45

A High -Gain Amplifier

BUILT for use in a dance hall, this
amplifier has these important
factors: reliability, simplicity,
This rugged and dependable
flexibility, and ample power. It
has a maximum undistorted (0.5% )
30 -watt amplifier is built
output of 30 watts. The input for maxi-
mum output is 2.5 millivolts.
Simplicity was desirable because un-
for trouble-free operation
skilled hands were likely to use the
equipment. Flexibility was required so
that more than one microphone could
be used, and provision had to be made By JAMES RUNDO
for playing phonograph records.
The amplifier has been operating
without trouble three hours a night,
five nights a week for two years. The
power pack, a separate unit, has been
in operation for three and one -half
years under the same conditions.
Two novel features in the circuit are
the tone control stage and the high -
gain phase splitter analysed by E.
Jeffery in Wireless World (London;
August, 1947). Thanks are due the lat-
ter for considerable personal assistance.
The input circuit is designed for
three dynamic microphones and one
crystal pickup, and not two of each as
shown in the photograph. Simplicity
is the keynote and only one micro-
phone transformer is used, a 50/1
Mumetal- shielded type. Mixing is
smooth and silent.

Tone control circuits

The outputs of the microphone trans-
former and pickup are applied in paral-
lel between grid and ground of the
tone control tube, a 6SJ7 (see Fig.1).
Variable negative current feedback is
applied to this tube by the cathode re- Front 'view of the high-fidelity amplifier.- One - of the two phono inputs was
sistors and associated networks. later changed to a microphone _input. All_ controls are on the sloping panel.
The correct value of grid bias is
obtained by returning the 220,000 -ohm
grid resistor to a tap in the cathode
circuit.
When the moving contacts of the
two tone control potentiometers are .

grounded, the impedance between cath-

ode and ground is about 5,400 ohms and
is independent of frequency; therefore
the negative feedback is also independ-
ent of frequency and the gain is con-
stant.
When the moving contact of potenti-
ometer RI is moved to the other end of
its track, the network has an impedance
which decreases with rise of frequency
-3,500 ohms at 1,000 cycles, and 1,300
ohms at 10,000 cycles (see Fig. 2).
The corresponding decrease in the
nsgaive feedback with increasing fre-
quency causes the gain to rise and the
control to act as a treble boost. Fig. 2
also shows the cathode-ground imped-
anée variations with the frequency,
with potentiometer R1 at the half -
re§istance setting.
.y similar reasoning, potentiometer The symmetrical layout underthe chassis gives the job a very neat appearance.
SEPT EABER, 1950

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 46I Audio
MIKE
6SJ7 6SJ7 6J5 6L6(2)
:47K
8/5000 8/5000

OUTPUT

i
6.3V FILS

}IE

Fig. 1- Schematic of the amplifier. The second 6SJ7 uses the cathode follower's high input impedance as a.c. plate load.

R2 is a bass boost. The 1 -henry choke whose gain is determined by the values IMPEDANCE IN Kr.
gives the network an impedance of of the late load resistance and the B- 1.4 [Link] 3 3.4 3.8 4.246 5 5.4
3,550 ohms at 500 cycles and 1,310 ohms supply.
at 50 cycles. Fig. 3 shows the catl_ode-
ground impedance variations with fre-
The input impedance of such a cath-
ode- follower is approximately 10 times 20 11111111 11!
quency, with both half- resistance and the impedance between grid and cath- 30 11INSMI= M;11
maximum settings of potentiometer R2. 1MMIMMENNEMI
The resonant frequency of the choke
ode. In the circuit of Fig. 4 this is
approximately 2.5 megohms, so that
40
50 \I111321MMII
and capacitor is 723 cycles; but there the input impedance of the phase-
is no peak in the response curve at this splitter does not affect the gain of the 100
frequency, even with both controls at pentode. However, the maximum value
maximum, because the tuned circuit is of the plate resistance consistent with

\EMI
very heavily damped by the parallel a reasonable plate voltage is about 200
resistances. 500,000 ohms. This gives a maximum ú 300 111111111111!®1
This tone control circuit, although gain of 250 with a 6SJ7 and a plate MIIIIIIIMMI1111111111
simple, is extremely satisfactory. The supply of 300 volts. The gain of the
M 400
500
mummom
miumm.m.. I.
I.
table shows how it increases bass and
treble response.
phase splitter being about 0.9, the over-
all gain is 225.
The phase splitter of Fig. 4 may be
100
.... IN

A novel phase splitter redrawn as in Fig. 5, where Cl and C2

The next two stages are considered have negligible reactance at the lowest IHIIIIIÌI

together. The first is a 6SJ7 operated working frequency. The grid- cathode 3003
so the stage gain approaches the ampli-
fication factor of the tube. This is
achieved by making the plate load of
impedance is now 150,000 ohms (Rl
being in parallel with the grid resis-
tor), so that the input impedance is 1.5
5000IiIIM
.11rnrnn111M I.
IM=11110MMIMMIIMM
I

the tube the extremely high input im- megohms. If the grid end of Rl is con- MI
I= I=
EN
10,000
pedance of a cathode -follower phase nected to the anode of the preceding
splitter. The operation is best under - pentode and the ground end of R2 is con- Fig. 3-Impedance variation of bass
stood by developing the circúit from a nectes) to the B- supply, the a.c. condi- circuit with treble control at minimum.
conventional cathode-follower phase tions of the phase splitter are unchanged
splitter preceded by a pentode amp ifier and, the pentode sees the input imped- amplifier is very sensitive to noise and
ance of 1.5 megohms as its plate load. microphonics in the first tube. The
I00 The over -all gain is thus increased to latter noise is eliminated by rubber
about 1,000. The inherent unbalance is mounting the tube socket.
200 negligible if R2 = R3 = 2XR4. Com- The power pack is conventional as
parison of Figs. i and 5 shows that this seen from the circuit in Fig. 6. The
300
is the arrangement used. (The con- power transformer supplies 350-0 -350
400
500
structor may use several methods of volts to a 5Y3 full -wave rectifier, and
obtaining the correct resistance. Pos- a 500,000-ohm bleeder is connected
sibly the easiest is to use two 47,000 - across the B- supply to discharge the
1000 ohm resistors in parallel for R4. The
d
RI AT MAX
author used old-type 25,000- and 50,000 -
z 2000
ohm resistors in his set. Editor)
0
` 3000
Output stage and B- supply
4000
5000
The remainder of the circuit is con-
ventional. Two small resistors are
included in the screen feeds of the 6L6
10,000
RI AT HALF RESISTANCE RI AT MIN
output tubes for parasitic suppression
and to limit screen dissipation. Con-
20,000 siderable negative voltage feedback
(about 20 db) is introduced into the
30,000
cathode of the second 6SJ7 from the
40,0001
1 4 1.8 2.2 2 6 3 3 4 3.8 4 24.6 5 5.4 secondary of the output transformer.
IMPEDANCE IN Kn Extensive decoupling is used through-
Fig. 2- Impedance variat'on of treble out to prevent positive feedback. Be-
circuit with bass control at minimum. cause of its extremely high gain, the The power supply is a separate unit.
RADIO -ELECTRONICS for

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