tube fanatic

A new mutation found in Oregon is causing concern. I wonder how many booster shots will be needed to keep pace with all of the mutations which are forthcoming as the virus keeps finding new ways to survive. In my opinion, a better approach would be to find treatments to mitigate the disease process and let natural herd immunity take place. https://www.yahoo.com/news/oregon-scientists-virus-variant-worrying-151505340.html Maynard

The other day at the local supermarket a woman was shopping without a mask. To my surprise, a plain clothes guy appeared out of nowhere, identified himself as store security, and asked if she had a face covering with her. She said yes, and he told her to put it on while waiting for her to do so. I was impressed. They provide one if a person does not have their own. Maynard

Reading this makes me wonder if it is possible for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, due to manufacturing defects, to actually cause cancer. I am not saying they will, but it certainly raises a question in my mind about safety given the extremely short trial period and reliance on the manufacturers’ truthfulness about their trials. Time will tell....... https://www.mskcc.org/news/scientists-find-cancer-drivers-hiding-rna-not-dna Maynard

The Little Joy mono SEP and separate power supply. Maynard

A new mutation is showing up in NYC: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/health/coronavirus-variant-nyc.html Maynard

What is also nice about these kits is that the manuals explain electronic theory as the amps are being assembled, and his blog has lots of short lessons explaining tube amp theory. I’m not easily impressed, but this guy seems to be on target. Maynard

I came across this by chance. His kits appear to be of excellent quality, and his assembly manuals are very comprehensive and reminiscent of those put out in the glory days by the major companies. These amps would seem to be a good match for Klipsch speakers. https://www.analogethos.com/ Maynard

The best match is what you find most pleasing! You are the only person who can answer that question. Maynard

The Rectilinear III in both the high and low versions was my most popular speaker. I can’t count how many I sold back in that time period. The plant manager lived in my neighborhood and gave me really good pricing. That aside, they were truly wonderful sounding speakers (although a very different sonic presentation from horn types). I sold mine about 30 years ago and have regretted doing so ever since. Maynard

A way to protect ourselves from the virus was developed by Hugo Gernsback almost a hundred years ago! I’m going to build one and take a stroll through my local Walmart with it on. This seems far more effective than any face mask! https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Electrical-Experimenter/SI-1925-07.pdf Maynard (apologies Travis, but I believe levity boosts the immune system! Delete the post if you disagree).

What is a spoiler? I have no idea why it is above the post I just made. Maynard

Although tubes and some transistors share similar characteristics, there are sufficient differences to justify why this discussion should stay in the realm of tubes. The SS stuff should be in the section of those “other guys.” 😀😀 Maynard

You need to attach the load to the motor shaft, power it with the voltage you want to use, and measure the current draw with your multimeter. That will allow you to determine the mAh rating the batteries will need for the length of time the motor needs to run continuously. More details about what you are doing would be helpful. Maynard

I think a better question would be if there is tube equipment which approaches SS reliability. The answer is a definite “yes.” It is possible for output tubes to last 15k or more hours, and small signal tubes well beyond that. Even Carver guaranteed the tubes in some of his amps for 5 years. Maynard

Vaccine distribution in NJ. The cartoon reminds me of the amps built by a certain unnamed individual! Based on the experiences of everyone I know the article is 100% accurate. https://www.nj.com/opinion/2021/01/new-jerseys-vaccine-rollout-for-seniors-a-massive-failure-opinion.html Maynard

Virus mutations are resisting the vaccines. https://www.yahoo.com/news/clinical-trials-raise-fears-coronavirus-040855671.html Maynard

CDC says vaccine is safe for pregnant women without any proof that is correct. The WHO urges caution. Would you want to risk having your child born with birth defects based on a guess and no science? It must be nice to be able to hide behind a total liability shield. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/pregnant-women-covid-vaccine-233742177.html Maynard

If you don’t know any qualified technicians, try to find local antique radio clubs. They usually have members who are audiophiles with an extensive background in tube electronics. Maynard

Where are you located? Maynard

I would replace all the power supply electrolytics and then the coupling caps. Do you have an oscilloscope which you can put on the preamp output? Maynard

I am not sure what you mean by stray voltages. Has it been professionally restored? The first thing I would do is remove the tubes, treat the pins with Deoxit, and re-insert. The sound you heard is oscillation. Maynard

Brazilian mutation found in Minnesota. Scientists very concerned about this one: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/01/27/961108577/why-scientists-are-very-worried-about-the-variant-from-brazil Maynard

Yes, but did you review the links to the FDA, et al, presented by some commenters? As reported in this article, there is concern in Japan (and other countries) about this phenomenon: As reported in Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/25/national/science-health/japan-experts-coronavirus-vaccines-safety/ ‘Dr. Tetsuo Nakayama, a project professor at Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and director of the Japanese Society of Clinical Virology, says although the vaccines under development by Pfizer and Moderna successfully created antibodies in trials, there are still doubts about whether those antibodies remain a year or two after vaccination. There are also underlying concerns about the vaccines’ safety over the long term. Judging from past precedents, their safety and effectiveness are not something that can be determined until at least a year after a massive number of vaccinations have been administered, experts say. In a worst-case scenario, antibodies could worsen the disease by essentially helping the infection of cells — a phenomenon called antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) — rather than fighting the virus pathogens. For example, a dengue fever vaccine made by Sanofi, based on a yellow fever vaccine embedded with a part of the dengue virus genome, at first appeared to be effective. But it caused the deaths of children who had been given the vaccination due to the ADE phenomenon. “Concerns over ADE still remain. I am an elderly person myself, but if I were asked, I would say I don’t want to get a shot,” Nakayama said. “Not all of the 120 million people (in Japan) should get the vaccinations. Children, for example, would not need it because there’s scarcely any risk of severe cases.” ‘ I guess where we differ is that I consider information from FDA and CDC as being the least truthful in comparison with what is disclosed by similar agencies in the rest of the world. It seems that the domestic point of view is different more often than in agreement. To each his own..... Maynard

Antibody dependent enhancement is a possible concern not only with the virus itself but also with the vaccines. The issue is not being disclosed to the public by the FDA, CDC, and the media. The comments which follow the article raise very interesting questions about this with some links which support the concerns. https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/12/18/antibody-dependent-enhancement Maynard

Questions always arise about this topic. Here is a nice basic overview. Although intended for guitar amps, the rules still apply: https://www.aikenamps.com/index.php/the-last-word-on-class-a Maynard