Hi Ian, there's some doubt between DIYers that the present Carnhill transformers are made exactly the same as the vintage St Ives and Marinair.
Actually in the case of output transformers like the LO1166, St Ives never produced those, St Ives only produced the input transformers.
Output transformers were made by Marinair and 1 other company (in smaller quantities) that I don't know the name.
I remember reading someone saying that the first years of Carnhill VTB1148 production (LO1166), didn't have a reverse wound primary, and had a simpler winding structure than the original LO1166.
read some reports also that maybe Carnhill changed that over the years and started winding closer to the original specs.
I don't know whats true or not, maybe just rumours, but I understand that without proof people will have some doubts if Carnhill transformers are wound in the same way or not as the original transformers they try to replicate
some words from Geoff Tanner:
" As for the output transformer, Neve never asked St Ives to make the LO1166 (which is why their initial copies were so wrong... they didn't have access to the original EM10*** specifications). Another UK transformer company made the LO1166, along with Marinair, but you'll notice that, other than the type number, the LO1166's seldom carried a manufacturer's sticker... that's because the other manufacturer didn't use them.
St Ives did not make the LO1166 or the LO2567, they did not make the LO1173 (fitted to the compressors) and they didn't make the TO129 tertiary feedback transformer used in 3415's, 31105's, 3114's, etc."
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