External transformer. AC secondaries.

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BluegrassDan

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What are the thoughts about having an external PSU transformer in a case that would send its AC secondaries via a cable? Then the unit (preamp, compressor, whatever...) would have its rectifier circuitry within its own case?

Is there any potential harm (I'm especially thinking electrocution) in doing it this way, or is it necessary to convert to DC before sending it down an umbilical?
 
BluegrassDan said:
What are the thoughts about having an external PSU transformer in a case that would send its AC secondaries via a cable? Then the unit (preamp, compressor, whatever...) would have its rectifier circuitry within its own case?

Is there any potential harm (I'm especially thinking electrocution) in doing it this way, or is it necessary to convert to DC before sending it down an umbilical?
I did something similar for my last uber phono preamp. I had a wallwart transformer that was several feet away from my steel chassis. The consumer wallwart was double insulated so safe.

If the power transformer has decent isolation between primary and secondary it should be OK... but the box and primary wiring needs to be up to UL standards for spacing and insulation. 

JR
 
You’re talking tube gear voltages I assume, and not class 2 transformer territory.  It won’t be something you can sell commercially. 
 
I have built tube mixers with internal an external supplies. External supplies solve any interference problems between the big PSU iron and the sensitive mic pre iron. But it brings its own problems, the main one being finding a connector that can handle both the HT high voltage and the heater high current while not costing the earth.

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
I have built tube mixers with internal an external supplies. External supplies solve any interference problems between the big PSU iron and the sensitive mic pre iron. But it brings its own problems, the main one being finding a connector that can handle both the HT high voltage and the heater high current while not costing the earth.

Cheers

Ian
One suggestion:
Hirschmann CA Series, up to 16 A at 400 V,  4 pole or 7 pole, IP67 rating, available from RS Components, Conrad etc. for about the same price as our usual Neutrik connectors
 
Walrus said:
7 pole is only 250V rating.

That is unfortunately the problem with many multipole connectors. Both the voltage and the current rating of the higher pin count versions is lower than the normally quoted values. As noted above, the 7 pole version is only rated at 250V and only at 10 amps instead of 16 amps. Having said that, 250V is fine for many tube projects. 10A seems like plenty but, if you have for example a nominal 5A of heaters, the inrush current is going to be several times that value. Does the connector need to be rated for that?

Cheers

Ian
 
BluegrassDan said:
I didn't even think of SpeakOn connectors. Those are way cheaper and safer.

The only downside to SpeakOn connectors is I am sure i read somewhere in the Neutrik spc that you are not supposed to pass dc through them but I need to check that.

Cheers

Ian
 
Maybe i missed something but this appeared to be about passing AC from a transformer box to an amplifier chassis.  Not DC. 
 
connectors will take more than their rated voltage ,

need a hi-pot to check each one

Fender stand by sw come to mind,  460 VDC on some of those 220 VAC rating

 
Ive used a speakon 4 pole for years in a preamp I made , 220vdc and the heaters , works away great , the heavy duty cable clamp gives legendary neutrik reliabillity .
 
Its a fair point Emrr made in that using an unspecified connector might prevent you selling it or in the event of misuse ,no matter how stupid the opperator,you could find yourself in trouble . If its for home use or only supervised by yourself is one thing , in the event a member of the public is involved in opperating your equipment you have to engineer in 'idiot proof' as best you can  , theres always the chance someone will plug a sub woofer into the HT speakon and land themselves the other side of the room like the scene from 'back to the future' . I did take the trouble to put a lightning flash yellow triangle 'danger of death' hazard warning on my speakon ht connector just in case any wise guys tried to use my gear in my absence and got badly buzzed.

Maybe there could be a simple way of modifiying a speakon plug such as a putting in  locating pin/slot  that would prevent it ever latching with normal use speakons .  I think just to make things easier on this psu Im working on  I'll just use cable glands for both mains and Ht/Lt wires  ,cuts down on a lot of wiring  , and allows you to run thick cables right into the supply

Caravan 7 pin connector might be ok  even though its only rated to 12 volts ,not very touch proof ,big huge big contacts, might work well for LT supplies , and its very cheap
 

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Let me be more obvious:  I don't think you can make and sell a tube amp device with 300-0-300 VAC secondaries from a power transformer in one box sent over a cable to a secondary amplifier box with rectification there.  I may be wrong. 
 
And the obvious do not repurpose audio connectors (like speakon speaker jacks) for power, because somebody will inadvertantly plug a speaker into one.

For high voltage there will be obvious human safety concerns.

JR
 

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