- #1
jla2125
- 16
- 0
Hi! I'm an artist with a basic knowledge of electronics. "Basic," meaning that I can lay out a sorta-complex schematic on protoboard and solder it up, as well as test it and debug it if it doesn't work (given many hours and some alcohol to stem the frustration). As for actually understanding how the physics work, I'm a bit limited when it comes to that. I can do the math, provided you give me equations, but that's about it.
So, with that in mind, I have about 50 or so vacuum tubes. I want to use them to get some nice glowy lighting effects in a stop-motion animation piece I am working on. I've managed to get every tube to glow by itself, but each one requires (pretty much) 6-12 volts, and they max out the current on all my power supplies, the highest of which seems to go to 5.5 amps. (This confuses me, because the meter says the max is 5.5, but where I've plugged the probes in, the label leads me to believe that the max is 0.5 amps. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3442815411_26db4c4e6c_o.jpg" It's the blue heathkit one.)
On another supply that I do not have an image of, the tube pegged the meter at 1.5 amps. It glowed nicely though, so I calculated that in order to get 50 tubes to glow, I'd need about 75 amps (50 tubes * 1.5 amps = 75 amps total). Provided my math is correct, that's a lot of amps. I've looked into AC to DC converters that give me 12 volts at 100 amps, but those things are like $300 at the cheapest.
My question to you guys is this: is there a cheap / free way to get 75 amps out of the wall and into 50 vacuum tubes? Am I lighting the tubes up correctly, or is there an easier way than just connecting the two filament/heater pins to a power supply? Also, I'm willing to use maybe 20 tubes or so. so that's like 30 amps.
PS: please don't give me visual alternatives to using a boatload of tubes. If this doesn't work out, I already have a list of alternatives (christmas lights, drilling and shoving LEDs into the tubes, ect)
So, with that in mind, I have about 50 or so vacuum tubes. I want to use them to get some nice glowy lighting effects in a stop-motion animation piece I am working on. I've managed to get every tube to glow by itself, but each one requires (pretty much) 6-12 volts, and they max out the current on all my power supplies, the highest of which seems to go to 5.5 amps. (This confuses me, because the meter says the max is 5.5, but where I've plugged the probes in, the label leads me to believe that the max is 0.5 amps. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3442815411_26db4c4e6c_o.jpg" It's the blue heathkit one.)
On another supply that I do not have an image of, the tube pegged the meter at 1.5 amps. It glowed nicely though, so I calculated that in order to get 50 tubes to glow, I'd need about 75 amps (50 tubes * 1.5 amps = 75 amps total). Provided my math is correct, that's a lot of amps. I've looked into AC to DC converters that give me 12 volts at 100 amps, but those things are like $300 at the cheapest.
My question to you guys is this: is there a cheap / free way to get 75 amps out of the wall and into 50 vacuum tubes? Am I lighting the tubes up correctly, or is there an easier way than just connecting the two filament/heater pins to a power supply? Also, I'm willing to use maybe 20 tubes or so. so that's like 30 amps.
PS: please don't give me visual alternatives to using a boatload of tubes. If this doesn't work out, I already have a list of alternatives (christmas lights, drilling and shoving LEDs into the tubes, ect)
Last edited by a moderator: