France in Focus

At first glance, you would think it is a modern coffee maker. A personal statement in your kitchen, I'm a dedicated follower of fashion.

It is not, it is a tube amplifier for the DIY, in the French edition of the electronics magazine ELEKTOR. An incredible number of amplifier designs have been published, many of them with their roots in the famous design of D.T.N. Williamson in "Wireless World" , april 1947. A former BBC engineer, Morgan Jones, wrote an excellent book, late nineties, a timeline of tube amplifier design.

So every now and then between all the digital microprocessor stuff, Arduino projects, this time an analogue design, an exquisite eye-catcher in every modern home. For sale now. Didn't look inside, because: Toucher, c'est acheter. On the cover I spotted several familiar ECC 83 triodes and probably EL84s to power (10, 15 W ?) your speakers. The design itself is a questionmark. I was curious, but not curious enough to pay 15.50 €.

My Dog! Is that what they get for magazines in France?
I quite like the minimalist approach but I am guessing Health & Safety would frown on the exposed tubes. If I manage to outlive my renovation work I might have a go at a tube amp but because of their recent popularity the prices and the prices of components will probably be out of reach. Russia used to be a source of tubes (valves) as good as any but today its a bit of a lottery if so-called NOS items actually work or not.

On the plus side, when they are switched on they produce useful heat.

@ Hotrodder, the magazine Elektor is still going strong, first issue in 1961, available in several languages. One of the last, too many magazines disappeared. Twenty years ago more than five French DIY magazines for the electronics enthusiast. Also featuring tube amps, but where to buy good quality output transformers. And many famous designers, what about Tim de Paravicini? MOSFET designs, once very promising, now silence.

Not natural, hobbying in your best whistle and a bow tie.

@ Polarengineer, is this picture more natural, more your cup of tea or coffee?

It's a British thing, old chap. When I first set foot on British soil in 1958 I couldn't get over why men sweeping the streets pulling a dust cart along all wore shirt and tie. Were they trying to be posh, or what? But no, it was just tradition. I still have a giggle at old photos of the stereotypical successful gardener digging in his garden wearing not only shirt and tie but a pipe firmly clenched in his gob.

Ah, the Practical whatever series. Better known in the day as Camms Comics

There's inflation for you, 25% increase in price in one year.

Hotrodder wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:33 pm My Dog! Is that what they get for magazines in France?
I quite like the minimalist approach but I am guessing Health & Safety would frown on the exposed tubes.

Plenty of valve amplifiers currently on sale in France, e.g. http://www.jadis-electronics.com/fr/ https://www.son-video.com/rayon/haute-f ... is-a-tubes

Valves, once available in every electronics store, today still available if you have enough money.