Just received my very own copy of Merlin new book: "Designing Power Supplies for Tube Amplifiers".
I Got it form Lulu.com.
Have not had a chance to read it yet, but I am sure I am going to enjoy reading it and learn a lot. I do have his other two books.
I have three heroes now:
Rod Coleman, Merlin Blencowe, and Morgan Jones.
Art
I Got it form Lulu.com.
Have not had a chance to read it yet, but I am sure I am going to enjoy reading it and learn a lot. I do have his other two books.
I have three heroes now:
Rod Coleman, Merlin Blencowe, and Morgan Jones.
Art
Mine is on the way! So far, "Designing High Fidelity Tube Preamps" is the only book about electronics I have and I think it's great!
This reminded me I bought "Designing Power Supplies for Tube Amplifiers" as epub while living in Mozambique, some 10 years ago. So what is new? Upon a second look I see it is now the 2nd edition.
It is an excellent book. Descriptions are precise without being overly complex and he dispels many myths along the way. My only disappointment was he did not cover SMPS for heaters in any depth and he omitted using the LM723 as an HT regulator (which is used in the only commercial HT linear power supply I know of (International Power).
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
Actually, current status is "while our printers do their thing" which makes me realize how things are going these days. I understand that it's the only way for authors like Merlin to reach their readers and I do support, however, I feel uncomfortable with the idea that this "production on demand(?)" procedure becomes standard for all things day after day...
The rule used to be to break even you needed to print and sell a run of 10,000 books using the conventional print method. Books like Merlin's would never be published if it were not for printing on demand.
Cheers
Ian
We've had our technical books done with printing on demand for many years. The cost for a run of just 25 hardbound books
that are indistinguishable from books from a retail store is only about $30 each, plus shipping. Great stuff.
Ordered mine. I have his Hi-Fi preamps book and it's great. I'll probably get crucified for this but, for me, I find Blencowe far more comprehensible than Jones. To clarify, Jones obviously knows his subject, it's just that there's a disconnect between his writing and my brain, whereas I don't find that with Blencowe. Now, just hoping he does a book on PP ampliers.
Agreed! After all it's nice to have this option -the only option to get books like this! I wish personal creativity could compete massive production the same way... Apologies for off topic. I'm sure I'll love the book!
It contains the same basic 10 chapters as the original but most of the content has been overhauled, especially the series and shunt regulator chapters. A lot of unecessary material was junked to make way for more practical circuits (including a look at switching regulators for heaters). Have a look at the contents and sample pages here:
http://valvewizard.co.uk/Book4.html
Well, since there is a section on my T-reg, I absolutely have to buy it.
Plus I need to know if my heater switching reg for the direct drive amp is halfway decent. ;-)
Edit: ordered.
Jan
Plus I need to know if my heater switching reg for the direct drive amp is halfway decent. ;-)
Edit: ordered.
Jan
FWIW, fairly recent copies of Linear Audio, reported to be printed on demand, look exactly to my eyes, like the oldest paper editions. The current book-making technology is plenty close enough to perfect as to be not an issue. We're lucky enough to be living in a time when this is possible. If you're interested in building your reference library, folks (of my generation) most often started with ancient texts like W.G.Dow Fundamentals of Engineering Electronics 1937 and RDH4 (1953? postwar anyway) both essential(ish). Can't easily start with these 'cause they're dry as toast, and that's the best of what was.
Contemporary journalism can too often be a fashion-oriented enterprise. Two exceptions are M.B.'s books and J.D's bookzines. Not fashion-forward, not style, not the latest trend, (but often the latest trend later), just explorations forward with real data. We so often expect all pertinent information be be available by a Google search, and, of course for "free". Reality check: information has value.
By that same token, everyone can contribute on diyAudio in that same spirit of advancing the state of our craft (possibly a higher calling even than art). Nobody has a death grip on truth, and lots of what we read on the Internet is kaka, so books still matter. DiyAudio does an amazing job of keeping it real.
All good fortune,
Chris
Contemporary journalism can too often be a fashion-oriented enterprise. Two exceptions are M.B.'s books and J.D's bookzines. Not fashion-forward, not style, not the latest trend, (but often the latest trend later), just explorations forward with real data. We so often expect all pertinent information be be available by a Google search, and, of course for "free". Reality check: information has value.
By that same token, everyone can contribute on diyAudio in that same spirit of advancing the state of our craft (possibly a higher calling even than art). Nobody has a death grip on truth, and lots of what we read on the Internet is kaka, so books still matter. DiyAudio does an amazing job of keeping it real.
All good fortune,
Chris
My copy of the 2nd, printed at Lulu in NC USA, is perhaps better than most old-school long-press-run books.
What is lost is the economy of setting/burning plates once (hundreds of hours of labor) and stomping it 10,000 times.
The modern BIG lasers have nearly no set-up fee (not like when I was a printer's devil). You make the author or agent setup a PDF and the printer runs from file to laser to photodrum to toner to paper.
Because the author may be closely invested, the PoD shops tend to use the better grade of paper, and the laser printers are better than most books need.
The binding on my Lulu hardcover is very impressive. I have seen "nicer" bindings in days of gilded sheepskin, and the over-wrap is just the cover for a trade paperback edition; the stamping on the cloth is minimal (there may be luxury choices Merlin didn't tick-off). But it is tight and square and neat.
BTW: a reason why we no longer print long runs of less-selling books is the US IRS tax code. Usta be you could keep parts (or books) "in inventory" against future orders. Chrysler's inventory of unsold cars overflowed lots all over Detroit, and 20 year old parts were always in stock. New tax code says (hyper-simplified) if you don't sell it in One Year it has "no value". So a LOT of slow-selling books got written-down and moved-out. One year they filled a local dying mall with book tables dumping new books 3 for $5.
What is lost is the economy of setting/burning plates once (hundreds of hours of labor) and stomping it 10,000 times.
The modern BIG lasers have nearly no set-up fee (not like when I was a printer's devil). You make the author or agent setup a PDF and the printer runs from file to laser to photodrum to toner to paper.
Because the author may be closely invested, the PoD shops tend to use the better grade of paper, and the laser printers are better than most books need.
The binding on my Lulu hardcover is very impressive. I have seen "nicer" bindings in days of gilded sheepskin, and the over-wrap is just the cover for a trade paperback edition; the stamping on the cloth is minimal (there may be luxury choices Merlin didn't tick-off). But it is tight and square and neat.
BTW: a reason why we no longer print long runs of less-selling books is the US IRS tax code. Usta be you could keep parts (or books) "in inventory" against future orders. Chrysler's inventory of unsold cars overflowed lots all over Detroit, and 20 year old parts were always in stock. New tax code says (hyper-simplified) if you don't sell it in One Year it has "no value". So a LOT of slow-selling books got written-down and moved-out. One year they filled a local dying mall with book tables dumping new books 3 for $5.
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I would buy the book even if it was a photo copy with spiral binding directly shipped by Merlin... I have done that for books I can't find anymore. I wish I could do the same for semiconductors or cars! Zero stock=zero risk "policy" is bad news in my "book". 🙂
