Coupling Capacitor Size

ebag4 · 3938

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Offline ebag4

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on: July 07, 2011, 10:54:21 AM
Can a larger value (much larger, 2.2uF) capacitor be used as the coupling capacitor in the Stereomour without negative impact?

Thanks,
Ed

GO CARDS!!!


Offline Paul Joppa

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Reply #1 on: July 07, 2011, 04:18:04 PM
A larger cap (larger than the stock 0.1uF) can be used. It will not be without effect, of course - everything has an effect!

Offhand, that is without thinking about it extensively, I see only one possible source of problems. The coupling capacitor must be charged when the power supply starts, so there will be current through the grid resistor and hence a positive voltage on the grid of the 2A3. The stock capacitor  plus grid resistor has a time constant of 25mSec. With 2.2uF for example, that time would be 550mSec. This is long enough that the 2A3 cathode filament will be heated, and a positive grid voltage during this startup transient can cause excess current to flow before the filament is fully warmed up. There is a danger of stripping the cathode, rendering the tube worthless. This can happen very quickly, or be spread out over time, depending on the tube, the power supply time constants, and probably other variables that have not crossed my mind yet.

Sonically, there may be other effects even if the tube is not badly affected. The 25mSec time constant gives a bass rolloff at 6.4Hz, down 1dB at 13Hz - and more important, down 21dB at 0.55Hz, the lowest warp frequency for 33RPM phonograph records. That's just the first example that occurs to me. The output transformer/plate choke/parafeed cap won't pass those low frequencies, but excess level at low frequencies could overload the 2A3.

There may of course be a sonic benefit - much stranger things have happened! If you have some tubes you don't mind risking, you can try it and see if you hear anything that you like. If there are big enough benefits to your ears, then there are ways to address the cathode stripping problem.

Paul Joppa


Offline ebag4

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Reply #2 on: July 08, 2011, 03:36:38 AM
Paul, thanks for the detailed (as always) reply.  This question was a matter of convenience for me since I have caps at that value I wanted to try.  I am not prepared to damage either of my two pair of 2a3s to try it out.  I will do some more searching and see if I can find some AmpOhms in the correct value.

Thanks again,
Ed

GO CARDS!!!


Offline WayneHunt

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Reply #3 on: January 09, 2015, 10:48:51 AM
Will this work?    Auricap 600V, .01µF - 1µF


Wayne



Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #4 on: January 09, 2015, 11:22:32 AM
Will this work?    Auricap 600V, .01µF - 1µF
A 600V Auricap will work fine, and the value should be 0.1uF.

-PB

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline WayneHunt

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Reply #5 on: January 09, 2015, 11:29:41 AM
So does .01µF - 1µF mean that 0.1uF falls within the parameters?



Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #6 on: January 09, 2015, 01:13:52 PM
So does .01µF - 1µF mean that 0.1uF falls within the parameters?

I'm a little fuzzy on where "0.01uF - 1uF" is coming from? 

I think between 0.1uF and 0.22uF is probably a decent range for the Stereomour coupling cap, but it looks like PJ didn't specify his acceptable range. 

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline Paul Joppa

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Reply #7 on: January 09, 2015, 04:08:48 PM
0.1uF is the design value for a Paramour interstage coupling capacitor. I would not call it "critical" but it is chosen as a balance among bass extension, transient overload recovery, and 2A3 startup transient current. I'd stay in the range 0.05uF to 0.2uF.

Paul Joppa