[ARC5] Vibrator Power Supplies

[Geoff]

When germanium power transistors became available the SSB mobile transceiver 
craze began. Two transistors, a handfull of passives and a transformer with 
several windings would supply 200-400+ W input power that you could easily 
hold in one hand.

I still remember the device used in the PS I helped design in 1963, the 
2N1519, which I said would not be reliable in an automotive charging system 
enviroment and was proven right. This junior kid on the block, and a lowly 
tech to boot,  had suggested the 1N1521 for pennies more; the senior 
engineer settled on the 2N1520 with a lot of hot air explanation and 
everyone that came back for service got the 1521 and so did production.  The 
doofus never looked at a scope to see what was actually on a generator 
output line to the battery. Alternators only became an option in 1962 and 
mostly standard in 63 but were still far from clean.

The switcher didnt get traction until many years later for high voltage and 
power in consumer equipment.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au>
To: "D C _Mac_ Macdonald" <k2gkk at hotmail.com>
Cc: "ARC-5 Mail List" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 5:59 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Vibrator Power Supplies


> Dynamotors typically have a conversion efficiency of no more than 50%. A 
> vibrator supply can reach 70% easily, and often more, if designed 
> properly. The modern day development of the vibrator is the switched-mode 
> power supply, which often reaches in excess of 95% efficiency.
>
> I suppose when fuel was plentiful and cheap, what did it matter if you 
> consumed a gallon to do a job that a quart could do?
>
> Then you need to consider the downstream effects - the filtering 
> components for a dynamotor are much smaller and lighter than for a 
> vibrator, because of the frequency. But with SMPSUs, operating at 1 MHz or 
> so, the filtering components are very much smaller than for a dynamotor.
>
> 73 de Brian, VK2GCE.
>
>
>
>> D C _Mac_ Macdonald <k2gkk at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Transmitters used higher currents than receivers
>> and that may have come into play in some cases.
>>
>> However, as Richard Knoppow stated, they were
>> probably a whole lot more reliable for a demanding
>> application.  Motor and generator theory and practice
>> had been firmly developed and established for years.
>> About all that could go wrong were the brushes,
>> commutators, and armatures.  Look at how simple
>> it would be to change out the dynamotors on the
>> ARC-5 and SCR-274-N stuff!  They are also very
>> compact, if not particularly light weight.
>>
>> * * * * * * * * * * *
>> * 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 *
>> * (Since 30 Nov 53) *
>> * k2gkk at hotmail.com *
>> * Oklahoma City, OK *
>> * USAF & FAA (Ret.) *
>> * * * * * * * * * * *
>>
>>
>> > From: 1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
>> > To: releazer at earthlink.net; arc5 at mailman.qth.net
>> > Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 08:17:01 -0800
>> > Subject: Re: [ARC5] Vibrator Power Supplies
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>> > From: "Robert Eleazer" <releazer at earthlink.net>
>> > To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>> > Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 5:35 AM
>> > Subject: [ARC5] Vibrator Power Supplies
>> > > Two questions:
>> > >
>> > > 1. Why did they not use vibrator power supplies instead
>> > > of dynamotors in WWII? They ought to be cheaper and
>> > > easier to build.
>> > >
>> > > 2. I have the transformers out of an old RCA Carfone
>> > > vibrator power supply. Tried to make a DC power supply
>> > > out of them. They do not work all that well with 115V
>> > > 60Hz on the secondary. Anyone know why?
>> > >
>> > > Wayne
>> > >
>> > I think because dynamotors may have been more reliable
>> > and also put out more nearly pure DC.
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Richard Knoppow
>> > Los Angeles
>> > WB6KBL
>> > dickburk at ix.netcom.com
>>
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