[rescue] I want a vacuum tube

[Robert Darlington]

My buddy's Monarch 10EE lathe uses two big thyratron tubes and several
others.  Very odd seeing that in there, but the tubes are used to rectify
the 60Hz AC coming in, then use the thyratrons to create a variable
frequency AC source for the motor.  The frequency dictates the speed of the
motor so it's an old "VFD" or variable frequency drive.  Neat stuff and it
not only works, but it's a production machine in his busy shop.

The 3-500Z or ZG is one of my favorites.  Very easy to wire up, and you can
(if you push it anyway) crank out about 1kW power output.  I use these for
some beefy amps I build for the local lab for ultrasound work.  I just love
tubes for their resitance to damage by Ph.D.s and grad students!  They're
not that fragile silicon stuff.

-Bob

On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 3:05 PM, Mike Hebel <nimitz at nimitzbrood.com> wrote:

> On Oct 29, 2008, at 4:00 PM 10/29/08, Scott Newell wrote:
>
>  At 03:48 PM 10/29/2008 , Mike Hebel wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> *ahem*
>>>
>>> http://www.answers.com/topic/thyratron
>>>
>>> That big enough? ;-)
>>>
>>
>> That's not a vacuum tube...
>>
>
> Picky picky picky...
>
> The average person looking at the "roxxing tubez" on the desk is not going
> to care one whit if it's actually got argon or something in it.
>
> And you gotta admit it looks cool. ;-)
> --
> Mike Hebel
>
>
> MARS NEEDS CHOCOS! - Martian Manhunter
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