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If, like me, you have a good selection of valve output transformers that you've picked up for
maybe a pound or two each at radio rallies or BVWS meetings, or extracted from old radios
when they were beyond practical repair, you may be wondering when exactly you can make
use of them. When the time comes to use one, either to replace a failed one in a radio you'r
trying to bring back to life, or when building a new valve-based project, it can be difficult to
know which one to select. In the 'old days' you would have simply ordered a replacement
transformer by post (see Figure 1 for a September 1955 advert for output transformers) but
today it's not that easy. This article describes simple methods of testing the transformers
you have and assessing their suitability for use with a particular valve output stage.
Below Left. Fl\'.] 2: An example of a trans'
1..1.
the
-- -------
be
Fig 3
Fig
Fig 2
20
even
have a meter
secondary
windings isn't
Rp
Lp
P1M'ftC1
l't"'i.MNAtS
Gov
Cs
I U E'AL
T'flA,.JSf<i (l.i1t;--R._
Rp
Lp
l..%i. Rv._i..
o-A.N'v{)[]("\---+-__/
pf[,
A"1
,.J-t4'Cl f-R-111:
1,
]. .....
Figure 6: The GR type T.85A BW output transformer.
1Nl11,JAl..S
,--------1
hevlf'
6. &1MPUfif:/J
Rw
1VAlENT
Lw
.3615.11.. 1
critc(.(1T
vAvrc
1 ;l'V
'
I
.---<0
Sf/4.JDM.::J
le-fh11'1AlS
,..-,Hoa
r\/
L_
hGrV'
an indication of the winding ratio of the
transformer, otherwise life would be very
simple. This is because the two windings will
typically be made with different gauge wire.
L---- -
Vtf\ 1\lE
I
I
I
I SR>P.rtl""I i'14Pl:l7.1/-K
I
I
I
I
-..I
-, . S1J-11l\A1'iQN MoDr;t.
-----
Vs
Impedance Transformation
..
21
Table 1: Ra (sometimes called Zout) and output power values for some popular audio output valves.
Valve
Close or identical
equivalents
Base
Ra or Zout (ohms)
Va
(volts)
Output power
Notes
(W)
6V6
Octal
5,000
250
4.5
Class A single-ended.
S
V6
Octal
10,000
250
10
6L6
CV1286, VT115
Octal
4,200
350
11
6L6
CV1286, VT1 15
al
Oct
6,600
360
26.5
ECL60
6AB8,CV10746,LN152
B9A
11,000
200
14
ECL82
6
BM8 , 6
PL12, CV9167
B9A
5,600
200
3.5
UCL82
BSA
4,500
200
3.3
Pen
tOde section, class A single-ended.
E CL86
6GW8, CV8297
B 9A
5,900
250
4.3
Pentode sectio
n, ctass A single-ended.
EL41
CV3869
BSA Loctal
7, 000
250
4. 2
Class A single-ended.
UL41
CV1977
B8A Loctal
3,000
170
Class A single-ended.
EL64
B9A
5,200
250
5.7
Class A single-ended.
EL84
B9A
8,000
250
11
UL84
4585
B9A
2, 500
200
5. 3
Class A single-ended.
PX4
CV1168
B4
3,500
300
4.5
Class A stngleended.
PX25
CV1040, VR40
B4
5, 500
400
Class A single-ended.
OL35
1C5GT, CV1805
Oct
al
8,000
90
0 .2 4
OL92
3S4, CV484
B7G
8,000
OL94
3V4, CV29a3
B7G
10,000
90
0.27
0.27
OL95
304
B7G
10,000
90
0.27
DL96
90
1P1,3C4
B7G
13,000
N18
B7G
1 0 000
N19
B7G
1 0,000
N78
CV3711
B7G
N78
CV3711
N7
9
0
85
0.2
90
0.27
C
l ass A sing le-e nded. Typic ally used
90
0.27
7,000
250
Class A single-ended.
B7G
9, 000
250
B9A
5,200
250
5.7
Class A single-ended.
KT61
CV1438
Octal
6,000
2
50
4.3
Class A single-ended.
1AS.GT
Octal
12 ,000
90
0.115
1P1
3C4. OL96
B 7G
13,000
85
02
3S4
DL92,CV2370,CV464
B7
G
8,000
90
0.2 7
305
CV819
Octal
8,000
0 27
3V4
90
B7G
10,000
90
0.27
6BW6
9
A
B
5,50 0
180
SAMS
6P17,EL91,N144
B7G
16,000
250
1.4
50
CV2533, VT50
UX4
4, 600
300
2.4
25L6
Octal
3, 000
200
4.3
34GD5
34G D5A
B7G
2,500
110
1.4
Mlnla
t ure beam power pe ntode..
35B5
B7G
2,500
11 0
1.5
e trode.
