) but I'm curious as to what has worked well in terms of making the build and subsequent troubleshooting easier or simply why people choose the colors they do.Wire color-coding
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Wire color-coding
How does everyone decide what color wire to use where. I realize it is ultimately arbitrary (depending on who you ask ) but I'm curious as to what has worked well in terms of making the build and subsequent troubleshooting easier or simply why people choose the colors they do.
) but I'm curious as to what has worked well in terms of making the build and subsequent troubleshooting easier or simply why people choose the colors they do.Re: Wire color-coding
I use the following color coding:
green -> heaters
yellow -> audio signal
red -> high voltage (i.e. plates)
white -> cathodes
black -> ground
Makes it a bit easier to debug / chopstick my amps if there is oscillation.
Cheers,
Stephane.
green -> heaters
yellow -> audio signal
red -> high voltage (i.e. plates)
white -> cathodes
black -> ground
Makes it a bit easier to debug / chopstick my amps if there is oscillation.
Cheers,
Stephane.
Re: Wire color-coding
Is there a standard scheme for hookup wire colors?
From the ARRL handbook:
BLA - grounds, grounded elements, returns
BRO - heaters/filaments, off ground
RED - power supply B+
ORA - screen grids (and base 2 of transistors)
YEL - cathodes (and transistor emitters)
GRN - control grids, diode plates (and base 1 of transistors)
BLU - plates (and transistor collectors)
VIO - power supply, minus leads
GRA - AC power line leads
WHI - bias supply, B or C minus, AGC
Is there a standard scheme for power transformer wire colors?
From Orr's Radio Handbook:
Primary leads -------------- black
(if tapped)
Common ----------------- black
Tap -------------------- black/yellow
End -------------------- black/red
High voltage secondary ----- red
Center tap ------------- red/yellow
Rectifier filament winding - yellow
Center tap ------------- yellow/blue
Filament winding No. 1 ----- green
Center tap ------------- green/yellow
Filament winding No. 2 ----- brown
Center tap ------------- brown/yellow
Filament winding No. 3 ----- slate
Center tap ------------- slate/yellow
Is there a standard scheme for output transformer wire colors?
Derived from the ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook:
Single-ended transformers:
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- blue (or brown)
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red
speaker (typ. +) (sec.) -------- green (or yellow)
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black
Push-pull transformers:
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- blue (start)
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red (center tap)
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- brown (finish)
speaker (typ. +) (sec.) -------- green (or yellow)
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black
Ordinarily the black side should also be grounded, if the speaker is grounded. Replacement transformers are not always identical, so if you get squeals or other odd sounds when hooking up a new output transformer, try reversing the output leads. "Start" and "finish" are arbitrary terms with respect to this configuration.
Is there a standard scheme for interstage coupling (such as phase inverter) transformer wire colors?
From the ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook:
Plate finish lead (pri.) ------- blue
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red (whether center tap or not)
Plate start lead (pri.) -------- brown
Grid finish (sec.) ------------- green
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black (whether center tap or not)
Grid start (sec.) -------------- yellow
From the ARRL handbook:
BLA - grounds, grounded elements, returns
BRO - heaters/filaments, off ground
RED - power supply B+
ORA - screen grids (and base 2 of transistors)
YEL - cathodes (and transistor emitters)
GRN - control grids, diode plates (and base 1 of transistors)
BLU - plates (and transistor collectors)
VIO - power supply, minus leads
GRA - AC power line leads
WHI - bias supply, B or C minus, AGC
Is there a standard scheme for power transformer wire colors?
From Orr's Radio Handbook:
Primary leads -------------- black
(if tapped)
Common ----------------- black
Tap -------------------- black/yellow
End -------------------- black/red
High voltage secondary ----- red
Center tap ------------- red/yellow
Rectifier filament winding - yellow
Center tap ------------- yellow/blue
Filament winding No. 1 ----- green
Center tap ------------- green/yellow
Filament winding No. 2 ----- brown
Center tap ------------- brown/yellow
Filament winding No. 3 ----- slate
Center tap ------------- slate/yellow
Is there a standard scheme for output transformer wire colors?
Derived from the ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook:
Single-ended transformers:
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- blue (or brown)
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red
speaker (typ. +) (sec.) -------- green (or yellow)
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black
Push-pull transformers:
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- blue (start)
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red (center tap)
Plate lead (pri.) -------------- brown (finish)
speaker (typ. +) (sec.) -------- green (or yellow)
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black
Ordinarily the black side should also be grounded, if the speaker is grounded. Replacement transformers are not always identical, so if you get squeals or other odd sounds when hooking up a new output transformer, try reversing the output leads. "Start" and "finish" are arbitrary terms with respect to this configuration.
Is there a standard scheme for interstage coupling (such as phase inverter) transformer wire colors?
From the ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbook:
Plate finish lead (pri.) ------- blue
B+ (power supply) lead --------- red (whether center tap or not)
Plate start lead (pri.) -------- brown
Grid finish (sec.) ------------- green
speaker return (sec.) ---------- black (whether center tap or not)
Grid start (sec.) -------------- yellow
Re: Wire color-coding
WOW, way more info than I bargained for but very interesting. Thanks!
Re: Wire color-coding
Yeah, but when I build, I use what I have around. I think the main point is to use a system that's consistent within the amp, which helps a great deal later with trouble shooting. I'm particularly not fond of builds that have all one color coming off the board. LOL! The pot-side of the board in my TW is nearly all red. I ran short of colors.
Re: Wire color-coding
I am a telephone tech by trade, amp builder in between. Since I deal with telephone cable every day, I am partial to that color code. There are 10 colors associated as with the ARRL handbook. The scheme I use is close but not the same.
The color code for ring colors are Blue - Orange - Green - Brown - Slate. The tip colors are White - Red - Black - Yellow - Violet. So in that same order on all 9 pin tubes here is how I start.
Pin 1 - Blue
Pin 2 - Orange
Pin 3 - Green
Pin 4/5 & 9 Twisted white/green
Pin 6 - Brown
Pin 7 - Slate
Pin 8 - Yellow
I reserve Red and Black for B+ and Ground.
With output tubes, I use Blue and Brown for the grids matching the same as the plates from the OT. I use Orange for the screen and Black for everything else.
With the tone stack, it generally a crap-shoot and note what colors go where on my layout print. This is where I use the White and Violet colors.
The color code for ring colors are Blue - Orange - Green - Brown - Slate. The tip colors are White - Red - Black - Yellow - Violet. So in that same order on all 9 pin tubes here is how I start.
Pin 1 - Blue
Pin 2 - Orange
Pin 3 - Green
Pin 4/5 & 9 Twisted white/green
Pin 6 - Brown
Pin 7 - