2017531 ACPOWERSUPPLY

TroubleshootingTheACPowerSupply

Function:

ApowersupplycanbeasetofbatteriesthatsupplytheA,B,andCvoltagesforareceiver.However,ifareceiver
istobeoperatedfromtheACmains,ameansmustbeprovidedtoconvertthe115VACmainsvoltagetothe
necessaryDCvoltagesrequiredbythetubes,andtosupplytheproperACvoltagetooperatethetubefilaments.
TheACtransformerpowersupplyaccomplishesthis.

TheoryofOperation:

Refertothediagrambelow.
Thepowersupplyconsistsof:

thepowertransformer(T7),tostepuporstepdowntheinputACvoltage
therectifier(5Y3),tochangethesecondaryhighvoltageACtopulsatingDC
thefilter(C15,C16andL15),tosmoothoutthepulsatingDCintounvaryingB+voltage
thevoltagedivider(R15andR16),tosubdividetheB+voltageasneededinvariousplateandscreencircuits

The115VACinputisappliedtotheprimaryL16ofthepowertransformerT7.Thesecondarywindingsofthe
transformersteptheACvoltageupordowntoprovidethepropervoltages.Theamountthevoltageissteppedup
ordowndependsuponthenumberofturnsineachsecondarywinding.Transformersarewoundwithaturnsper
voltratio.Transformersforradioworkareusuallydesignedtooperateat2to4turnspervolt.Assumea4turns
pervolttransformerforaninputof115volts,theprimarywouldhave115X4=460turns.Each4turnsofa
secondarywindingwillproduce1volt.Soforafilamentwindingtosupply6.3voltsitwouldhave6.3X4=25.2
turnsthe5voltwindingfortherectifierfilamentwouldhave20turns.Thehighvoltagewinding,usuallyaround700
voltswouldhave2800turnswithacentertapat1400turns.
SecondarywindingL17isthewindingforthefilamentsofthereceiverstagesandL19isthefilamentwindingfor
therectifier.WindingL18isthehighvoltagewindingandiscentertappedforuseinafullwaverectifiercircuit.
Filamentvoltageswillvarydependingonwhattypetubesareusedinareceiver.
Thevoltageofthehighvoltagesecondaryisappliedtotheplatesofthe5Y3rectifiertube.Thistubehasadirectly
heatedcathode(thecathodeandfilamentarethesameelement),sothepulsatingDCistakenoffofpin8,whichis
onesideofthefilament.Theplatesactasaonewaygatetoallowcurrenttoflowonlywhentheplateispositivewith
respecttothecathode.Becausethehighvoltagewindingcentertapisgroundedandisthezeroreferencepoint,each
plateispositiveonlyononehalfoftheACcycle.Duringonehalfofthecycle,plate#1willbepositivewithrespect
tothecathode,andduringthesecondhalfoftheACcycle,plate#2willbepositivewithrespecttothecathode.This
causesthevoltageonthecathodeoftherectifiertobeapulsatingDCvoltage.
ThefiltercircuitsmoothesoutthepulsestoformtheunvaryingB+voltage.TheelectrolyticcapacitorsC15,andC
16alongwithL15formthefiltercircuit.L15isthefieldcoilofthespeakerandactsasthefilterchokeforthe
supply.TheinductanceofthecoilhelpsopposethepulsatingcomponentoftheB+voltageandthemagneticfieldthat
isdevelopedbythecurrentflowisusedasthemagneticfieldforthespeaker.Thefiltercapacitorschargeuptothe
peakvoltagelevelofthepulsatingDCandduringthetimebetweenpulses,begintodischargetosupplycurrentto
theloadbetweenpulses.(Seewaveformdiagram)
ThevoltagedividersubdividestheB+toprovideasecondvoltageforthescreencircuits.

AC(Transformer)PowerSupply

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Troubleshooting:

Anormaloperatingpowersupplyshouldexhibitthefollowingcharacteristics:

alltubeslight
nosignofoverheating
allvoltagescheckwithinspecifications
humlevelisnormal

CommonTroublesInThePowerSupply

Allcomponentsinthepowersupplyaresubjecttofailure,eventherectifiertubesocket.Dirtbetweentheplatepins
cancausearcingofthehighvoltageandburningofthesocket.Thiscaneasilybeseenbyvisualinspection.

