Good tube literature

Good site for transformer and tube info

Hi

Here is a good site for all sorts of old stuff. Includimg tube manuals and transformer catalouges. A great resource for impediance specs on transformers. this is important if you wish to build from scratch. I know a few more good sites I will post later. I am a ham operator and have been into tubes for over 35 years.

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/
 
I must echo Jay's mention of Tu-be or Not Tu-be. It explains most aspects of the amp, preamp, power supplies, RIAA, along with detailed modification instructions for Citation, Eico, other, and a heavy lean towards Dynaco gear. It's been a main reference of mine for many years. This book and a Dynaco ST-70 are what got me into this mess!

A good reference for troubleshooting amps is the "Tube Amp Debug Page". It's located online at http://www.geofex.com/ and look in the top left hand corner. They also have a good Tube Amp FAQ for working on musical instrument amplifiers.

Happy reading....
 
There is a free-online vintage tube & tube substitution manual online that can be downloaded for free and printed-out. It doesnt cover all the GE tube manuals have, but it is very good to have! Do a google-search for the "1953 Sylvania Tube Substitution Manual",... print it out & enjoy!! You can also check the online tube-basing charts online at nostalgiaair.org
 
I just seen a archive photo's of Sylvania I think it was, how they build tubes, It showed the steps they use to to build and spot weld tubes. I looked at it breifly and was going to read it further, CAN'T FIND IT BACK AGAIN, does anyone remember were it would be?
 
I guess most people know that a lot of good electronics books were published 50 or more years ago. Some of these may still be found at older used book stores, thrift shops, flea markets (jumbles for those of you across the pond), estate sales and even garage sales. I have one that is really excellent that I found at a local flea market several years ago titled "Essentials of Radio" by Slurzberg & Osterheld, originally printed in 1948. It must have been used as a classroom textbook because at the end of every chapter are test questions. At 806 pages, it's loaded with schematics and formulas. It covers basic electronics, vacuum tube operation, circuit analysis, RF circuits, audio voltage and power amplifier circuits, oscillators, power supply, etc., etc. There are probably dozens like it still floating around ready to be rediscovered.:)
 
The prior posting of Pete Millett's site of great downloadable library should be of interest to all newcomers. I can recommend the book by York as a good primer. Also the 3 volume primer by Crowhurst is good too. You might also check out Briggs and Hartley as alternatives.

Also there are several downloadable "classic" reprint articles by Audio Express, one on power supplies and another couple on audio tube amp design by Crowhurst and Marshall (?). Worth looking for.

A very good "modern" primer in book form is Bruce Rosenblit's Audio Design book. You can get it at Parts-Express and from Old Colony. I recently read Morgan Jones Valve Amplifiers, 2nd edition (from the library). I'm a newbie still, and Jones was too often over my head, I'd rather spend the $60 on tubes/trannies, but I think it is a good read for experienced toob-heads.

A VERY informative site if you like the analytical approach to amp design
is the Valve Wizard site. His audience is guitar heads, but it all applies to hi-fi too. He also has a new book out and you can download the first chapter. Just google Valve Wizard.

Good reading,
Mike 8>)
 
Oh yea, if you need information on a particular tube, not only are the tube manuals (RCA, Sylvania, etc) invaluable, but the web site duncanamps.com has data and links for most tubes ever made. He also has a killer FREE power supply desgin program.

Good listening,
Mike, 8>)
 
They were hilarious and a merely serve as a justification of the authors philosophy and the products he sells.

A far more balanced and informative view would be Morgan Jones or John Broskie or the earlier work of Crowhurst.

I'll check those out....just trying to not get lost in the heavy technical aspects.
When the eyes start to glaze over, I am no longer learning.:bash:
I am gonna get dangerous REAL SOON!! I am already taking things apart.:D
 
I'll check those out....just trying to not get lost in the heavy technical aspects.
When the eyes start to glaze over, I am no longer learning.
Morgan Jones' Valve Amplifiers and Building Valve Amplifiers are a must. They are very clearly written and easy to understand even for those of limited technical knowledge, stating with the basics of how various components work and taking you all the way through the designs of a couple of different amplifiers of different types including the reasons for various choices and compromises.

