[Boatanchors] Dropping Resistor Question

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

In a power supply with a full wave vacuum tube rectifier or with two 
semiconductor diodes replacing the tube, the transformer secondary is 
center-tapped.  The rectifier plates or anodes are connected to each end of the 
secondary winding.  The cathode or cathodes tied together is/are the positive source 
and the center-tap is the negative.  The average current that flows in the 
leads between the ends of the transformer winding and each plate or anode is 
one half of the average current flowing in the external circuit.

So if you are using resistors or zener diodes to try to simulate the 
characteristics of the vaccum rectifier, if placed in the leads between the 
transformer and the rectifiers, they will have to dissipate one-half the average 
power that one placed in the output lead would have to dissipate

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480

In a message dated 10/06/2017 13:47:07 PM Central Daylight Time, 
mark.k3msb at gmail.com writes: 
> 
> 
> I still don’t see why it matters if you put a dropping resistor (or zener)
> in each leg, or one after the legs are combined.
>