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Back to the Aikido [message #52852] Mon, 10 November 2008 08:40 Go to next message
Bill Epstein is currently offline  Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
Finally worked up the courage to build the power supply from the schematic (first time for me to build from a schematic) Steve Brown designed for me. The HV is a CLC to a tube rectifier, the filaments a full-wave bridge with voltage divider. Almost done, just have to wire up the CRC smoother after the bridge. The 4Pis should really sing with the added gain from my 2 watt 45 amp.


Check the middle switch at the rear: it enables switching between a Russian K-40 .22uF PIO, a 2.2uF Obbligato or both in parallel for the output. A cap shoot-out with the turn of a dial!

I just had to sneek a peek at all those 6SN7s. I don't know if I'll use the 5R4 rectifier but it looks cooler than the little 5AR4 spec'd...

Stay tuned.

Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52853 is a reply to message #52852] Mon, 10 November 2008 11:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Norris Wilson is currently offline  Norris Wilson
Messages: 361
Registered: May 2009
Grand Master
Looking good Bill,

I haven't looked at the Akido design lately. I was wondering if the second 6SN7 is a cathode follower? If it is, it might be fun to somehow install a switch where you can switch out the first 6SN7 gain stage.

I owned a VAC preamp several years ago that had switchable gain stages that used 12AX7's for the gain, and a 12AU7 for cathode follower. Switching out the gain stages all together was my preference, but had a slight negative gain. As with all components in the signal path, they introduce their own signature.

Keep us informed of your progress?

I am very curious of how well your 2 watts will go towards driving the Four Pi's?
I will be building a 2.5-way version of the Four Pi using 2226J's with Beyma CP-385ND 1" CD and TD-250 horn.

I am hoping two watts will be enough to get them a rocking at 100db efficiency.

Have fun!

NW

Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52854 is a reply to message #52853] Mon, 10 November 2008 11:42 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Epstein is currently offline  Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
With just a passive volume pot, 2 watts gets loud enough for Dire Straits but not for the Who. Loud enough for Count Basie but not the Cleveland Orchestra, w/o serious clipping.

The Aikido is described by Broskie as "a 2 tube cathode follower with the first tube a vlotage divider of 50%, so that 50% of the PS noise is presented to the CFs grid; at the same time the 100k resistors also define a voltage divider of 505 so the bottom triodes grid also sees 50 % of the PS noise. Since both of these signals are equal in amplitude and phase, they cancel each other out, as each triode sees an identical increase in plate current."

I have no idea what any of that means...

.

Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52857 is a reply to message #52854] Mon, 10 November 2008 13:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18677
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Oooh, that's sweet, Bill! Keep us posted!


Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52858 is a reply to message #52857] Tue, 11 November 2008 14:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GarlandGarland is currently offline  GarlandGarland
Messages: 60
Registered: May 2009
Viscount
Do let us know your impressions! I've always been intrigued by the circuit.

G.

Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52859 is a reply to message #52852] Tue, 11 November 2008 15:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne-o is currently offline  Wayne-o
Messages: 225
Registered: May 2009
Master
All that work for 2 watts, It does look nice though. Hope to see pics of it when its completed.

Re: Back to the Aikido [message #52876 is a reply to message #52852] Mon, 17 November 2008 18:23 Go to previous message
SteveBrown is currently offline  SteveBrown
Messages: 330
Registered: May 2009
Grand Master
Bill, your transformer 5v winding is only good for 2A, and I think the 5R4 is hotter than that. Check it out.

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