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[AMPS] TL-922 Filament Transformer Protection

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [AMPS] TL-922 Filament Transformer Protection
From: W8JI@contesting.com (Tom Rauch)
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 08:26:43 -0400
Hi Jon,

> >> Boy now thats a parasitic I wouldnt mind having,  all the 
> >> parasitics that I have seen , most of them around the 
> >> 4-1000 amplifiers, cause damage to say the least.  When 
> >> the amp takes off uncontrollably and meters bend around 
> >> the pegs, resistors blow, safety trips explode, that what 
> >> I call damage.  
> >
> >Sounds like you have confused outgassing or gas ingress, a fairly 
> >common occurrence, with a parasitic.
> >
> >High vacuum arcs are  common in tubes, especially old used glass 
> >tubes.
> >
> >I guess if we don't know what a problem is, it's easy to call it a 
> >"parasitic".
> 
> I disagree, Tom.  While some parasitic oscillations in amplifiers are well
> behaved, some are not.  In my 4-1000A, for the longest time while building
> it I had a slight oscillation that I could produce every time I brought
> the tune C to minimum.  No bangs, arcs, etc.  

Same in amps here. When I make them oscillate, they generate 
trash and draw current. No bangs, no arcs, no bent tubes, etc.
 
> However, at one point I was dealing with a cavity resonance.  The amp was
> stable w/o the cover.  Once I put the cover on, I got a big bang and it
> wasn't from any gassing.  However, these sort of events are typically due
> to some other problem such as a bad layout (the orignal problem in my amp)
> or some other failure.  I would venture in a "normally" working amp that
> big bang parasitics don't occur.

Ahh. But that was likely a fundamental oscillation, or a low order 
mode oscillation supported by the cavity. I can make an amp 
"explode" by making it arc on or near the fundamental. I can wipe 
out a bandswitch with a HF oscillation, or with excessive drive for 
the amount of loading used.

Everyone (except Rich) knows that happens. 

Oscillations are no different than intentionally driven signals. All 
components follow the same rules. 
    
> And to comment on the point that Rich has said he's never seen arcing from
> a badly loaded amp:  All I can say is BEEN THERE!  DONE THAT!  I've had
> mine mistuned once or twice and heard some real nice arcing.  And I have a
> load C with rather large plate spacing.

Jim Baker never knew a thief who took advantage of people's 
ignorance, and Rich has never seen a mistuned amp or an amp 
suddenly operated with a bad load arc.

What amazes me is how some people swallow his wild claims. PT 
Barnum was right.

 
73, Tom W8JI
w8ji@contesting.com

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