Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Dmoney on November 12, 2011, 10:04:54 AM

Title: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 12, 2011, 10:04:54 AM

I always have a spot of bother doing this...

I intend to do a project in a few months (aside from what im doing now) and I feel like having the option to run KT88's in it.

it'll be 4xKT88 with 5x12AX7.
I know the circuit of what im building will need to be tweaked. 100K grid to bias resistors, Bigger screen grid resistors. 1K/5W maybe 1K5. (nothing that will stop me using EL34's or 6L6GC's)

http://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/product_info.php/info/p5015_IGPW-Soldano--SLO100-Watt-Powertransformer.html

This transformer should give me a fair bit of B+ Voltage (im not after crazy watts, I just want to be able to drop in KT88s if i choose), and there is plenty of filament current available, more so than the hammonds ive been looking at... I'm just wonder about the current drawn on the B+ from the KT88's and 12AX7's.

I'll be full wave rectifying the B+. Probably get about 495v to the plate going off what is normally in an SLO.
(im not building a KT88 slo). KT88's would idle around 45mA I guess, maybe a bit more.

Is that trannie gonna have enough power?
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 12, 2011, 02:17:37 PM
Its a 0-360v HT winding, so you're looking at 500v rectified (before losses), probably 480v in the real world.

The specs say the HT winding is spec'd for 400mA, so I'd think you'll be fine with KT88s on that.  

You'll find that KT88s will idle at more like 60mA per valve at the voltages you're running, so even at idle you're looking at 240mA for a 100w amp.  Just run it with two KT88s and save some cash (and let your PT have an easy life).

Technical Data
Power: 366 VA
Primary: 0-230-240 V
Sec. 1: 360-0-50-360 V @ 0,4 A
Sec. 2: 6,3 V @ 9 A
Sec. 3: 6,3 V @ 2 A
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 12, 2011, 02:22:15 PM
btw, it looks like I'm getting a 100w Jet City head soon - do you have any experience with the IGPW SLO100 OT's as replacements in the Jet City amps?  http://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/product_info.php/info/p5014_IGPW-Soldano--SLO100-Watt-Outputtransformer.html

I'm assuming the mids especially will be sweeter - they always are in nicer iron as compared to the Chinese stuff, must be the metal used in the laminations.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 12, 2011, 03:12:14 PM
btw, it looks like I'm getting a 100w Jet City head soon - do you have any experience with the IGPW SLO100 OT's as replacements in the Jet City amps?  http://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/product_info.php/info/p5014_IGPW-Soldano--SLO100-Watt-Outputtransformer.html

I'm assuming the mids especially will be sweeter - they always are in nicer iron as compared to the Chinese stuff, must be the metal used in the laminations.



I dont have any personal experience but i plan on soon. Are you getting Adams? im surprised that thing has been lingering around so long at the price!

One thing to do is add the depth mod in too its a great little extra tonal shaping tool but im pretty sure you already knew that!

The general word on the IG trannies is that they are fantastic especially for the price. Also you'll get to find out what all the fuss is about Hi Def OT's now as theyre meant to be pretty much exact clones of the Deyoung SLO trannies or at least thats the impression the guy at IGP gives and has shown me several videos/photos of him deconstructing the deyoungs and taking measurements so it looks very promising.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 12, 2011, 03:13:15 PM
one thing i haven't got my head around is HT current ratings and working out what I'd need for a given amp.
working out filament current needs is easy!

I haven't used the IG's but they look legit. I want to use them in an soldano related a build. not an SLO though. If the OT is a good copy of the Deyoung then id be happy.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 13, 2011, 11:12:04 AM
AX84 has a great FAQs section, very useful.  Here's the one on specing PTs...

http://www.ax84.com/faq.html#PT-cur-req

Yep, its Adam's amp and yes I'll be doing the depth mod - I put it on everything these days, it just gives SO much balls if you are unable to really crank the amp.

