Hiwatt25
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I love tube amps
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« on: November 17, 2007, 03:07:21 am » |
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Would someone share a picture of their light bulb current limiter? I understand how to build one electronically but I'm wondering how to build one into a single, tidy enclosure and I'm looking to steal inspiration from others. Is it possible to find something at home depot to mount the bulb fixture too. Am I making sense?
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madison
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« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2007, 04:37:05 am » |
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T&G flooring optional........
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madison
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« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2007, 04:38:07 am » |
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you might want this too
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« Last Edit: November 17, 2007, 05:47:35 pm by madison »
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mick
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« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2007, 08:20:18 am » |
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More eye candy ( i know i am streching it...).
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LooseChange
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Keep it greasy so it goes down easy.
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« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2007, 08:25:58 am » |
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Ahhh the LBCL...
I always use a 60 watt bulb. Does anyone know why I would use any other wattage??
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« Last Edit: November 18, 2007, 02:26:56 pm by LooseChange »
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Hemi526
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There's just no improvement on some things
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« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2007, 03:27:28 pm » |
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Ok, im kind of new and this and wonder why you have to limit the current, Can someone fill me in please? :-/
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Nothing wrong with a little dirt
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Fresh_Start
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« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2007, 04:29:01 pm » |
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jjsalli - that's just plain showing off! ;) Back to the original question, just go to Lowes/Home Depot/wherever, find the cheapest incandescent light fixture you can which screws into a junction box, find an electrical box that will sit flat with your fixture sitting on top of it, buy an extension cord intended for an airconditioner (think big current), add a 60 watt bulb and 15 minutes or so and you're done. You can see most of my current limiter behind the chassis in this picOn to the last question, the light bulb will burn out if your amp has a short somewhere or some other problem where it draws way too much current to be healthy. Better the light bulb than your power transformer, etc. Please do a search here and in the "Archives" for "current limiter" and you'll learn a lot. Chip |
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« Last Edit: November 17, 2007, 04:33:12 pm by Fresh_Start »
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We have proven once again no plan survives contact with the enemy, or in this case, with the amp. Plan to be wrong about something. |
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sluckey
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« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2007, 04:53:56 pm » |
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On to the last question, the light bulb will burn out if your amp has a short somewhere or some other problem where it draws way too much current to be healthy. Better the light bulb than your power transformer, etc. Actually, if the amp is a dead short (0[ch937]), the bulb will glow at it's full rated brightness, just as if your amp was just an on/off switch. Unless,,, there's some gross problem such as feeding a high voltage back to the ac cord! ;) |
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« Last Edit: November 17, 2007, 04:54:40 pm by sluckey »
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Hemi526
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There's just no improvement on some things
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« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2007, 04:58:35 pm » |
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Thanks!
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Nothing wrong with a little dirt
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madison
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« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2007, 05:43:02 pm » |
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Ahhh the LBCL...
I always use a 60 watt bulb. Does anyone know why I would use any other wattage?? Sometimes I work my way up from 40 watt to 60. I reckon you get up to 100 watt bulb you aren't limiting much anymore??? I see my graphic says "75-100 watt" I'll repost it. |
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supro66
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I love tube amps
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« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2007, 06:45:27 pm » |
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Could you put an Amp and volt meter in this to and check you wattage
or would this defeat the use of the limiter
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jjasilli
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« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2007, 07:36:27 pm » |
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jjsalli - that's just plain showing off!
That's one of the 1st projects I did with my son, before we re-capped an amp. It was a good way for him to learn the reality of applying a schematic to a physical layout - so all the parts fit properly. One of the things I learned from the more experienced builders on this forum is that appearance counts. A simple project like this is a good way to get practice!
The enclosure is salvaged from some antiquated Denon hi-fi remote control unit lying around since the '80's. The bulb socket & outlet are from a hardware store. The power chord is from an old computer. The switches are from a local Radio Shack. There's not much to it, but the enclosure does dress it up a bit.
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jim
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may the pure orange light shine upon you
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« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2007, 10:18:46 pm » |
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Here is mine--actually I have the "lighted" switches that Home Depot sells. If they light, you already know you the equipment you are testing does not have a short without even turning it one. I also use the current limiter to bring up old amps that have tired
caps. I resurrected a Scott Stereomaster amp that had not been turned on in 30 years by starting with a 25 watt bulb for
2 hours, then 40 watt, then 60 watt etc. Jim
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The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench--a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men left to die like dogs. There is also a negative side.
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Hiwatt25
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I love tube amps
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« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2007, 11:36:39 pm » |
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All,
Thanks so much for the inspiration. Just the thing I was looking for.
Cheers!
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blueznet
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The older the better. Amp wise that is...
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« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2007, 01:15:56 am » |
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No switches, just plug & play caveman style.
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*/ "Building a tube amp is very simple, but it takes a genius to understand the simplicity." /*
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jjasilli
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« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2007, 10:47:51 am » |
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Here is mine--actually I have the "lighted" switches that Home Depot sells. If they light, you already know you the equipment you are testing does not have a short without even turning it on
Good idea!!!
