Zenner trick??? Where's the schemo?

[J M Fahey]

It's not an SS problem, but a general electricity one, (or general purpose Physics)
Power: VxI.
In one example above, 150Vx0.23A= 34.5W.
*Actual* power dissipated with a real heat sink, real ambient temperature, etc., not those theoretical "20W" specified in a datashet .... bolted to an infinite (no kidding) heatsink at perfect 25ºC !!
Not so late a response, since this post was quoted this very morning.

[MikeM]

Interesting. This will help to drop voltage on a Champ I have that's got 550v on the B+

[J M Fahey]

I find these tricks a solution to "lose", say, 15 to 30V, at least for the main V+. Of course, screens or preamps are an entirely different game, *much* lower current/power.
But losing from 550V to ,say, 300 or 350V, for the full amp current (continuous, by the way, since it's *real class A) , scratches me quite the wrong way.
Similar to delivering pizza, Downtown New York, in a Harley Road King.
Typical client distance: 1 to 2 blocks away.
It *can* physically be done, of course , but ......
I would rather get the proper transformer, which is quite inexpensive by the way.

[kg]

wow, old thread!

[Satamax]

wow, old thread!

Younger than we've been here

[snakepit]

hell yeah !!!!I've post this thread http://music-electronics-forum.com/t26063/ !!!can anyone tell me if I could use this trick with a transformer that has no center tap???my trans is a toroidal with 240V output on the secondary(after full wave rectification bridge i think it would be about 350V)so it's too much to drive a 12ax7 and an el84 for a single end!!!in my thread the schematic shows the stage voltages that I want to have,but this voltages are made with a hammond ex 369EX!!!

[J M Fahey]

In this particular case, given the relatively constant current consumption of a single ended class A stage, I'd just use a nice fat power resistor of the adequate value to drop, say, the needed 50 or 60 Volts and call it a day.
It would have also the important benefit of filtering the hum that plagues most single ended amps.
Think about it.