So You Want to Play With BIG Tubes...

[WobblySam]

I'd call dibs on the 811's. My Altec 1570B's could use some new friends

No, no, no, no - I want them for my HF linear amplifier.

 

[W9TR]

That’s perfect, sir! Thanks for the awesome response.

THAT'S not an amplifier; THIS is an amplifier!

We are all humbled by your proposed quarter mega-watt single-ended amplifier with a transformer the size of a suburban home. The push-pull version would generate more eddy currents than one of US Steel's legendary arc furnaces and would require restricted airspace zones for hundreds of miles around it, lest the induced currents melt low-flying planes. The DC filament supply alone would require an entire month's copper output from Bolivia. Pacemakers on the other side of the planet would fail when it played Kenny G., while Motörhead at low volumes would cause entire nations to spontaneously combust. This would be the only amplifier worthy of Disaster Area, which would commission a few gross, merely on general principles.

Disaster Area was a plutonium rock band from the Gagrakacka Mind Zones and was generally regarded as not only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy, but also as being the loudest noise of any kind at all. Regular concert goers judged that the best sound balance was usually to be heard from within large concrete bunkers some thirty-seven miles away from the stage, whilst the musicians themselves played their instruments by remote control from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stayed in orbit around the planet—or more frequently around a completely different planet.

Their songs are on the whole very simple and mostly follow the familiar theme of boy-being meets girl-being beneath silvery moon, which then explodes for no adequately explored reason.

Many worlds have now banned their act altogether, sometimes for artistic reasons, but most commonly because the band's public address system contravenes local strategic arms limitations treaties.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams​

 

[AdamAnt316]

What, no 572Bs?! I could use some spares for my Heathkit SB-200:

Yes, I have a license to use it. What I don't (yet) have is a separate breaker in the house panel to power it..........

 

[Kasanay]

What, no 572Bs?! I could use some spares for my Heathkit SB-200:
..........

No 572Bs but the 811A may be an option.

Thanks,

Joe Y

 

[AdamAnt316]

No 572Bs but the 811A may be an option.

Thanks,

Joe Y

From what I understand, the 572B is a beefed-up version of the 811A. According to this page, the 572B is rated for 2,400V on the plate, while the 811A is rated for only 1,500V. Since this page indicates a typical (if somewhat modified) Heathkit SB-200 putting 2,100V on its tubes, using a pair of 811As in a SB-200 probably wouldn't work out too well without major modifications. However, I have found that an 811A makes for an excellent table lamp, at the least:

 

[larryderouin]

The generators are AC?

To clarify, I was thinking that the internal submarine distances are not great, so the inefficiency of DC distribution would not be too extreme, and the systems must run with the generators off which would suggest DC power distribution.

It's been decades since I was on the USS Ling, but I remember the massive banks of lead-acid batteries. Much like an electric car in the 1970s, it seemed that the lead-acid batteries filled much of the ship's volume.

While active The diesels each drove a DC GENSET.
4 Main generators are rated at approximately 2650 amperes at 415 volts and 1100 kilowatts. EACH! Nominal voltage during normal loads is approx 450VDC. Auxiliaries are run off DC to AC Motor/Generator sets which are operated thru the Auxiliary Switchboard in Maneuveing. TORSK has been rewired somewhat in that she ws used as a shipboard Trainer from 1968 thru 1972 for Reservists. Some systems we've upgraded, and some have been reverted back to original and disconnected, tagged and bagged. The DC/AC Motor Generators have been disconnected at their output. All 120VAC 60Hz capacity has been transferred to Shore power 208 3 phase and the Electron pushers then do their magic to get us clean 120VAC thru the boat. The output connections from the #3 MG set has been transferred to 120VC 60Hz, but is still operated from the AUX switchboard (which has a plex cover to keep Adult hands out of it.) Kiddies usually leave them alone, but adults continue to steal fuse holders in the FWD 400Hz switchboard (along with the Fuses). Wish we could leave it energized just so once, someone would get a NICE TINGLE

 

[Retrovert]

So the intercom is an auxillary system which either runs off DC when at sea or AC when docked?

Why not simply glue the fuse holders in place? Cyanoacrylate isn't a very good adhesive. Neither is Locktite. Both would require a pliers to turn the holder which would prevent fingers from casually stealing them.

 

[larryderouin]

Nope. IC stack runs ACV 24/7, even original configuration. Most of the panels they steal the holders out of are operational (we lock out the breaker when the Vol's aren't on the boat). We stripped ships @ Philly and Fort Eustis (James River fleet) of about 6 5Gallon buckets of Fuse Holders and fuses 18 years ago, and we still have 4 buckets left. The museum doesn't want the fuse holders "locked in" so we have to put up with theft.

 

[Sam Cogley]

Some of y'all are nuts.

PPP 807s or 1625s would be enough power for me.

 

[larryderouin]

Some of y'all are nuts.

PPP 807s or 1625s would be enough power for me.

We used to do annoucements on the Intercom, sound General Alarm (26 bongs), Collision (whoop,whoop....), or the dive alarm every 30 minutes or so before the system puked the oil out of the Main transformer. You could hear it 200ft down the pier, and there are no drivers external to the hull. Took us a year to get it back up, when we 1st started working on it (4-5 hours on Saturday's Only.) replaced 1/2 to 3/4 of the wiring connections thruout the boat , a bunch of power resistors (played hell finding them), caps, etc.

Then there's the sub's AIRHORN.....Rattles windows on the World Trade Center a 100 yards from the Sub! All from a 125 psi air supply. Something like 100Hz. Beats a Train Horn all to Hell. Ever seen a 3 year old, on the pier, try to crawl back inside where it spent 9 months???

 

[AdamAnt316]

Some of y'all are nuts.

PPP 807s or 1625s would be enough power for me.

Most of these tubes were generally used in amateur radio service. In particular, both 6146s and 811As remain popular 'final output' tubes in RF service, both with older and more modern production units. Fully solid-state RF amplifiers are available, but vacuum tubes remain quite popular for use in various RF applications, including some very high powered transmitters. Even without a broadcast license, my amateur radio license allows me to use a transmitter as powerful as 1,500W, and companies like Ameritron still produce tube-based linear amplifiers like this for this purpose.
-Adam