oestex ©®
Welcome
to:
OPTIMISED ELECTRON
STREAM
©
APPLIED ELECTRON TUBE
TECHNOLOGY
for
transmitting, receiving,
industrial, communications, audio, hi-fi, musical and test equipment
in
DIY, industrial, broadcast
and commercial
applications
oestex ©® is
an acronym for "Optimised
Electron Stream"© Technology and "Enterprise
Excellence"©® - ABN 23 234 404 160
This website is dedicated to the work and memory of Herbert J. Reich PhD., Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, who left us his magnificent contribution to explaining electron tube technology through his definitive work - "Theory and Applications of Electron Tubes", McGraw Hill, 1939, 1944
This text has given me more insight and understanding in electron tube behaviour than any other writer.
I commend it to all DIY
constructors to guide you in what you are doing and why you are doing it
The information presented in this website is based upon the premise that when subjectively assessing musical tone, sound stage presence and sheer listening pleasure, modern solid state amplifiers unquestionably deliver outstanding test results in the laboratory into resistive loads, however on reactive loads presenting widely varying impedance and power factor in a complex relationship - such as the dynamic loudspeaker - solid state amplifiers continue to remain a poor second to vacuum tube amplifiers.
The humble triode electron tube, with all its faults, still remains the device of choice for the serious audiophile and musician.
If you can accept that claim then these pages will be of benefit to you.
Welcome to the Home Page of:
DENNIS R. GRIMWOOD.
DIY TUBE AUDIOPHILE
It's not what you do but the way that you do it !!!!
This website has been set up to assist people needing information for constructing or servicing transmitting, receiving, industrial, military, communications, audio, hi-fi, musical and test equipment applications.
The information presented herein is based upon a combination of the reported experiences of others, helpful guidance from my electronic guru friends, reference to published texts from people who are considered to be reliable technical experts, electron tube manufacturers' manuals, data sheets, catalogues and technical publications, and my own experiments, research and experiences over more than 60 years.
Every concept presented on this site has been proven by practical application or test to work as claimed.
If you wish to add to the body of knowledge in this field I would welcome your thoughts - please email.
This website includes details of:
- tube
design and theory
- tube data
for Audio, Broadcast, Modulator and RF Transmitter Service
- high-power
amplifier circuits
- high
quality pre-amplifier circuits
- audio and
power transformer data sheets
- links to
important tube related web sites
- recommended
suppliers of electron tubes and components
- tubes and
components I have to offer for sale or swap
- my home
town, Armadale, Western Australia
- and a bit
of personal philosophy
To connect to a
page or link please select and click on the blue text where it appears below
Readers please note this website is set up in a layered hierarchical relationship.
Each DISCRETE SUBJECT page selected from this HOME page offers more links to subsidiary pages and/or other websites.
If you have
found a specific page from a search engine then for best navigation please
return to the HOME page or DISCRETE SUBJECT page first.
WANTED:
Information about application, use, performance and history of the type 803 RF pentode, developed for WWII military transmitter applications.
This tube was made by a number of manufacturers, including Taylor, RCA, Westinghouse, GE, KenRad and Cetron.
I have adequate technical data and ratings but virtually no history or application circuits.
Any assistance relating to the history of the 803 will be appreciated.
If you can help, please email
contact
Tube Design Information for Audio, Broadcast, Modulator and RF Transmitter Service:
Electron Tubes
This page presents an overview
of electron tubes and how they work in audio and modulator service
How To
This page presents instructions
for designing and constructing a high-fidelity audio system
Triodes
This page presents information
about triode operation of tetrodes, pentodes and beam power vacuum tubes.
Screen-Grids
This page presents information
about requirements for Screen Grids in vacuum tubes; and triode operation of
tetrodes, pentodes and beam power tubes.
Ultra-Linear
This page presents information
about ultra-linear operation of vacuum tubes.
Optimised Electron Stream © Technology
This page presents new applied
engineering technologies to improve performance by optimising requirements for
the electron stream in tetrodes, pentodes and beam power tubes.
Optimised Ultra-Linear © Operation
This page describes how to
optimise conditions for Hi-Fi U/L.
Power Supplies
This page presents instructions
for designing and constructing a power supply for a high-fidelity amplifier
Tube Data
This page presents a selection
of rare tube data and circuit design information.
Tube Design Theory
This page presents a selection
of modern theoretical papers.
Transformers
This page presents details of
audio output transformers.
Tube Testing
This page describes the basic
principles for testing Electron Tubes.
This page presents a “how-to” for DIY constructors of GUITAR amplifiers.