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HCS
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Uncle Fester
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« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2007, 11:11:35 am » |
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Here is mine. I built it in an aluminum chassis and mounted a variac, AC volt meter, and 10 amp AC current meter. It is fused, and has a power light so I know when it is on. I made the limiter switchable, so I can fire up an amp with the limiter on, monitor the current and voltages and then take the bulb out of the circuit but flipping a switch. It works slick. The variac lets me bring the voltages up slowly if I am working on vintage stuff and the AV volt meter lets me know where I am. I got all of the stuff from hamfests and put it together for about $40. It ain't pretty, but it works well for firing up amps.  |
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« Last Edit: November 18, 2007, 11:13:18 am by HCS »
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blueznet
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The older the better. Amp wise that is...
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« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2007, 12:38:12 pm » |
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Hey, You both have the exact same setup!! :P
I reposted mine because "someone" deleted it!! :) What the farge is goin on here? :o Someone stole my limiter!!!! |
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*/ "Building a tube amp is very simple, but it takes a genius to understand the simplicity." /*
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blueznet
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The older the better. Amp wise that is...
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« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2007, 12:41:37 pm » |
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Hey, You both have the exact same setup!! :P
I reposted mine because "someone" deleted it!! :) It's still posted up there. |
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*/ "Building a tube amp is very simple, but it takes a genius to understand the simplicity." /*
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LooseChange
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Keep it greasy so it goes down easy.
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« Reply #20 on: November 18, 2007, 02:28:41 pm » |
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Okay.. We learned something new today about this board. Two people can't use the same file name for two different posts. If I upload the picture here again, it will show up on my first post.
If you post a picture with the same name as mine yours will replace mine too. Then delete your post... mine will be gone too.
Try it.
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« Last Edit: November 18, 2007, 02:32:53 pm by LooseChange »
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mresistor
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lost in the ozone again
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« Reply #21 on: November 18, 2007, 02:35:47 pm » |
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HCS - I love that blue crinkle painted enclosure and that you have a variac in there - that's a great all around unit.
I have a bare variac sitting in the garage and plan on building the same type of unit...
Nice... :)
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WPLJ
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blueznet
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The older the better. Amp wise that is...
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« Reply #22 on: November 18, 2007, 02:39:48 pm » |
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Naww, I will let things be. First time for me to see this though....
Darrell
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*/ "Building a tube amp is very simple, but it takes a genius to understand the simplicity." /*
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rocks
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Play like its your last day on earth!
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« Reply #23 on: November 18, 2007, 02:41:34 pm » |
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This is interesting, Do you guys use these when playing out or just when working on an amp? I am wondering if I should build one for my amps for when I am practicing. Also, does the wattage of the build in some way relate to the wattage of the amp? In other words would you use a lower wattage bulb for a 5 watt amp then you would for a 100 watt amp? I'm thinking of making one and using a black light bulb since I hate bright white lights when I play.
Rocks
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jjasilli
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« Reply #24 on: November 18, 2007, 03:55:26 pm » |
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HCS: It ain't pretty, but it works well for firing up amps.
Great concept. It looks pretty to me in a 50-ish, nostalgic, sort of way.
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HCS
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Uncle Fester
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« Reply #25 on: November 18, 2007, 04:05:08 pm » |
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HCS: It ain't pretty, but it works well for firing up amps.
Great concept. It looks pretty to me in a 50-ish, nostalgic, sort of way. Thanks. I built it 7-8 years ago and used a hammertone paint from Home Depot to give it that old look. It is very functional and has saved my ass a few times(today included). I had a power tube arc over and blow a cap (or vise versa) while I was bringing a pa amp from the '60's up. The light went bright and saved the trannie. It is also cool to watch the amp come up to voltage, then start to oscillate and pull more current and drop the voltage while it is on the variac/limiter. Saves your hearing, the amp and speakers. I can't imagine working on old amps or firing up new builds without one. |
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blueznet
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The older the better. Amp wise that is...
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« Reply #26 on: November 18, 2007, 04:16:35 pm » |
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This is interesting, Do you guys use these when playing out or just when working on an amp? I am wondering if I should build one for my amps for when I am practicing. Also, does the wattage of the build in some way relate to the wattage of the amp? In other words would you use a lower wattage bulb for a 5 watt amp then you would for a 100 watt amp? I'm thinking of making one and using a black light bulb since I hate bright white lights when I play.
Rocks Rocks, these are used only for firing up a newly built chassis. If the amp is going to short out it will just send the wall voltage to the light bulb. The bulb will glow as if its in your living room lamp. Thus saving any internal parts in the amp from burning up. If the amp is built with not shorting to ground the bulb will only very slightly glow. You can see the filiment of the bulb barely luminated. Thus all the wall ac voltage is going to the amps power supply. I use mine when I have a new build with a variac plugged into the wall ac, then the amp is plugged into the limiter. I set the wall voltage on the variac to 50vac, the fire the amp up. This is good for the forming of new capacitors. I slowly bring the voltage up to 120vac. No, you do not use these for playing your amp. Regards, Darrell S. |
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*/ "Building a tube amp is very simple, but it takes a genius to understand the simplicity." /*
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