Just get some NOS mint in box metal tubes. They’ll stink up a storm when you turn it on as the paint heats up for the first time. Not quite the smell you imagined? If your old glass tubes are dusty they’ll smell a little too - and not quite so noxious.
The process of having an idea, snoop around here and other places to see if its doable and prototyping. And just try it if it cannot be confirmed. I don't like the final process of making things look good. Don't have the patience. Too
many projects and ideas.
Also the fact that my entire system is second hand or dumpster dive items repaired and put to work. Troubleshooting can be a lot of fun!
many projects and ideas.
Also the fact that my entire system is second hand or dumpster dive items repaired and put to work. Troubleshooting can be a lot of fun!
Get an old air filter from a Tektronix tube scope and burn it for that old tube equipment smell.
Better yet, just run the scope as a room heater.
I like bringing new old TV tubes to life again with audio, new tube circuitry never dreamt of, like Crazy Drive, "new" series Schade (UnSet, CED), differentiator gm wing plots, and reminiscing about old days and ways, Heathkit, Eico, Knight, Dynaco, .... Too many things got passed in a hurry to get to the future, which obviously isn't working too well lately. So many great great things sit quietly in the past, never discovered, and lost to irreversible complexity now. Maybe I can start a new burial trend soon, a casket filled with TV tubes. Nah, I'd need a shipping container. 😀
6HZ8, 6LU8, 6197, 6JC6, 6AH6, 12HL7, 6HB6, 5687, 12GE5, 22JG6, 12JT6, 22JR6, 12GT5, 21HB5, 17KV6, 6HJ5, 6EX6, 6CB5, 21LG6, 35LR6, 26LX6, 36MC6, 36LW6, 6F12P, 4P1L, 1E7G, 6JH8, 6FM7, 6GF7, 38HE7, 6BN11, 6EW6, 6AH9, 6GF5, 8136, 8532, 6KR8, 6KV8, 6LQ8, 6LY8, 5902, 5639, 6JT8, 5755, 5744, ......
Hmmm, which combo should i use for the next amp? Decisions, decisions...
Better yet, just run the scope as a room heater.
I like bringing new old TV tubes to life again with audio, new tube circuitry never dreamt of, like Crazy Drive, "new" series Schade (UnSet, CED), differentiator gm wing plots, and reminiscing about old days and ways, Heathkit, Eico, Knight, Dynaco, .... Too many things got passed in a hurry to get to the future, which obviously isn't working too well lately. So many great great things sit quietly in the past, never discovered, and lost to irreversible complexity now. Maybe I can start a new burial trend soon, a casket filled with TV tubes. Nah, I'd need a shipping container. 😀
6HZ8, 6LU8, 6197, 6JC6, 6AH6, 12HL7, 6HB6, 5687, 12GE5, 22JG6, 12JT6, 22JR6, 12GT5, 21HB5, 17KV6, 6HJ5, 6EX6, 6CB5, 21LG6, 35LR6, 26LX6, 36MC6, 36LW6, 6F12P, 4P1L, 1E7G, 6JH8, 6FM7, 6GF7, 38HE7, 6BN11, 6EW6, 6AH9, 6GF5, 8136, 8532, 6KR8, 6KV8, 6LQ8, 6LY8, 5902, 5639, 6JT8, 5755, 5744, ......
Hmmm, which combo should i use for the next amp? Decisions, decisions...
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I love the whole process or circuit design, mocking up the amplifier on a board, to the final chassis layout and design. I just need projects in my life to sink my teeth into.
I love the smell from my TV-7 tube tester. I don't know if its the anti fungal conformal coating on all the solder joints, or the mercury tube rectifier. For me it's the ultimate old equipment smell, even if it does cause cancer in the state of California...
I love the smell from my TV-7 tube tester. I don't know if its the anti fungal conformal coating on all the solder joints, or the mercury tube rectifier. For me it's the ultimate old equipment smell, even if it does cause cancer in the state of California...
Measuring tubes with my uTracer, putting them back into my Elekit tu-8200, breaking something in the ripple filter and now having to debug it, knowing it can only be within 4-5 parts and knowing I can fix it (touch wood).
After many hours of troubleshooting, there's nothing quite like hearing the sound of a protect relay coming in on a power amplifier that's in for service.
What Do I love about this?
How many people have told us that clip lead messes like these will not work. If there's any sound at all it will oscillate or hum.
I love it when I make a mess like the first picture, flip the switch and hear nice clean sound on the first power up.
There is an experiment involving clip leads and a perf board prototype on my workbench right now. It is a Voltage Controlled Amplifier intended for a vacuum tube based electronic music synthesizer. I's basically a vacuum tube pot whose setting is adjusted by a "control voltage." Zero volts gives a large signal loss, 10 volts gives a medium gain. I'm measuring a total dynamic range of over 96 dB on a proto board with no hint of shielding anywhere and clip leads or test probe wire for input and output. Output is 20 volts RMS with 10 volts on the control, and 275 MICROVOLTS of mostly 60 and 120 Hz with 0 volts on the control input.
There are multiple tube sockets so that I could try many different kinds of tubes to see what worked best. Several more experiments will be performed on this proto to optimize frequency response and THD before building a new proto board with one set of tube sockets, and possibly different transformers.
How many people have told us that clip lead messes like these will not work. If there's any sound at all it will oscillate or hum.
I love it when I make a mess like the first picture, flip the switch and hear nice clean sound on the first power up.
There is an experiment involving clip leads and a perf board prototype on my workbench right now. It is a Voltage Controlled Amplifier intended for a vacuum tube based electronic music synthesizer. I's basically a vacuum tube pot whose setting is adjusted by a "control voltage." Zero volts gives a large signal loss, 10 volts gives a medium gain. I'm measuring a total dynamic range of over 96 dB on a proto board with no hint of shielding anywhere and clip leads or test probe wire for input and output. Output is 20 volts RMS with 10 volts on the control, and 275 MICROVOLTS of mostly 60 and 120 Hz with 0 volts on the control input.
There are multiple tube sockets so that I could try many different kinds of tubes to see what worked best. Several more experiments will be performed on this proto to optimize frequency response and THD before building a new proto board with one set of tube sockets, and possibly different transformers.
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I enjoy the building itself of an amp dac speakers whatever it is , then i enjoy the first Times i try them , then i get the post build depression...