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Orange Output Transformer

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  • #1

    Orange Output Transformer

    I bought a Mercury Magnetics OT for my Dual Terror. They advertise it as Drop-In replacement. Well, apparently thats only true physically.

    The MM has 4, 8, & 16 ohm taps but looks to drop-in clean behind the original part with no mods. Oranges OT is only rated for 8 & 16 according to their documentation. There are three jacks, one 16 and two 8. According to them the two 8's can be a single 8 or two 16 ohm loads but never lower than 8.

    The MM has the same color scheme as Orange. and I am a bit unclear on how to wire this guy in where it's safe to operate at 4 ohms.

    There is a 2tube/4tube switch on the back that some of the secondaires are wired to and I am not quite sure what to do with the 4 ohm tap.

    I contacted MM, no help! I contacted Orange, no replies!

    I know, I know... I get what I deserve. Nevertheless, I have this trannie that I want to install and needa little help.

    If anyone out there has any tech info on the Dual Terror, I'd love to pick your brain.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    If the "2 tube" switch is connected to the OT secondaries, maybe it's shifting them down one. So in 2 tube mode, the 8 ohm tap goes to the 16 ohm socket, and the 4 ohm tap goes to the 8 ohm socket. Thus ensuring that the two remaining tubes see the right load.

    That would imply:
    The original Orange OT has a 4 ohm tap even though there's no 4 ohm option on the panel. Therefore, the Mercury replacement could well be accurate.

    If you could defeat the part of the "2 tube" switch that disabled two of the power tubes, it would just convert the 8 ohm jacks to 4 ohm.

    Disclaimer: Could be wrong, could fry your amp.
    "Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"

    Comment

    • #3
      Steve - Understood. Letting the smoke out is a definite possibility.

      I am a bit disappointed that MM doesnt have the answer or wont give it to me...

      The switch "appears" to be 3P3T as it has 9 contacts in a grid. I am going to sit down and map it out to see where everyone is coming from and going to.

      I may jus bypass that switch all together and just make the amp fixed at 30W. I have never found the 15W or 7.5W settings particularly useful. I find my using my guitar volume to clean up works much better with that little extra headroom.

      One thing that has me a little fuzzy on this amp is there appears to be two ways to get to 15W. There is this 2/4 switch on the rear AND there is a half power switch on the front. So 2 tubes in full power AND 4 tubes in half power will get you there. Half power with 2 tubes gets you down to 7.5W. Kinda goofy.

      Its a really cool amp that I didnt pay a life altering amount of money for and I am always ready to hack at something. I will be pissed if I fry that hideously expensive OT though!!!

      Comment

      • #4
        Steve -

        I think I see your point...

        Orange DOES have a 4 ohm tap, just not a 4 ohm speaker output. When the OT is switched between 2 tubes and 4, because the load on the primary changes by half, the 4 ohm tap becomes 8 and the 8 becomes 16 accordingly.

        Does this seem plausible?

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        • #5
          Yeah, that's equivalent to what I said in my previous post.
          "Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"

          Comment

          • #6
            Yes it is... Sometimes you have to see how ones advice applies to get the full benefit. I mapped it all out on paper and the 4 becomes 8, the 8 becomes 16 and 16 gets switched out when toggled.

            Thanks for the nudge Steve!!!

            Comment

            • #7
              So, does that mean you figured out where to connect the wires from the new OT?
              "Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"

              Comment

              • #8
                Yes it does, Steve. I am going to install it in the next day or two and see how I like it using an 8 & 16 ohm cabs I have now. If I really like it, I am going to take that 2/4 tube switch out of the circuit and cut the trace to the 2nd 8 ohm jack to make a separate 4 ohm jack.

                All the speakers I have are 8 ohm so I have 1x12 and 2x12, 8 and 16 ohm respectively. If I want to wire in parallel I need the flexibility of 4 ohms. I like the 4 ohm taps on two amps that I have built. It seems to be a fuller and more focused sound.

                I'll keep messing with it until I break something, I always do... But thats the fun part!!!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Steve,

                  I ended up taking the 2/4 tube switch out and making one of the two 8 ohm jacks a 4 ohm jack by cutting the trace.

                  Review...

                  The MM OT is markedly better than the stock OT. The 4 ohm tap is everything I hoped it would be. I tried my 2x12 cabinet with two sets of 8 ohm speakers, "Eminence Red Fang & Wizard" AND "Celestion Vintage 30 & G12K100". The Celestions like the higher gain settings more so than the Eminence. The higher gain settings are less fizzy and have a 80's brown sound sort of vibe, pretty nice but not why I made the change. The lower gain setting are very, very nice. The touch dynamics are so sensitive and transparent. The single coil tones are really nice and for someone who might be into that Texas Blues sort of aggressive tone, its all there too.

                  If anyone has a Dual Terror that they want to mod this way, I have the information to do so and will be glad to help.

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