about tube amp conversions?

[donald stringer]

I have been searching for info on this and found the familiar conversions hi-fi to guitar, pa to guitar but what about ham radio transmitters. Theres one sitting in a pawn shop near my house for 80.00? Nices little blue case, two tubes. My thought is they may put out too much power.But if I can convert safely I am going to snag it. Its in pretty good shape.

[Ripthorn]

The only concern I have about ham transmitters is that they are amplifying radio frequency signals with an audio signal modulated into them, not amplifying the audio frequency themselves.  I don't know if they would play well when driven by (relatively) super low frequency signals.  The power issue is only an issue if it puts out too much power for you to handle.

[Boogdish]

I imagine you'd need to replace the output transformer for something designed to output in the audio range and drive a speaker.

I would pass, at that price.

[BAARON]

Also, tube radios have weird tubes in them sometimes that don't lend themselves to guitar amplification.  I'd pass too.

[doitle]

You should just start going to the flea market nearby if you have one. I've purchased two all tube radios the last two times I went. 5$ a peice. One of them even had a power transformer and output transformer. Only thing is my plans to make a guitar amp out of them was defeated by how fascinating and cool they look and seem as radios themselves. Now I want to get them working instead of turning them into amps.

[donald stringer]

I just thought I would ask, thanks for the reply. But I had to know.

[Ben N]

You ought to be able to get an old tube PA or hifi amp for less, and have all the essentials for a very nice tube amp conversion.

[donald stringer]

I am constantly on the look for those. I used to have the coolest little 25 watt [early 60 maybe] power amp for home stereo in abeautiful red case and worked perfectly but let it go in a yard sale but alas this was long before I started messing with this electronics stuff. I"d  give anything to have that back now. This also jogs my memory. in the marine corp. my mos was communications. Among some of the more menial tasks we were to perform was setting up the the public address system for the officers. Now this was 77 to 81. Even in 78 we had very old equipment that we used for this that never got took out in the field. And these were ..you guessed it tube powered and powerful enough to power two very large megaphone type loud speakers and a couple of mikes. They came in this huge trunk [not quite portable] but by two men. Army navy airforce marine  surplus thats where you will find the gold.

[Ben N]

Donald, You've got mail.

[donald stringer]

you"ve got one too