PowerTransformerOneofthechiefcausesoffailureofthepowertransformerisoverheatingduetooverload
causedbyshortsinthewindings,orbyexternalshorts.Justafewshortedturnsinthehighvoltagewinding,whilenot
havingagreataffectontheB+voltage,cancauseaheavydrainfromtheprimaryandcauseoverheating.Evenwith
thereducedB+voltage,theradiomaycontinuetooperate,butthetransformerwouldeventuallyoverheat.A
transformerthathasoverheatedcanusuallybeidentifiedbymeltedtarthathasrunoutofthetransformerand/ora
burnedsmell,thatoncesmelledisnoteasilyforgotten.
Ifanoverheatedtransformerissuspected,acheckmustbemadetoseeittheproblemisinternaltothetransformer
oranexternalshortsomewhereinthecircuitry.Aquickcheckofthetransformercanbemadeasfollows:

removealltubesfromtheradio
plugthetransformerintoavariabletransformer(Variac).Ameanstomeasuretheprimarycurrentisnecessary
forthistest(seediagram).
bringtheinputvoltageupslowly,agoodtransformerwillshowverylittleprimarycurrent(afewmilliamperes
seenote),orcausethelamptojustglowatratedinputvoltage
anyshortwillcauseheavycurrenttoshowonthemeterorcausethelamptoglowbrightly
ifashortisindicated,removethesecondaryleadsfromtheirconnectionpoint,onewindingatatime,andtest
eachtime,todetermineiftheshortisexternaltothetransformer.Iftheshortisexternal,theprimarycurrent
willdroptoanormallevel,andthesecondarycircuitshouldbetracedtofindtheshort.Ifremovingtheleads
doesnotreducetheprimarycurrent,thetroubleisinternaltothetransformer.

Formoreinformationonpowertransformers,see"IdentifyingPowerTransformerWindings"onthe"Tips,Hints,&
Kinks"page.

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TheRectifierTubeThemostcommonproblemwithrectifiertubesiseitherloworlossofemissionoranopen
filament.LowemissioncancausedergradedperformanceofthereceiverduetolowerB+voltages.Loworlossof
emissioncanbeverifiedbycheckingthetubeonatester,orsubstitutingaknowngoodone.Occasionallythe
rectifiermaybecomegassyandglowwithapurplishlight.Inthiscasethereceivermaynotoperateatall.Theonly
cureistoreplacethetube.Thisappliesonlytohighvacuumrectifiers,asitisnormalfortheglowtoappearingas
rectifierssuchasmercuryvaporrectifierslikethetype82and83.
Anopenfilamentisevidentbyadeadreceiverandnoglowofthefilamentelements.

TheFilterChoke(SpeakerField)Thecommonproblemwiththefilterchoke,speakerfield,isthatthewinding
opens.ThiswillbeevidentbymissingB+voltageonfiltercapacitorC16,andahigherthannormalreadingonC
15.Whenthisconditionisfound,C15mustbedischargedwhenthereceiveristurnoffsincethereisnodischarge
paththroughL15andthecapacitorwillremainchargedtofullvoltage.
Anohmmetercheckwillverifyanopenfieldcoil.Agoodfieldcoilwillmeasuresomewhereintherangeof800to
2500ohms.Fordealingwithadefectivefieldcoil,see"ElectromagnetDynamicSpeakers"onthe"Tips,Hints,&
Kinks"page.

TheInputFilterCapacitorTheinputfiltercapacitorC15isanothercommoncauseoftroubleinthepower
supplystage.Thisisahighvoltage,highcapacityelectrolyticcapacitorandmaybeeitherthewetordrytype.Over
time,electrolyticcapacitorsloosecapacityandopen.WhenthisisthecasetheB+voltagewilltendtobelowand
therewillbeconsiderablehuminthereceiveroutput.Aquickchecktoconfirmthisistobridgeanewunitacrossthe
oldoneandnotinganyimporvement.
TheinputfiltercapacitoralsohasthehighestDCvoltageacrossitasitistieddirectlytotheoutputoftherectifier.
Therearelargevoltagesurgesacrossitasitisreceivingtheunfilteredoutputoftherectifier,andthismakesitsubject
tovoltagebreakdownandshorting.Whenthishappens,theB+goestozeroandtheplatesoftherectifiertube
becomeredhotfromtheheavycurrentdrain.Therectifiertubeand/orthepowertransformermaybedamagedifthis
conditionisallowedtoexistforanyperiodoftime.Aleakycapacitorwillhavereducedfilteringcapacity,draw
excessivecurrentandthehumlevelwillbeincreased.
Whenthiscapacitorisreplaced,thecapacityandvoltageratingofthereplacementshouldmatchtheoriginalasclose
aspossible,withparticularattentiontothevoltagerating.Neverreplacewithoneoflowervoltagerating,higheris
OK.Besureandobservepolaritywhenreplacinganyelectrolyticcapacitor.