This page presents a "how-to" for DIY constructors of BASS GUITAR amplifiers.
This page presents a proven empirical method for designing bass reflex loudspeaker enclosures
Construction and Wiring of Tube Amplifiers
This page presents some
examples of Tube Amplifiers featuring fine quality construction and
wiring
Tubes for Audio Output and Transmitter Modulator Service:
Audio Amplifier and Modulator Applications
This page shows tubes
recommended for audio applications
Tube Audio Amplifier and Modulator Circuits:
Audio Amplifier and Modulator Circuits - 50W
RMS to 3000W RMS
This page presents some
interesting circuit diagrams of selected High Power Amplifiers.
Information is also included for
the McIntosh unity coupled amplifier.
The Williamson Amplifier and Derivatives - 15W
RMS to 100W RMS
This page presents details of
the original and improved Williamson amplifier and a range of later improved
versions from others.
These pages are included for your information and education only.
These designs use very high voltages - which can be terminally lethal, require a high level of experience and understanding in amplifier design and construction - particularly component selection, hardware and wiring layout - and are definitely not recommended for the inexperienced or first-time amateur hobbyist to try to construct.
All circuits and information are copyright in their original owner.
The McIntosh Amplifier - 50W
RMS to 350W RMS
This page presents some
information about the McIntosh range of tube audio amplifiers.
Tube Audio Pre-Amplifier and Control Unit Circuits:
Tube Audio Pre-Amplifier and Control Unit Circuits
This page presents some
interesting circuit diagrams of selected High-Fidelity Audio Control Units.
Solid State Amplifiers
The Phonic XP3000 High Fidelity
Professional Power Amplifier
Hearing and Hi-Fi Audio:
The HEARING AND HI-FI pages describe what you might hear from hi-fi audio.
These pages show the frequency range of many of the common instruments that we want to reproduce from our audio system.
Can you really hear what you think you can hear??
Hearing and Hi-Fi: Daniel H. Cheever
The following articles, courtesy of Electronics Australia, June 1983 edition, may cause you to reconsider what you are actually hearing!!
Extra Special Links:
Extra Special Links
This page shows references to links
that I feel are really special for students and users of electron tubes.
Recommended Tube Suppliers:
Suppliers
This page lists suppliers I
personally recommend.
Management Related Topics:
Principles of Technology
This page presents a selection
of principles that apply to the development and application of technologies.
Principles of Organisation
This page presents a selection
of principles that apply to the design and behaviour of organisations and the
people who run them - a little tongue in cheek but true.
Quality Consciousness
This page describes a model for
developing quality consciousness in organisations
Integrated Management Systems
This page describes a model for
integrating management systems in organisations - e.g. quality, safety, environmental,
operations, financial, logistics etc
To hear is to forget
To see is to remember
To do is to learn
To learn is to know
To know is to grow
To grow is to give
To give is to liveAnon
Knowing
is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.
Goethe
"Of all the inventions that have ever made scientific history, the discovery by Lee DeForest that a few turns of wire in between the two elements of a diode vacuum tube were able to control the flow of electrons, can without doubt be classed as among the foremost in its benefits to mankind.
Not only has
the three-element vacuum tube been the means of providing entertainment and
education to millions of people throughout the world, but it has been proved to
be the keystone in the arch upon which has been built innumerable branches of
scientific thought."
John
F. Rider 1945
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it!!
Experience comes from bad judgement. Good judgement comes from experience.
Good judgement in audiophilia is to forget about how it "sounds" - just enjoy the music!!!!
electron
"I haven't failed. I've found 10,000 ways that don't work." - Thomas Edison
Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember
that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group
of professionals built the Titanic
"Creativity requires the courage to let go of
certainties." - Erich Fromm
If it tests good and sounds bad, you might be an engineer or scientist !!
If it tests good and sounds good you might be an audiophile !!
If it tests bad and sounds good, you might be musician !!
If you find yourself constantly striving to make it better -
regardless of how well it tests or how well it performs -
then you just
might be a DIY inventor !!
The pursuit of excellence is excellent in itself.
A message for all:
"Let the Golden Rule Overrule the Rule of Gold"
By Swami
Beyondananda
http://www.wakeuplaughing.com/
Note for the uninitiated:
The Golden Rule is: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
The Rule of Gold is: "He
who has the gold makes the rule"
Contact:
Dennis Grimwood
Email: contact
Location: Perth,
Western Australia,
AUSTRALIA
Page last updated 10 July
2017
This page URL is
http://www.oestex.com/tubes/index.html
806 graphic courtesy
"Radiotronics" magazine April 1939