Aikido PSU help

[SY]

I've got an older version of that Heathkit PS and can attest that it worked just fine with the Aikido octal (6SN7) and noval (ECC88) boards.

 

[cbutterworth]

Sy,

Did you jumper B+ to GND on the PSU?

 

[SY]

You mean at the binding posts? No, I didn't. I think it might already be hardwired that way, but I can tell you for sure later, after I get home and can look at it.

 

[Sheldon]

Sheldon,

Yes, but the Heath PSU was designed for audio or HAM radio equipment. In fact, the manual shows how to connect it to an audio amplifier.

I, of all people, had I thought about it for a second, should have realized that it was a general purpose electronics supply that was pressed into service for electrophoresis (for which it is over qualified). In the early days of electrophoresis the only option was to use general purpose supplies. Later, the field became large enough to support the manufacture of dedicated supplies. I co-founded a company that made gels and apparatus (Novex).


Echoing the others, I'd say you're good to go.

Sheldon

 

[cbutterworth]

Sheldon,

I use basic electrophoresis stuff. I run agarose gels in 0.5X TAE buffer, using Owl Sci gel rigs. For me the biggest break was being able to get away from having to use Ethidium Bromide as the DNA stain and going over to Sybr Green.



Sy,

The PSU suggests that the B+ and the GND on the Heath can be optionally jumpered to tie the Heath and Amp grounds together. Maybe it'll make no difference.

Charlie

 

[jrdmedford]

Ethidium Bromide? Good Lord. Thats worse the mercury rectifiers!

Sounds like you have a follow on to the Heathkit IP-17. I have one.
It was the best $100 purchase I ever made. Its 0-400VDC 0-100mA.
Has a 0 to -100V bias supply. 4A 6.3V or 12V fil supply.
Uses 0A2's as the voltage reference, 6AU6, and, likeyou, 6L6GC pass tubes.

You are rockin... Get that Aikido up and running. I've used my IP-17
for a number of preamp tests...

 

[SY]

cbutterworth: It turns out that my supply is an IP-32. The B+ common and ground terminal were not connected together for my tests. Nonetheless, the preamp was very quiet and the distortion was pretty low (see my thread of several months ago on Aikido measurements).

 

[Burnedfingers]

I use a ISCO model 470 or 494 for my power supplies. They are both electrophoresis power supplies. The 470 has a digital display and will provide up to 1000VDC at 3mA, 30mA, or 300mA.
The 494 will provide up to 2000VDC at 200mA. I find the regulation of these supplies to be far better than the Heathkit IP 17 that they replaced.

 

[Sheldon]

I use a ISCO model 470 or 494 for my power supplies. They are both electrophoresis power supplies. The 470 has a digital display and will provide up to 1000VDC at 3mA, 30mA, or 300mA.
The 494 will provide up to 2000VDC at 200mA. I find the regulation of these supplies to be far better than the Heathkit IP 17 that they replaced.

Those are purpose built electrophoresis supplies. Regulation usually is good, but ripple may (or may not) be higher than for an instrument supply. Also they are not designed specifically to drive a reactive load. Neither thing may be an issue at all. I don't know about those particular models, but electrophoresis supplies often do have forms of fault or overload protection. FWIW, I think most electrophoresis supplies have fully floating outputs for safety, and the more sophisticated ones will have ground fault protection. That could make it an issue with grounding one leg. The electronics gurus will have to chime in on that one.

Sheldon