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Post subject: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 2:12 pm
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOLID-STATE-Plu ... 3cdff8b4b7


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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 3:37 pm
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That is crazy Steve! Why make a solid state rectifier to look so much like a tube one, and one that fits right into the tube socket of a Tube Rectifier? Why not just use a Tube?

By the way, using the word tube in two sentences a total of 4 times get me anything? Besides being told my writing is redundant? :lol: :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 5:38 pm
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"Tubey or not tube be." That is the question. :lol:

The "tube" has an LED built into the base which makes the thing glow, when turned on. They even place a small cap into the circuit to mimic slow light up and turn off of this LED. The rectifier must be for tube-heads that can't imagine showing their gear off, without all the proper bulbs. But, don't have the money for a real 5U4G coke bottle.

Crazy!


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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 6:23 pm
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I have....and have tried a solid state rectifier on my drri, under the premise of both achieving more power and benefiting from a cooler running power tranny.
The results were no noticible audible increase in volume (even though higher B+)....but after re-biasing, my tranny actually ran hotter.
I don't risk using it anymore.


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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 6:31 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
The "tube" has an LED built into the base which makes the thing glow, when turned on. They even place a small cap into the circuit to mimic slow light up and turn off of this LED. The rectifier must be for tube-heads that can't imagine showing their gear off, without all the proper bulbs. But, don't have the money for a real 5U4G coke bottle.

Crazy!


Geez, it's not like good NOS 5Y3's and 5U4GB's cost as much as a UK-made Mullard GZ34!

I've seen nice RCA's, GE's, CBS Hy-Trons, Kel-Rad's, etc for less than the cost of a new EH 12AX7.

:roll:

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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 6:40 pm
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yomammaaho wrote:
The results were no noticible audible increase in volume (even though higher B+)....but after re-biasing, my tranny actually ran hotter.
I don't risk using it anymore.


This is odd. Did you disable the 5VAC taps off the PT?

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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 6:53 pm
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Ayup......gorgeous!

Sixty years old but still good for another sixty.

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 4:15 am
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
yomammaaho wrote:
The results were no noticible audible increase in volume (even though higher B+)....but after re-biasing, my tranny actually ran hotter.
I don't risk using it anymore.


This is odd. Did you disable the 5VAC taps off the PT?

------

Arjay, check out these sexy coke bottles. Now, all we need to find is an old TV front Pro.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Strong-Sylvania ... 258e2c2337


No didn't disable the 5v taps.....but the solid state rectifier leaves them opened and unused.
Keep in mind I have a very efficient Wizard speaker in there, so the drri is loud with or w/out the rectifier tube.
I did read somewhere that the heat saved from the unused 5v tap is made up for (tranny heat) with the higher B+ load on the tranny. Seems counterintuative, but my tranny ran hotter WITH the ssr.

I don't like to hit my caps with higher voltage anyway, so I (always) ignore the stanby switch (volume turned down) and let the rectifier tube hit the plates slowly with B+.


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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 6:25 am
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Seems that there was something wrong with that SS rectifier. The 5VAC tap off the PT draws the most current of any tap. Removing that tap should have dropped the current draw a good 1-2 amps. Raised B+ is definitely expected, not only because of the lack of the 5VAC tap... but also the efficiency of solid-state diodes over tube diodes.

How does the replacement rectifier deal with the secondary's center tap ground, which the solid state replacement may not need?


BTW... did you ever measure the VDC riding on top of the VAC from your outlet? Maybe, DC offset in the house line was causing the PT to saturate? An effect that I'm not sure how solid state rectification's character may effect the PT versus vacuum tube rectification.

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Solid State replacement faux tube rectifier
Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 8:50 am
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I've never had a tube stereo but I can see the audiophiles using this. Some of them really enjoy showing off their double-quad-per-side-coke-bottle-power amps. I can't say that I blame them, it's a kick looking at all of them glowing.

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