Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => Crack => Topic started by: eeyore on June 04, 2010, 10:16:27 PM

Title: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: eeyore on June 04, 2010, 10:16:27 PM
Just wondering if anyone has tried, or plans to upgrade the PS to a regulated type? Could be interested in conjunction with the Speedball upgrade.
Title: Re: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: Paul Birkeland on June 05, 2010, 09:56:17 AM
I built a shunt regulated Crack, although I ended up using a gas tube to do it.  It's not super hard to do, but it involves adding another octal socket, so I doubt it will release as an upgrade. 
Title: Re: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: grufti on June 05, 2010, 10:24:16 AM
Did you manage to build the shunt regulated supply with the stock transformer? I was under the impression that the PT3 transformer is already close to max as is.
Title: Re: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: Paul Birkeland on June 05, 2010, 02:06:52 PM
It's close to maximum in regards to heater current, and a gas tube uses none, so that was pretty helpful.  As far as high voltage current, there is some headroom there, so burning another 10ma for the gas tube was no bid deal.
Title: Re: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: Paul Joppa on June 05, 2010, 05:00:37 PM
Because it's a cathode follower output, the shunt regulator should carry at least as much current as the output tube - and therefor will dissipate at least as much heat.
Title: Re: Regulated Power Supply Upgrade
Post by: Paul Birkeland on June 05, 2010, 05:54:36 PM
Hey PJ,

I setup a modified crack with an 0D3 shared between channels.  I switched the supply to CLC (Triad C7X) and set the 0D3 to burn off 10-15ma after the circuit warms up. 

I played around with using a 6BL7/6BX7 hybrid regulator, but wasn't super happy dumping that kind of current through the top C4S load, not to mention how taxed the PT-3 was at that point.