Steven Marks Tube Power Supply

[pauldude000]

I've been waiting a long time to see that question posed about that SM comment.

Your answer sounds like it may be partially correct. Cleanup of the signal? Probably. I think that statement was more to make us look at the fact that the emissions of the heater are added to the anode and what happens when that goes on.
Voltage of the heater added to the plate.....
Increased velocity ('voltage' if you like) of the circuit current....

I understand in theory.

It is the principle Tesla used to talk about, namely that with a primary DC current, an AC component can be superimposed and travel seemingly unconnected to the DC current, so long as each signal has isolated grounds. Technically, this should work in either direction. A current seeks equilibrium with its own source, if allowed.

A person should be able to achieve interesting results this way, so long as the signals can indeed remain separated.

Paul Andrulis

[pauldude000]

@BEP

I have a question for you. First, I do not know enough about tubes. I wish to make that clear, as I do not know if this would even work.

What would happen if you made a high voltage but current limited weak AC signal, such as 120v 60hz @.1A or ~12W, then use a tube to couple it to a high current low voltage source, such as 5V @ 6A or ~30W using a common ground???

Would not the relatively weak power higher voltage signal oscillate the much lower voltage? Could it be that simple? Would it even work? Any ideas?

Paul Andrulis

[pauldude000]

@all

I asked BEP as I trust his knowledge. However, I give to all my reasoning behind the question.

It has long been known that a weak signal can control a strong signal. But what prompted this idea is actually how the earths magnetosphere reacts to impacts of extremely high speed particles from the sun. They come in, impact the magnetosphere, and actually cause minute resonations to what we would consider a massively strong field.

I wonder if the field of a strong current can be resonated by a weak signal in a similar concept.

[Mannix]

@all

I asked BEP as I trust his knowledge. However, I give to all my reasoning behind the question.

It has long been known that a weak signal can control a strong signal. But what prompted this idea is actually how the earths magnetosphere reacts to impacts of extremely high speed particles from the sun. They come in, impact the magnetosphere, and actually cause minute resonations to what we would consider a massively strong field.

I wonder if the field of a strong current can be resonated by a weak signal in a similar concept.

That fits pretty well Paul but to put it into any kind of context,
requires multiple experiments which as I understand, very few are doing

so try panning for gold there!

[BEP]

@BEP

I have a question for you. First, I do not know enough about tubes. I wish to make that clear, as I do not know if this would even work.

What would happen if you made a high voltage but current limited weak AC signal, such as 120v 60hz @.1A or ~12W, then use a tube to couple it to a high current low voltage source, such as 5V @ 6A or ~30W using a common ground???

Would not the relatively weak power higher voltage signal oscillate the much lower voltage? Could it be that simple? Would it even work? Any ideas?

Paul Andrulis

It would take much less power than 12 Watts. What you describe is basic amplifier theory.  One exception... a tube would require a higher plate voltage than 5 but you could vary this high current/low voltage by a specified amount or modulate it. Then it is just a matter of how you want to collect that variation - or tap the potential.

Usually done with a coupling RC, LC or transformer.

My interest in tubes with a TPU is fired by that tube type circuit that only uses power for the heater ( http://www.b-kainka.de/bastel87.htm ) . Tie that in as a magnetostrictive oscillator and we may have something. Since these oscillators resonate at the resonate frequency of the core material and not the windings.... well, it could be interesting.

The benefits of such a circuit:

1. SS could not do the same
2. resonate frequency based upon the circumference of the core
3. would require magnets
4. would likely require passing a magnet to kick start it.
5. the only external source of power required would be enough to heat the heater.

A simple experiment is to just apply voltage to a tube heater. With nothing else connected. measure voltage between the heater and plate. The 5U4GB is a good one for this. It has no separate cathode between the heater and plate.

BTW: there are many folks here with more knowledge on tubes than me. I've used them in circuits for years and understand them better than SS but that isn't saying much.