Where can I get custom power transformers
- Thread starter carlthess40
- Start date
They belong to a friend of mine
I asked him who diagnosed these and he said four different technicians said the same thing
I’m scratching my head as well thinking how did the transformers go bad or one transformer ,
I need to get him to let me bring them home and hook my meters and scope up to them and check this out myself
I am on the same fence as you are , and believe something else would’ve caused a transformer problem because that’s a pretty major issue there
I know the company is no longer in business
And I found a old email address for the owner and designer of these amplifiers
So I sent him a email and so far it has not bounced back to me saying the email address is no longer available
Fingers crossed that I get a reply
As these did carry a lifetime warranty
But the question is who’s life time? The company, or the owner of the amps? Lol
I asked him who diagnosed these and he said four different technicians said the same thing
I’m scratching my head as well thinking how did the transformers go bad or one transformer ,
I need to get him to let me bring them home and hook my meters and scope up to them and check this out myself
I am on the same fence as you are , and believe something else would’ve caused a transformer problem because that’s a pretty major issue there
I know the company is no longer in business
And I found a old email address for the owner and designer of these amplifiers
So I sent him a email and so far it has not bounced back to me saying the email address is no longer available
Fingers crossed that I get a reply
As these did carry a lifetime warranty
But the question is who’s life time? The company, or the owner of the amps? Lol
Life of the corporation, which may be much shorter than the life of the design engineer or builder.
This is a vacuum tube amp.
You can't afford a custom transformer.
You can buy various standard transformers. You need to calculate the heater load, voltage and current. Then calculate the B+ voltage and load current. You can get those values from the tube charts.
Then find the hammond, guitar amp, or triodeelectronics.com transformer that will fit. One guitar amp shop is tubesandmore.com
You may have to drill new holes in the chassis for the mount screws.
Causes of transformer failure are lack of fuse in the heater load, lack of fuse in the B+ load. Make sure the fuses are 1 1/4" long, shorter ones will arc over. The next size up 2" is even better but cost about $20 each. The 480 V rated fuses also come in holders of three, not usually just one.
Newbie mistake is particularly use of 1n400x in the heater or B+ rectifier. Use a 1000 PIV 3 amp SS rectifier if necessary. Make sure any SS rectifier is over 3/4" long, as dust will short out a 1n400x case after a few years. I find the best source of these diodes is dead CRT displays - nobody stocks them. The short ones work today, just not 5 years from now.
If you need both vacuum tube and transistor voltages, the best solution is two different transformers. The usual US source of transistor or op amp voltage transformers is antek.inc although newark has recently found a source at 1/3 their previous prices.
If chassis space is a problem you may have to mount a toroid 2nd transformer up in the air on a bracket above the other one.
This is a vacuum tube amp.
You can't afford a custom transformer.
You can buy various standard transformers. You need to calculate the heater load, voltage and current. Then calculate the B+ voltage and load current. You can get those values from the tube charts.
Then find the hammond, guitar amp, or triodeelectronics.com transformer that will fit. One guitar amp shop is tubesandmore.com
You may have to drill new holes in the chassis for the mount screws.
Causes of transformer failure are lack of fuse in the heater load, lack of fuse in the B+ load. Make sure the fuses are 1 1/4" long, shorter ones will arc over. The next size up 2" is even better but cost about $20 each. The 480 V rated fuses also come in holders of three, not usually just one.
Newbie mistake is particularly use of 1n400x in the heater or B+ rectifier. Use a 1000 PIV 3 amp SS rectifier if necessary. Make sure any SS rectifier is over 3/4" long, as dust will short out a 1n400x case after a few years. I find the best source of these diodes is dead CRT displays - nobody stocks them. The short ones work today, just not 5 years from now.
If you need both vacuum tube and transistor voltages, the best solution is two different transformers. The usual US source of transistor or op amp voltage transformers is antek.inc although newark has recently found a source at 1/3 their previous prices.
If chassis space is a problem you may have to mount a toroid 2nd transformer up in the air on a bracket above the other one.
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I've had custom transformers made.
They came with a one time setup fee,
Of $25 US.
The cost of the transformers, $12.50 US each.
The Yellow Pages, might be a place to start looking .....
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Custom transformers (toroid):
Transformatory toroidalne - Producent transformatorow Toroidy.pl
Power transformers - Internet shop Toroidy.pl
Transformatory toroidalne - Producent transformatorow Toroidy.pl
Power transformers - Internet shop Toroidy.pl
Mercury Magnetics will rewind your defective transformers. They used to make custom transformers as well. You should try them. Mercury Magnetics - Amp Transformers, Output Transformers & Chokes
If you’re able to use a toroidal in your application, these guys seem to have a good reputation for being responsive and also for their good products (though I haven’t used them myself). SumR - Richard Sumner Technology:: Custom
I very much doubt anybody can wind suiutable transformer clones xcept the original manufacturer or OEM supplier.
Please look at what kind of amplifiers are these.
From: 6moons.com - audio reviews: Aria Audio Ltd. WT 100LS XL amplifier
does anybody really think "yellow pages sourced $12.50 transformers" apply to the situations, (even if paying a whopping $25 setup fee) , or "toroids" or whatever?