TheOutputFilterCapacitorTheoutputcapacitorC16issubjecttothesameproblemsastheinputcapacitor.
Ifitopens,theremaylittleornoeffectontheB+,buttheremaybeanincreaseinthehumlevel,squealing,or
motorboatinginthereceiveroutput.Substitutinganewunitandobservingtheresultsisaquickcheckofthis
capacitor.Ifitshorts,theB+voltagewillbezeroandexcessivecurrentwillbedrawn.Sinceitisafterthechoke
(fieldcoilL15),theexcessivecurrentmaycausedamagetothecoil.IftheB+voltageattheoutputfilterreadszero,
donotautomaticallyassumetheculpritisthecapacitor,astheproblemcouldbesomewhereinthereceivercircuits,
suchasashortedplateorscreenbypasscapacitor.Whenreplacingthisunit,observethesamecautionsastheinput
capacitor,andalwaysremovetheoldunitsfromthecircuit.

TheVoltageDividerResistorThevoltagedividerresistorsinlatermodelradiosareusuallyofthe1or2watt
carbonvariety.Themostcommonproblemwiththeseresistorsisthattheyopenup,orchangeinvalue.IfresistorR
15isopen,thesetwillnotplayandthescreenvoltageswillbezero.Aresistancecheckshouldbemadefora
possibleshortedscreenbypasscapacitorthatmaybethecauseforR15openingup.WhenresistorR16isopen,
thescreenvoltagewillbehighandtheradiomayoscillate.Ifeitherresistorchangesvalue,thescreenvoltagewillbe
abnormalandtheradiomayoscillate.Acheckwiththeohmmeterwillconfirmanopenresistororonethathas
changedvalue.Whenreplacingtheseresistors,attentionshouldbegiventothewattageratingandreplacewithone
withatleastthesameorhigherrating.
Sometimesthevoltagedividerresistorwillbeatappedwirewoundtype.Wirewoundtypesseldomchangein
value,butoftenopenup.Whenreplacinganopensection,anyresistoroftheproperohmicvalueandwattagerating
maybeuse.Thereplacementresistorcanbesolderedacrosstheterminalsofthebadsection.Ifthisisdone,
unsoldertheresistiveelementwireofthedefectivesectionfromtheterminals,astheopenmayintermittentlyhealand
causenoiseandfadingproblems.
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TheLineFilterCapacitorLinefiltercapacitorC17isapapertubulartypewithausualvoltageratingof400
voltsandacapacityratingof.01to.1mfd.Anopenlinefiltercapacitorwillsometimescause"modulationhum",that
is,humisheardwhentunedtoastation,butdisappearswhentuningbetweenstations.BridgingC17withanother
capacitorisaquickcheckforanopencapacitor.Whenreplacingthiscapacitor,itisrecommendedtouseamodern
630voltunit,asvoltagespikesontheAClinecanbequitehigh.

ServicDateChartForTheACPowerSupply
Sumptom AbnormalReading Possiblecause
Tubesdonotlight Anohmmetercheckfromprongtoprong Defectivelinecord
ontheACplug,withon/offswitchon, Defectiveon/offswitch
showsopen. OpenprimarywindingontransformerT7
Openfuse
Rectifiertubeplates Chassistorectifierfilamentcheckshows ShortedinputfiltercapacitorC15
glowred shortcircuitwithohmmeter
Rectifiertube B+voltagecheckszero.ChassistoB+ ShortedoutputfiltercapacitorC16
overheats checksshortcircuitwithohmmeter ShortinB+circuitwiring
B+voltagecheckslow,zeroplatevoltage Shortedplatebypasscapacitor
onamplifiertubes.
Hum B+voltagecheckslow OpeninputfilterC15
B+voltagenormal OpenoutputfilterC16
Allvoltagesnormal,allcomponentsof Humbuckingcoilleadsonspeaker
powersupplycheckOK reversed.SeeTroubleshootingTheAudio
OutputStage
Oscillationor B+voltagenormal,orfluctuatingwith OpenoutputfilterC16
motorboating motorboatbeats.Screenvoltagenormal
Weakreception.No B+checkslow Weakrectifiertube
signofoverheating
Nosignalfrom B+voltagecheckszero Deadrectifiertube
speaker.Nosignof OpenfilterchokeL15
overheating
Noreception.No Screenvoltagecheckszero OpenvoltagedividerR15
hum.B+voltage Shortedscreenbypasscapacitororboth
normal
Oscillation Screenvoltagehigh OpenvoltagedividerR16
Modulationhum Poorground
OpenlinefiltercapacitorC17,orboth
Fading Screenvoltagechangingduetodefective
voltagedividerR15andR16
Rectifiertubeshowspurplishglow Gassyrectifiertube(highvacuumtype)

TypicalVoltageReadings
Rectifierfilamenttofilament 5voltsAC
Acrossothertubefilaments 6voltsAC
Chassistorectifierplates 250380voltsAC
Chassistorectifierfilament 265400voltsDC
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ChassistoB+ 200300voltsAC
Chassistoscreen 90100voltsAC

FixedbiasTypePowerSupply

Note:Offourtransformerstested,theprimarycurrentrangedfrom.09to.180ampereswithnoloadonthe
secondarywindings.(Back)

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