smps.Some tubes worked on MIGs...car is easier
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Duly noted.
I'm pretty excited about this project. Although I'm very ADD right now, (no medication) I'm all over the map here, cutting aluminum for a gainclone, last night I started plan a WM-61A stereo microphone build, getting ready to order a DIY DAC, planning my next tube amp, fixing some dudes computer, CF Headphone amp, - I don't have the proper headphones for it, wondering weather or not to Linkwitz mod said stereo mic or to look into the benefits of a tubed mic preamp, I haven't been to work in a week, adjust the paraphase inverter on my big amp for the 6CG7, re-read how the parhase works and try to apply it-or not just adjust the 6CG7f front end voltages or not, because it sounds so good, even better now that it is triode-mode, get the rest of the parts for my chipamp.com Beta boards, big amp still needs an LED the pilot light, my speakers look like they were built by a Hobo, but sound really good for a test platform-(I'm a cabinet maker, go figure.) I could not even fathom right now on picking new speakers in sweet boxes that I build without hearing them first-my head would implode.
I think I have a problem.
I feel better now.
I'm pretty excited about this project. Although I'm very ADD right now, (no medication) I'm all over the map here, cutting aluminum for a gainclone, last night I started plan a WM-61A stereo microphone build, getting ready to order a DIY DAC, planning my next tube amp, fixing some dudes computer, CF Headphone amp, - I don't have the proper headphones for it, wondering weather or not to Linkwitz mod said stereo mic or to look into the benefits of a tubed mic preamp, I haven't been to work in a week, adjust the paraphase inverter on my big amp for the 6CG7, re-read how the parhase works and try to apply it-or not just adjust the 6CG7f front end voltages or not, because it sounds so good, even better now that it is triode-mode, get the rest of the parts for my chipamp.com Beta boards, big amp still needs an LED the pilot light, my speakers look like they were built by a Hobo, but sound really good for a test platform-(I'm a cabinet maker, go figure.) I could not even fathom right now on picking new speakers in sweet boxes that I build without hearing them first-my head would implode.
I think I have a problem.
I feel better now.
12AT7 inputs, 6JN6 outputs. Class B screen drive. Same audio circuit as the Berning EA-230.
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