John Broskie is far more technical, though also a clear writer and maybe read later. His Grounded Cathode Amplifiers paper is easy to understand for the beginner.

If you are a beginner, I also highly recommend reading the High Voltage Safety thread at diyaudio. No amplifier sounds very good if you're dead or injured.

For your first build, it's far better to build a known, developed design.
 
RCA tube manuals were yearly productions. As newer issues were published (with new tube releases), some of the older tube data would be dropped out or condensed depending on the popularity of tube types at that time. The RCA Tube Manual #RC-30 was copywrited in 1975 and is one of the most current and available as a reprint through AES. They also carry the reprint of RC-19, copywrited 1959.
Some obscure or limited run tube types may only be in one manual only or not at all. If you have a Zenith Transoceanic for instance with the 1L6 forget it..Sylvania was the leading producer of this tube and you will find it in their tube manual for example.
So it's good to have a span of tube manuals depending on what you are most into...and then again, they are good reads too!

The RCA manuals were put out over a span of nearly 50 years so even accounting for the war lapse they didn't put out one every year. There were separate manuals for receiving tubes, transmitting tubes, and other special purpose types plus there was a multivolume loose leaf set with everything updated like Jepp charts on a continuing basis. The books have an "optional price" meaning they actually gave them away quite often.

A selection of RCA, GE, Sylvania and Westinghouse manuals is nice. BTW I have sent Pete Millett quite a few books he has yet to put up. In there is a Radio Tube Vade-Mecum and a couple of odd ball tube manuals.

Be advised also each of the tube makers put out project and design guide books which contained a lot of expensive engineering time. The single best one is the RCA HF-110 High Fidelity pamphlet. Originals bring $50 or more for the cover art alone.
 
I guess most people know that a lot of good electronics books were published 50 or more years ago. Some of these may still be found at older used book stores, thrift shops, flea markets (jumbles for those of you across the pond), estate sales and even garage sales. I have one that is really excellent that I found at a local flea market several years ago titled "Essentials of Radio" by Slurzberg & Osterheld, originally printed in 1948. It must have been used as a classroom textbook because at the end of every chapter are test questions. At 806 pages, it's loaded with schematics and formulas. It covers basic electronics, vacuum tube operation, circuit analysis, RF circuits, audio voltage and power amplifier circuits, oscillators, power supply, etc., etc. There are probably dozens like it still floating around ready to be rediscovered.:)

The problem is that local libraries throw them out. Most libraries get hundreds of books a week as donations and they throw out what they can't sell at the book sale, or more accurately don't think they can sell. They also weed their own collections and often just throw them out.

Slurzberg & Osterheld is a good one. There are dozens.
 
Hey, I received my copy of "Building" Valve amplifiers by Morgan Jones yesterday. NO MATH NO MATH did I mention NO MATH I've only had the chance to skim it over, but it looks to be excellent reading for the beginner or old salt alike. Lots of info on tools, test equipment, etc. I hope to get a chance to read it this weekend. I just wanted to make everyone aware of it's presence. Jay

The Morgan Jones books are so UK-centric as to be painful. None of the stuff he talks about are available here with any ease. Old amps, test equipment, surplus parts, even tools.

I disagree with some of his assertions as well. For instance, the IEC connector is NOT the only acceptable choice for mains, it isn't even that great, and it's funny that steel is no good for chassis despite all the classic amps being on steel chassis.

That said there is some interesting and useful stuff in there.
 
The Morgan Jones books are so UK-centric as to be painful.

That said there is some interesting and useful stuff in there.

It just might be UK centric as Mr. Jones is from the UK. How many of the books mentioned are US centric which I don't find painful but very informative. It's a big world and this forum has members from all corners of it. :)
 
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