TOPIC:

Yes, power goes into the negative side and out of the positive side to feed whatever you're powering.

50 volts is the peak-inverse-voltage. That's how much voltage it can withstand in reverse before it breaks down...not anything you are concerned with here.

A normal diode always reduces the voltage by about .7 to 1 volt in the forward direction regardless of current. What you saw labeled as a 12v diode was probably a Zener diode. That is used for very special applications and is not something you can use for this.

Use the bridge as I have shown and mount it to something cool and metallic. That bridge will have to handle a lot of current. (The back of it is metal, but has no electrical connection, it is for heat transfer purposes.)

Do me a favor, when you get this all running, take a voltage reading on the brown wire right near the reg/rec using the battery's negative post as your ground. Then take the same reading using the black wire at the reg/rec as the ground.

If the brown wire is not the problem, then the ground probably is.

Post edited by: loudhvx, at: 2006/04/26 20:40

Hey Lou, I'm working on a 1951 Fender Deluxe amp, circuit 5A3. I'm debating converting it to the 5D3 circuit, though.

There are reasons Leo changed the circuit...

guitargeek wrote:

Hey Lou, I'm working on a 1951 Fender Deluxe amp, circuit 5A3. I'm debating converting it to the 5D3 circuit, though.

There are reasons Leo changed the circuit...

I assume you are referring to the phase inversion section (and associated tubes). The 5d3 definitely looks more conventional. That alone makes it easier to work on and understand. I don't even recognize the tubes in the 5a3... wait what forum am I on?

loudhvx wrote:

guitargeek wrote:

Hey Lou, I'm working on a 1951 Fender Deluxe amp, circuit 5A3. I'm debating converting it to the 5D3 circuit, though.

There are reasons Leo changed the circuit...

I assume you are referring to the phase inversion section (and associated tubes). The 5d3 definitely looks more conventional. That alone makes it easier to work on and understand. I don't even recognize the tubes in the 5a3... wait what forum am I on?

I'm not crazy about the grid leak bias scheme on the first gain stage, or the primitive paraphase inverter. 6SC7 octal preamp tubes sound pretty sweet, though they don't have as much gain as a 12AX7.