Miniature beam t
35L6
C V561, CV 562
Octal
4,500
200
3.3
50A5
B8B Loctal
3, 000
200
4.3
S OBS
?
?
B7G
2,500
120
2.3
socs
CV1959
B7G
2,500
11 0
1,9
SOLS-GT
Octal
13,000
110
2. 1
itself
22
r-
.R
\/s
h6Vlt ,
"b
soe.c.e
Vo
l -----
I\)
/1 DHM
ON
=Tlifl;f;
- &-
ueN
PJV
&r-vP
0F
I
LI
I
I
l R111 I
L - -I
'
Vs
I
__
-- - -l
N----E------'
Fi&v io.
mr .f<?'"rve
-R> J, .jft
f\JtN.f AA7i Al.?oHcFig 11: A 'family portrait' of the transformers I tested
2.SkQ to 13kQ.
mo del we will
losses, can
Lw = Lp + Ls I n2
Lp
and
Cs = secondary
i
a typical equ valent
winding capacitance
= secondary winding
DC
resistance
1:n,
Rw = Rp
and what
23
Rs I n2
For simulation
Lm,
XL and therefore
Admiral t y choke
GR Type T.85A
Transformer no. 3
5.34H@1kHz
7. 43 H@1kHz
2.922H@1kHz
5.47H@100Hz
8.91H@27Hz
3.66H@27Hz
7.5H@50Hz
22H@50Hz
9.4H@50Hz
5.55H@700Hz
3.44H@267Hz
4.88H@210Hz
8.SSH@1 69Hz
8.60H@ 527Hz
3.27H @854Hz
Primary D C
Secondary DC
Primary Inductance
resistance (ohm)
resistance (ohm)
142
Primary Inductance
(mH) with sec sic
Mutual Inductance I
Leakage Inductance
Turns Ratio
Weight (gms)
Not applicable
5.34
No t applicable
Not applicable
Not ap plicable
750
496
0.6
7.43
159
46.7
35:1
6 20
529
0.2
9.23
2 16
42.7
90:1
170
272
0.5
2.92
75.8
38.5
45:1
270
Transfor mer n
o. 8 Vidor C N431 DL94
608
0.3
6.86
1 77
38.8
57:1
1 80
438
0.4
5.39
15 1
35.7
38:1
280
272
0.3
2 .48
70. 4
35. 2
30:1
180
3 20
0.8
6.62
1 26
52.5
s..
340
Table
Vrms
R (ohm)
p (W)
Vrms
0.25
1.41
15
0.25
1.94
0.50
2.00
15
0.50
2 . 74
1.50
0.75
2.45
15
0.75
3.35
1 .00
1.73
1 .0 0
2 .83
15
1 .00
3.87
1.50
2.12
1.50
3.46
15
1.50
4.74
2.0 0
2.45
2.00
4.00
15
2.00
5.48
3.00
3.00
3.00
4.90
15
3.00
6.71
5.00
3. 87
5.0 0
6.32
15
5.00
8.66
7.00
4 . 58
7.00
7 .48
15
7.00
10.25
10.00
5 .48
10.00
8.94
15
10.00
12.25
(ohm)
p (W)
Vrms
0.25
0. 87
0.50
1.22
0.75
(ohm)
(W)
only 270mW
=
=
=
496Q
159mH
7.429H
24
L=
rr
R)2
1
L
= .................. ..
where: x = Vo I Vs
..
"''
"'
.. ...
. ..
are.
"' '
0
c
u
"'
""'
..
...
'
....
'"
...
DH7Z
'
ooo>
,
..
V4
"""
.t!N
rts
BC5445
a capacitor. Figure
Ratio 38:1
25
Multi-Tappings
26
Conclusions
As I'm sure anyone who has been involved
in transo rmer design or testing would have
t o ld me, they are rat her more com pl ex
animals that I o r iginally imagined, and I
have to admit to g oing rather further t han
I first anticipated w hen starting this article.
Because the behaviour of a transformer
depends on the interaction of electrical and
be a constant number,
'varies' depending on how you measur e
it. Obvi ously the actual number of turns of
wire on the primary and secondary isn't
changing, but I clearly
References
restore-information/valve_output-stages.html
www.service-data.com/.
http://tdsl.duncanamps.corn/tubesearch.php.
can
measurement to make,
because you need a sourc e of AC at 400Hz.
With smaller transformers the effective turns
ratio at 50Hz was about 10% higher than at
400Hz, indicating a drop off in performan ce
of the transformer at the lower frequency. It
is therefore recommended that if the 50Hz
value i s measured, y o u sim ply add on 10%
to this value to give the 'true' turns ratio.
www.r-type.org/static/museum.htm.
by the
com/designtools/software/llspice.jsp.
fall96/electronics/inductlinduct.html.
27