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BoB
 
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Default Best 5Y3 Rectifier?

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?
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Robert Casey
 
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BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


It shouldn't matter as long as the rectifier tube you have in the amp is
producing full emission. Where it might make a difference of what brand
of tube is used would be in the low level signal processing circuits. And
that is mostly subjective even there.

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Patrick Turner
 
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Robert Casey wrote:

BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


It shouldn't matter as long as the rectifier tube you have in the amp is
producing full emission. Where it might make a difference of what brand
of tube is used would be in the low level signal processing circuits. And
that is mostly subjective even there.


The 5Y3 was one of the most commonly produced tubes around the world.
There was one in nearly every mantle radio and early radio-gram.
It is an octal based rectifier, and a descendant of the type 80,
which was used in radios from the 1920's.

I'd agree with Robert that as long as the one you plug in works OK, it
shouldn't
make any difference to the sound.
These are really simple tubes, with a directly heated cathode and two anodes
which are the only things within.

But yesterday I had a guy bring his newly bought valve amp kit for a check
over
after he'd assembled most of it.
The supplied Ruby chinese made rectifier was a 5U4, but when we plugged
in and turned on, I got a hum and no HT, and I then found one anode
was bent over against the cathode, which shows you just how shoddy
the quality control must be in china, or in the US where the kit was supplied,

although I suspect the kit was really put together by somebody in asia,
because I've seen the same collection of crummy parts and poor layout before.
I used a GZ32 I had laying around, and all was well, and the amp
sounded fine even though it only made 1 watt from each channel with an SV11.

I have had trouble with other chinese made rectifiers.
I am not saying they are all crap, but I'd more likely trust NOS!
There should be no shortage of 5Y3 around.
Tube rectifiers when operating well within ratings tend to work
for a heck of a long time.

It is possible to use an alternative to the 5Y3.
GZ32 and GZ34 might do OK, although with GZ34, you will get a
slightly higher B+ because the internal diode resistance is lower.
This being the case, it is possible sometimes to add another RC filter section

in the PS, as well as increase the C1 of the CRC filter from say 16 uF to
47 uF, which will also reduce hum on the rails.

In old radios which are not extremely collectable,
I sometimes remove the tube rectifier completely, solder silicon
diodes to the socket, add another C of 47 uF, and another R and change the
usual
low value 16 uF or 8uF to 47 uF or 100 uF, which are smaller than the old
caps, and thus the hum is vanished from the radio.
Unfortunately, most of the hum in old restored AM radios now comes from a
modern source of interference, bloomin switchmode power supplies.
Somehow the radio station you wanna hear is marred by a 100 Hz rasp,
but away from the station, the set is very quiet.

Patrick Turner.

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TubeGarden
 
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mostly subjective

Hi RATs!

I am mostly subjective, too

Got a new Cavalier Coupe yesterday. The critics pan it as 'dated and cheap'.

I love it.

Critics eat their young

Happy Ears!
Al


Alan J. Marcy
Phoenix, AZ

PWC/mystic/Earhead
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Jim McShane
 
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"BoB" wrote...

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a
5F1 Tweed Champ?


I send Champ players 5Y3WGTA Sylvania/Philips
JAN tubes. They are very durable, and are very
reasonably priced. Check my site for details if you
wish, the URL is in my signature.

Jim McShane
Need Tubes? Got a H-K Citation (Pre) Amp?
Check http://pages.prodigy.net/jimmcshane
Repro knobs for Citation gear in stock!




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JJ
 
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BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


Any rectifier that says 5Y3 on it and has good emission.

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MaxH
 
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TubeGarden wrote:

mostly subjective


Hi RATs!

I am mostly subjective, too

Got a new Cavalier Coupe yesterday. The critics pan it as 'dated and cheap'.

I love it.


Cool.... despite all reviews I've had one for 4 years now, with almost no
problems... put a lot of miles on it too - good choice

Critics eat their young

Happy Ears!
Al

Alan J. Marcy
Phoenix, AZ

PWC/mystic/Earhead


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MaxH
 
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Oh yeah - on topic.... brand of 5Y3 dosen't matter, but I've found the Sylvania
5Y3WGT to be a very reliable tube. I also have a "made in japan" realistic
lifetime 5Y3GT which has put in many hours without complaining.

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John Stewart
 
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BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


The best 5Y3 is a pair of 1N4007's, each with a 100R resistor in
series wired to the rectifier socket. Some may not agree.
Lots less heat developed so the rest of the bits & pieces
will appreciate this choice.

Cheers, John Stewart




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Ronald
 
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Here we go again.....

I don't know the Tweed Champ (think it's gitah) and that's why
I didn't post ....
But you , posting SS (= still sucks) , pulled my trigger ....
I know you don't believe me , but I can hear the difference between
a Valvo AZ1-mesh and a Philips AZ1-mesh in my CD player !!
BTW , I kicked the Philips out ......

Ronald .

"John Stewart" schreef in bericht
...


BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


The best 5Y3 is a pair of 1N4007's, each with a 100R resistor in
series wired to the rectifier socket. Some may not agree.
Lots less heat developed so the rest of the bits & pieces
will appreciate this choice.

Cheers, John Stewart




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John Stewart wrote in message ...
BoB wrote:

What's the best NOS 5Y3 Rectifier for a 5F1 Tweed Champ?


The best 5Y3 is a pair of 1N4007's, each with a 100R resistor in
series wired to the rectifier socket. Some may not agree.
Lots less heat developed so the rest of the bits & pieces
will appreciate this choice.


If he already has one to replace, why mod the socket? Smash the tube
& stick them in the base. A circle of fishpaper will snug right over
it for protection.

For improvement (bass) in these small SE 6V6 guitar amps, eliminate
the resistors & check that the 6V6's cathode resistor is still happy
(or make it so if need be). Specific bench problem & costly 5Y3
annoyance: with the chassis out don't hotwork it on its side with the
5Y3 horizontal; often the pin alignment is such that even the best NOS
JAN 5Y3W's will sag one or both fil's to a plate short (poof).
Someone has done this 4 times over the years by forgetting (don't ask
who, makes extra room in the caddy). :-) Oddly, while some of the
best-named ruggedized MIL versions with tall plates are highly
susceptible to this faux-pas, most of the consumer versions are fairly
immune (but not worth proving it). Some of the MIL ones are even
questionable in the *approved* horiz pos'n.

With the extra PT load of the 5Y3 gone, some of these amps will run a
6L6 variant without complaint (check the htr voltage, PT temp &
increase K res wattage if needed). No power increase, but
rounder/fatter tone. All 6L6 family vary considerably from tube to
tube in idle current, so it pays to select a low one for this swap -
which ditching the 5Y3 makes possible.
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