The IG transformers are the same company that used to be Shinrock - I've had custom stuff made off him before, very well made iron and he will do custom stuff (one offs) at reasonable prices.  I've still got an 18w OT he made for me but used a bigger core so I could max the amp and not have the OT compress into oblivion.  Also had a choke made to run in a Sound City L120.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: JacksonRR on November 13, 2011, 04:00:02 PM
Depth mod..... :?
You boys talking about a resonance circuit or what?
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 13, 2011, 04:06:34 PM
Depth mod..... :?
You boys talking about a resonance circuit or what?

I think so its for variable negative feedback in the power amp
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 13, 2011, 04:11:07 PM
yes. same thing... well... sometimes its the same. haha... unless you're getting jazzy and using an inductor in it.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: JacksonRR on November 13, 2011, 07:47:41 PM
yes. same thing... well... sometimes its the same. haha... unless you're getting jazzy and using an inductor in it.


Oh man... I'm trying hard to remember who uses an inductor in their resonance control.... Is it Mesa?
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 13, 2011, 07:56:31 PM
yes. same thing... well... sometimes its the same. haha... unless you're getting jazzy and using an inductor in it.


Oh man... I'm trying hard to remember who uses an inductor in their resonance control.... Is it Mesa?

the main one i know is bogner
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 13, 2011, 11:27:23 PM
yes. same thing... well... sometimes its the same. haha... unless you're getting jazzy and using an inductor in it.


Oh man... I'm trying hard to remember who uses an inductor in their resonance control.... Is it Mesa?

the main one i know is bogner

I'd like to see that schematic.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 13, 2011, 11:45:24 PM
I'll see if I can find it. whatever I have has no values i don't think. I know the inductor is custom wound.
I have another schem or two that have inductors in the NFB. I can send you those. The idea was probably taken from the Uberschall.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: JacksonRR on November 14, 2011, 02:48:13 AM
Yeah the only Uber scheme I could drudge up was on SLOClone forums and you know how they work. They'll post up incomplete schemes and then talk about what's correct or not. It's a 34 page thread if you care to sign up and read it. No one knows the actual specs of the inductor though. One member had success using the inductor from a wah-wah on a Marshall rebuild.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 16, 2011, 04:53:00 PM
the OD3 and OLS schem on that forum both contain inductor based depth circuits. I don't know the Uber values either. I just have the layout somewhere.
I just ordered a set of the IG/Shinrocks. Will post some pics of how they look.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 16, 2011, 05:00:06 PM
Yeah the only Uber scheme I could drudge up was on SLOClone forums and you know how they work. They'll post up incomplete schemes and then talk about what's correct or not. It's a 34 page thread if you care to sign up and read it. No one knows the actual specs of the inductor though. One member had success using the inductor from a wah-wah on a Marshall rebuild.



adube apparently has a 100% accurate schem & layout....
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 16, 2011, 05:15:43 PM
he might do, but I'm not 100% sure. I wouldn't be shocked if he had something similar to a generic fender clean channel in it.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: JacksonRR on November 16, 2011, 08:26:58 PM
Yeah the only Uber scheme I could drudge up was on SLOClone forums and you know how they work. They'll post up incomplete schemes and then talk about what's correct or not. It's a 34 page thread if you care to sign up and read it. No one knows the actual specs of the inductor though. One member had success using the inductor from a wah-wah on a Marshall rebuild.



adube apparently has a 100% accurate schem & layout....

Abube runs ampclones.ru and has been kicked out of SloCloneforums for being mainly a sponger with profit first in mind. I did try contacting him through his website and he wasn't helpful in the matter. Not sure he has the Uber's resonance circuit on his boards or not. He is known for mixing and matching as Dmoney stated.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 16, 2011, 08:31:27 PM
yeah but currently his prices are fantastic!

i may grab a few bundles
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 16, 2011, 08:34:49 PM
His mesa stuff and soldano stuff is probably bang on. there are enough pictures of the MKIIC+ circulating the net and the schem isn't hard to find.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 16, 2011, 09:17:57 PM
the OD3 and OLS schem on that forum both contain inductor based depth circuits. I don't know the Uber values either. I just have the layout somewhere.
I just ordered a set of the IG/Shinrocks. Will post some pics of how they look.

