Amps
[Top] [All Lists]

[Amps] Switching Supplies for High Current Filaments

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [Amps] Switching Supplies for High Current Filaments
From: "Jim Thomson" <jim.thom@telus.net>
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 05:41:05 -0700
List-post: <amps@contesting.com">mailto:amps@contesting.com>

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Jim Thomson" <jim.thom@telus.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 5:39 AM
To: "W2XJ" <W2XJ@W2XJ.NET>
Subject: Re: [Amps] Switching Supplies for High Current Filaments

> ## I was going to say on a reg ac fil xfmr, the B-  return is through the 
> CT of the
> sec of the fil xfmr.  Then you won't get 60 hz hum modulation.  The 
> switcher,
> being dc output,  you could probably return the B-  to one side of the 
> cathode/fil,
> via a single solenoid choke.   You would still require the normal bifilar 
> fil choke,
> one choke per leg..for the +/-  dc output of the switcher.  Cold ends of 
> the bifilar
> would have to have bypass caps....to chassis.  I stand corrected, the 
> switcher probably
> can be used on a directly heated GG triode.  As long as the switcher is 
> not pumping out
> loads of harmonics and junk, it may well work.  Ok,  now all I require is 
> a switcher that
> will put out 7.5 vdc @ 50A CCS.... and a 2nd one that will put out 7.0 vdc 
> @ 80A.
>
> ##  at present, I use conventional AC xfmr's, with a CT on the sec.  I 
> manually soft start
> the tube with a small 0-240vac @ 5A variac.   A surplus 750va sola 
> constant V xfmr feeds
> 240 vac to the input of the variac.   There is a cam lever on the shaft of 
> the variac that
> activates a microswitch......when   variac is almost fully CCW. 
> Microswitch activates
> the coil of a dpdt relay, whose contacts apply 240vac  from the output of 
> the sola,
> to the input of the variac.    This rigmarole is done, so IF  I forget to 
> turn down the variac
> when finished for the night, and just shut off the 240 vac input to the 
> sola.... nothing bad
> will happen the next night..with variac cranked way up in it's normal 
> mode. IE: come in the
> next night, turn on sola, and zero volts  on the input of the variac... 
> UNTIL the variac
> is  1st  turned down to almost fully CCW, so the microswitch  will 
> activate. Done this way,
> their is zero chance of defeating the manual step start.
>
> ## The sola was required because my line V  was varying all over the map 
> for almost 2 yrs. The
> sola will regulate to within a fraction of 1% , when line V varied  from 
> 233-247 vac.  The sola
> weighs 66 lbs..and is a real pig, and runs hot.  The 240 vac @ 5A  variac 
> is no small item either,
> and a 7.5v  @ 50A  fil xfmr is not exactly light iron, nor is the 80A fil 
> xfmr.  I use a  5:1 current xfmr
> set up, with the torroid looped through one leg of the fil xfmr sec, to 
> measure fil current.  Panel
> meter is a 0-50A unit.  5A  flows  through the torroid of the current 
> xfmr...which drives the meter.
> Meter is calibrated to read 0-50A... but has only 5A  flowing through it, 
> when 50A  flowing.  I use
> a pair of 200 uh chokes, one per leg, right at the socket,,, then wired 
> with 18 ga wire  up to the
> RF deck 0-10vac  fil V meter.  A 500-1000 ohm , 2w mof in each leg at the 
> panel meter end, plus
> .01uf bypass caps. That mess is also in parallel  with a pair of banana 
> jacks...so I can plug in my fluke 87.
> RF does not get into the fluke with drive applied to the directly heated 
> cathode.   If the banana jacks
> are accidently shorted, the resistor's in each leg limit the current.  The 
> same fil V and I measuring
> setup  is also used on a YU-148. Again, no RF  gets into the fluke dvm 
> with +60dbm of drive.
>
> ##  a switcher could eliminate all of the above, including the metering. 
> I wonder if any broadcast Tx's
> have gone the switcher route, for directly heated GG triodes, or grid 
> driven tetrodes ?
>
> Jim   VE7RF
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "W2XJ" <W2XJ@W2XJ.NET>
> Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 3:58 AM
> To: "Jim Thomson" <jim.thom@telus.net>; <TexasRF@aol.com>; 
> <amps@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [Amps] Switching Supplies for High Current Filaments
>
>> If the supply is not ground referenced there is no good reason it can not 
>> be
>> used in any topology.
>
>
>> Jim, please bring me up to speed on why the switcher will not work with a 
>> directly heated tube. I am not challenging the information; just asking 
>> for enlightenment!
>
> 73,
> Gerald K5GW
>
>
>>
>> On 10/7/10 6:00 AM, "Jim Thomson" <jim.thom@telus.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>> ##  The caveat is  you can't use any version of a switcher... when used 
>>> with
>>> a
>>> directly heated  [thoriated tungsten]  GG triode.  However, ur scheme 
>>> would
>>> work
>>> with directly heated  tetrodes.... like a 4CX-5000.
>>>
>>> Jim  VE7RF
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> 

_______________________________________________
Amps mailing list
Amps@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>