Inside a solid aluminum machined chassis which suspends capacitors in mid air inside felt rings so vibrations don´t contaminate Audio and PCBs float on rubberized standoffs?
Where everything is cryogenically treated?
A $4,499/8,800/10,199 amp where Builder/Designer personally goes to buyer´s home to adjust it to taste?
That´s why I think only OEM transformer builder can make a suitable one.
And that IF designers gives them the full set of blueprints and specs ... plus the authorization to do so, of course.
All this, IF they are really "bad" ... which coming from "a friend of a friend of a friend" type of information is not exactly to be blindly trusted.
I´d first and foremost check diagnostic is correct, and then have same Technician ask here, providing all necessary data of course.
Until then, it´s only hearsay, sorry.
Please look at what kind of amplifiers are these.
From: 6moons.com - audio reviews: Aria Audio Ltd. WT 100LS XL amplifier
does anybody really think "yellow pages sourced $12.50 transformers" apply to the situations, (even if paying a whopping $25 setup fee) , or "toroids" or whatever?
Inside a solid aluminum machined chassis which suspends capacitors in mid air inside felt rings so vibrations don´t contaminate Audio and PCBs float on rubberized standoffs?
Where everything is cryogenically treated?
A $4,499/8,800/10,199 amp where Builder/Designer personally goes to buyer´s home to adjust it to taste?
That´s why I think only OEM transformer builder can make a suitable one.
And that IF designers gives them the full set of blueprints and specs ... plus the authorization to do so, of course.
All this, IF they are really "bad" ... which coming from "a friend of a friend of a friend" type of information is not exactly to be blindly trusted.
I´d first and foremost check diagnostic is correct, and then have same Technician ask here, providing all necessary data of course.
Until then, it´s only hearsay, sorry.
I recently built a 2A3 tube amp that required a custom power transformer and choke. The closest Hammond I could find was about $150. I called Heyboer and had a custom PT made for $120 and the choke was $40. The closest Hammond choke was $60 for comparison.
I built the amp this weekend and the voltages were within 3V at 315V B+! All the heater voltages were withing 0.1V! HIGHLY recommended! I also have the advantage of being 20 minutes from their factory so I can drive to pick them up and I got a nice tour while I was there.
I learned that pretty much every "boutique" guitar amp transformer available on the interwebs is pretty much a re-badged Heyboer.
I built the amp this weekend and the voltages were within 3V at 315V B+! All the heater voltages were withing 0.1V! HIGHLY recommended! I also have the advantage of being 20 minutes from their factory so I can drive to pick them up and I got a nice tour while I was there.
I learned that pretty much every "boutique" guitar amp transformer available on the interwebs is pretty much a re-badged Heyboer.
I’m 100% with you in this
I have make contact with someone who used to work for the company that started doing the repairs just before the company went belly up. And I have someone who used to be a dealer overseas and he has most of the schematics for these amps.
Cool
That said, probably with some effort or care electrical properties can be duplicated, but without seeing it I suspect the "mechanical" aspects may be hard to match.
Meaning if they took extra care to float supply capacitors and PCBs, not use regular heatsinks but CNC machine dual purpose chassis/enclosure out of solid Aluminum, etc. , can´t even imagine how they mounted the transformer, whether it has some custom magnetic shield, whatever.
If available, please post a couple gut closeups, I bet a LOT of care must have been spent on its layout.
As of:
But then most (98%?) boutique Guitar amps are rehashed old Fender, so basically the same under the hood, no doubt a few models by a good manufacturer such as Heyboer cover MANY models.
Even if a few become creative with Preamps or EQ, power amps are quite generic, so PTs and OTs can too.
Now on wild designs such as this advanced hybrid amp, the Sky is the limit.
That said, probably with some effort or care electrical properties can be duplicated, but without seeing it I suspect the "mechanical" aspects may be hard to match.
Meaning if they took extra care to float supply capacitors and PCBs, not use regular heatsinks but CNC machine dual purpose chassis/enclosure out of solid Aluminum, etc. , can´t even imagine how they mounted the transformer, whether it has some custom magnetic shield, whatever.
If available, please post a couple gut closeups, I bet a LOT of care must have been spent on its layout.
As of:
Boutique Guitar amps? Sure!!
But then most (98%?) boutique Guitar amps are rehashed old Fender, so basically the same under the hood, no doubt a few models by a good manufacturer such as Heyboer cover MANY models.
Even if a few become creative with Preamps or EQ, power amps are quite generic, so PTs and OTs can too.
Now on wild designs such as this advanced hybrid amp, the Sky is the limit.
Sure. But not for a transformer for that tube amplifier
Best regards!
Probably not.
what I meant was, since none seems to be able to think
For themselves, is ,
At least check to see how much these would cost,
Before dismissing the idea of custom transformers.
The ones I had made,
Worked well for the tube Amplifier
they were designed for .
Should you ever find out what the specs are,
for these transformers ,
I'm sure that many here would like to know,
And also check with local sources/suppliers,
To find out, just how much having ones own transformers
Made would be.
Might be less than expected .....