[Watt? Me worry?]

Hi RATs!

ARC builds status symbols for buyers with more money than brains. They
are legion.

ARC is a business. In business, designers are not in charge of much,
unless they also are the owner. But, owner/designers are not all
geniuses. Some may think they are...

______


I have worked on old tube gear. The 110Vac it was designed for is
hidden in the 122.5 Vac in my wall socket.

I put pairs of resistors, one on each end of the power transformer
primary, until the measured at the pins heater voltage is 6.3V, MAX. 6
volts is adequate. (OK, 12.6 volts MAX, as required)

Yes, the Rs take up space and create heat. No, that excess power and
heat never get into the unit.

Putting Rs between the PT and the OPT maximizes the damage done by the
too high voltage and only addresses part of the problem.

Once the heaters are not frying the tubes, I proceed to tune the
circuits.

Often, the circuits are well within specs, once the heater voltage is
tamed.

Sixteen 6550 tubes is not design, it is style. Style sells. People buy
sizzle, not steak.

Some ARC owners never complain. They never turn them on. They look
cool, that is all that is required.

They tell the tech they listen all the time, but, only get it fixed to
sell it.

______

Patrick, are you near the floods? I thought you were in western Oz,
but, I imagine more than I remember, these days.

Music is a joy. I used to know some interesting stuff about that, too.

Happy Ears!

Al