ahh cool, will be interested to hear how you get on with those.  I'll be looking to get the IG SLO100 OT asap for my Jet City 100w arriving any day now.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 16, 2011, 09:28:36 PM
the OD3 and OLS schem on that forum both contain inductor based depth circuits. I don't know the Uber values either. I just have the layout somewhere.
I just ordered a set of the IG/Shinrocks. Will post some pics of how they look.

ahh cool, will be interested to hear how you get on with those.  I'll be looking to get the IG SLO100 OT asap for my Jet City 100w arriving any day now.



are you just doing a few mods or are you going to rebuild it?
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 18, 2011, 10:13:01 PM
the OD3 and OLS schem on that forum both contain inductor based depth circuits. I don't know the Uber values either. I just have the layout somewhere.
I just ordered a set of the IG/Shinrocks. Will post some pics of how they look.

ahh cool, will be interested to hear how you get on with those.  I'll be looking to get the IG SLO100 OT asap for my Jet City 100w arriving any day now.



are you just doing a few mods or are you going to rebuild it?

Its gonna be my backup/spare head for gigging with mainly, so I'll live with how it sounds for a while before touching it so I can gauge how any mods affect it.

I reckon some Sozo caps and a better OT would likely be a good start. 

Also, if they've used a big resistor in the PI filter rather than a choke, then I'll be putting a choke in too.

The depth/resonance mod is a given, gotta have that in there.



Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 18, 2011, 10:15:07 PM
that definitely sounds like a good plan of action.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 20, 2011, 12:37:43 PM
well, it got here (baring a small postal mixup, ha ha).

will doubtless have a Yout00b video up soon.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 22, 2011, 03:09:17 AM
I got the Ingo transformers.
they look REALLY nice and well built. I haven't taken the end bells off but they seem awesome. The leads out are also pretty small and insulated in some stuff that feels like silicone, but its much tougher.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 22, 2011, 07:55:25 PM
nice one, will be interested to hear your thoughts on them in comparison to other OTs you've tried in the same circuit.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 22, 2011, 08:29:56 PM
nice one, will be interested to hear your thoughts on them in comparison to other OTs you've tried in the same circuit.



I think hes using them in a VHT type build.

I will be grabbing  a set soon for a SLO build and can do A/B with that and the Onetics Hi Def
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 22, 2011, 09:12:48 PM
nice one, will be interested to hear your thoughts on them in comparison to other OTs you've tried in the same circuit.



I think hes using them in a VHT type build.

I will be grabbing  a set soon for a SLO build and can do A/B with that and the Onetics Hi Def

ahhh!!! - that would be cool, nice one.

I 'may' end up with something custom - gonna have a word with Ingo.  I want more mids out of the amp and if I'm gonna replace the OT, I might as well use the opportunity to make it grind a certain way that I like.  EL34s would ideally be the way to go, but there is the issue of heater current from the PT (and I'd rather not replace the PT).  Could run just two EL34s in it I suppose, that may be interesting to try.

Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Transcend on November 22, 2011, 09:15:48 PM
The mids was the main thing i've found lacking with the jet citys but overall theyre a decent catch for the price

The Ingo PTs are pretty well priced.

What reason do you have for not wanting to replace it other than having to virtually rewire the amp?
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: Dmoney on November 22, 2011, 09:50:42 PM
In theory, I should end up with a amp that is easy to swap the preamp on. early filter stages will be off the preamp board, along with most of the power supply parts, so trying anything out should be as easy as building a preamp and dropping it in.
Title: Re: Specing a power transformer
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 23, 2011, 09:58:50 AM
The mids was the main thing i've found lacking with the jet citys but overall theyre a decent catch for the price

The Ingo PTs are pretty well priced.

What reason do you have for not wanting to replace it other than having to virtually rewire the amp?

I don't want to replace the PT (if at all possible) as the existing PT is perfectly fine.