Jon Yaeger wrote:

I've got an idea that probably won't fly, but here goes.

You've got to give John a lot of credit for his many contributions to
tubecraft. I don't know of anyone who is more productive, both in writing
and designing stuff that actually works.

So I propose that in appreciation, we R.A.T.s take up a collection of stuff
that we think might make a good amp, and send it to John to do a "R.A.T.
Sponsored Design."

That would accomplish a couple of things, including make other folks aware
of the R.A.T. newsgroup who are more interested in arguing about tubes
instead of Jesus and global warming.

Count me in for an enclosure. Hey Patrick, how about some OPT iron??

There are a bunch of fully worked out designs at my website.

Also a couple of samples of OPT that anyone can wind.

I had hoped someone would have addopted my design and wound a quantity to sell back
to me
but not even the dumb chinese were able to work out what i have at my site.
But several amateur audio ppl persevered to wind my OPT No1, and got good results.

How does one define a real audio tube crafter? One who winds his OPTs,
chokes, PTs, crossovers, and makes his chassis, and works out the whole design from
first principles.
Not many of thse ppl around anymore, either they have got old, or are too short
of time or enthusiasm.


Audio Express may not want to direct ppl to rec.audio.tubes or form any association
with us.
I am sure they'd prefer readers to stay dependant on buying the magazine.
Forums on the web allow ppl the luxury of talking to blokes who have been through
all the problems before their turn comes along, so they don't even need to buy
copies of AE.

I used to write long articles for the news letter of an audio club based in Sydney.
Membership was about 100 members, and only about 3 blokes understood anything I
said.
Having an active presence in an audio club proved quite useless to my business,
and they only wanted amps if they were priced next to nothing.
I am no longer a member of any audio clubs, and i am sure they know where I am,
and if they wanted to follow along with the sensible discussions here I am sure they

could have, but NOT ONE HAS out of two clubs with a total membership of
over 200 over the last 5 years.
Tube gear ownership amoungst all these audiophiles is way above the national
average,
and DIYing is fairly active, but methinks they don't like me much because I know
more than they do, and i have a completely methodical approach; no guessing, and
not much adherence to audio myths, and I don't endorse BS.

I could be wrong about all Audio Express; but you'd think AE ppl would have
perhaps contributed to discussions here but perhaps they think that the public
newsgroups are a sewer
of crappy chatter, and have stayed well away, like so many have,
because they are genteel ppl who don't like being set upon by the mad dogs
that lurk here.

The world wide web provides ppl like myself to stay sharp with tube craft
in an active forum. I am not shy about pitting my wits
against the best and the worst here, and Its a damn sight more rewarding
than posting to newsletters of audio clubs, and never ever getting any response,
and I enjoy complete editorial freedom here which is preferable to the
crap that I have seen go on in some audio mags when people who make amps have had
feature
articles done on their gear.

I established a website to encompass all I really need to say;
if anyone wants to know more they only have to email me.
The only exception is Phil Allison, who knows his emails get deleted with spam,
and his phone calls terminated.
I don't take **** from nobody, but I have helped maybe
hundreds with their problems.

I hope you follow my salient thoughts about amp building
and the prosletizing of tubecraft.

The interactive nature of the web and its active helpful contributors
is priceless; to real thinkers, magazines may not have the prominence
they used to; they are a media of the past.

Patrick Turner.






Jon

in article , Patrick Turner at
wrote on 9/29/05 8:20 AM:



Bret Ludwig wrote:

west wrote:


Professor, are you using your custom built speakers or a commercial type
with you SE amp? Why is there so little mention at your web site about your
speakers? BTW, John: Nice article you wrote in recent issue of AudioXpress.
Try not to totally abandon the articles. Life is too short. Wow, little ole
me between the Twin Towers of tubes!
west

It was an okay article but most people want to put some money into a
serious project and not piddle around with cheap transformers if they
are going to spend the time to build one. Best grade OPT's are the way
to go.

JS likes to perpetuate the idea that anyone who wants to build a tube amp
needn't

spend much money on OPTs, and that tube sound is quite a cheap hobby.

This probably appeals to and panders to the hundreds of DIYers of 50yrs old
who dare not spend much more than peanuts on their hobby, lest
they feel they are spending too much, just like a kid of 16 thinking he
mustn't spend too much on the new bicycle rims for the bike he's building,
since
hobbies must be cheap,
and affordable, especially if the wife thinks hubbie's soldering efforts are
some crazy thing, and she controls the purse strings.
Meanwhile, although the latter day big kid agonisers over the costs
of OPTs, and whether the extra $1 coupling cap is necessary,
he pays $1,000 per mth on medical insurance, and goodness knows what
on other household expenses.....

For as long as i can remember, kits for all sorts of things in magazines
were about making something that performed barely well enough and for
a fraction of the price of something in a shop.
I have built some kits for frequency measurement, ( impossible with tubes )
and some distortion measurement gear, also based on chips.
But the use of such kits was always lacking in any real ability;
kits are mostly glorified toys, so I then set out to seriously study the
details
and
design and build my own distortion testing gear, milivolt meters
with BW from a useful 2Hz to 2Mhz at high Z, and so on.


I applaud JH for devoting his time to those he caters for.
He helps keep good men from going bad in a pub, and it generally fosters
interest in tubecraft.

They will mostly never buy the Real Mcoy item that has correct weight OPTs and
has been designed to a standard, not down to a price, and after wrestling with
getting their amp going, most will turn to some other interest later.....

Maybe 2% of the ppl that take up tubecraft as a result of the lead John has
given
them will
go on to become a little more fanatic about it all and begin to think
seriously
for themselves
about their audio constructions, guided by what they hear, and see on a CRO.


Patrick Turner.