What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers, and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage).
What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made?
Started by ●August 3, 2018
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
In article <kjr7mdte459o2ll2fo8mp48j98afrfisks@4ax.com>, oldschool@tubes.com says...> > What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? > > I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier > possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My > goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely > rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers, > and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply > transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up > to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage).Water-cooled loudspeakers? Mike.
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
On Fri, 03 Aug 2018 01:07:29 -0500, oldschool@tubes.com wrote:>What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made?I have seen at least 250-350 kW transmitter and AM modulator tubes, some of which are water or vapor cooled.>I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier >possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My >goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely >rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers,What is the frequency response of a pole pig transformer ?>and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply >transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up >to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage).Get a 3 phase connection, it greatly simplifies the power supply filtering requirement.
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
oldschool@tubes.com wrote>What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? > >I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier >possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel.Any idea yet what you wil say through that PA? And who the victims will be?
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
On 3.8.18 09:07, oldschool@tubes.com wrote:> What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? > > I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier > possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My > goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely > rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers, > and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply > transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up > to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage).This is not the largest, but enough to blow up your pole pig transformers: <https://www.cpii.com/docs/datasheets/75/4CV100-000E.pdf> IIRC, the largest Eimac tube I've seen is a megawatt tube, but it is made on special agreement only. -- -TV
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
oldschool@tubes.com <oldschool@tubes.com> wrote:> What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? > > I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier > possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My > goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely > rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers, > and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply > transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up > to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage).Not a good idea to use tubes for that. What you want to have is available off-the-shelf both as PCB modules and 19" rack modules, it will be much lighter, much cheaper, much safer and it will work much better! e.g.: http://www.fullfataudio.com/products/ffa-10000/ And when you would use tubes, you would not make the most powerful tube audio amplifier with a measly 5000 watts. Much more power was produced in modulator amplifiers of classic AM transmitters with an RF output of 100 times that. See the documentaries on WLW and info on even stronger AM transmitters outside the USA.
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
On Fri, 03 Aug 2018 01:07:29 -0500, oldschool@tubes.com wrote:>What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? > >I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier >possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My >goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible).The real question is, do you have a single full range speakers with 5000 W power handling ? If you are going to use speakers with separate (sub)woofers, why not do the crossover at low levels and use separate amplifier to feed the power hungry (sub)woofer. It would be natural to feed it with some Class-D (PWM) amplifier. If you want to drive the rest of the spectrums with tubes, please go ahead (.e.g. to generate tube distortion by overdriving). Most likely much less power is required. In addition much smaller output transformer is required, if you can ignore the lowest 3-5 octaves.
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
On 2018-08-03, oldschool@tubes.com <oldschool@tubes.com> wrote:> I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier > possible.Sounds like a bit of a Disaster Area in the making... -- Ian "Tamahome!!!" - "Miaka!!!"
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
upsidedown@downunder.com <upsidedown@downunder.com> wrote:> On Fri, 03 Aug 2018 01:07:29 -0500, oldschool@tubes.com wrote: > >>What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? >> >>I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier >>possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My >>goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). > > The real question is, do you have a single full range speakers with > 5000 W power handling ? > > If you are going to use speakers with separate (sub)woofers, why not > do the crossover at low levels and use separate amplifier to feed the > power hungry (sub)woofer. It would be natural to feed it with some > Class-D (PWM) amplifier. > > If you want to drive the rest of the spectrums with tubes, please go > ahead (.e.g. to generate tube distortion by overdriving). Most likely > much less power is required. In addition much smaller output > transformer is required, if you can ignore the lowest 3-5 octaves.It is a stupid idea to build the desired distortion into an expensive and hard to replace part of the system. When you want to build a high-power amplifier with the bad performance of a tube amplifier, use a low-power tube amplifier as a preamp and drive a modern Class-D amplifier with the resulting distorted signal, to have it cleanly amplified to high power at high efficiency, low weight, etc. Once you get tired of the "warm sound" you can always remove the tube amplifier without having to start from scratch.
Reply by ●August 3, 20182018-08-03
On 3.8.18 11:28, Rob wrote:> oldschool@tubes.com <oldschool@tubes.com> wrote: >> What is the most powerful vacuum tube ever made? >> >> I'm looking into building the most pewerful tube audio amplifier >> possible. I'll be using 4 tubes in push-pull parallel. (per channel). My >> goal is at least 5000 watts RMS per channel (if possible). I will likely >> rewind some pole pigs (power pole transformers) for output transformers, >> and possibly use one of them in reverse for the power supply >> transformer, which should supply 3250 to 7500 volts to the plates (or up >> to 15KV if I use a different pole pig rated for higher primary voltage). > > Not a good idea to use tubes for that. What you want to have is available > off-the-shelf both as PCB modules and 19" rack modules, it will be > much lighter, much cheaper, much safer and it will work much better! > > e.g.: http://www.fullfataudio.com/products/ffa-10000/ > > And when you would use tubes, you would not make the most powerful > tube audio amplifier with a measly 5000 watts. Much more power was > produced in modulator amplifiers of classic AM transmitters with an > RF output of 100 times that. See the documentaries on WLW and info > on even stronger AM transmitters outside the USA.A rule of thumb for the AM transmitter modulator is that the audio power needs to be at least half of the DC input power to the Class C power amplifier. -- -TV
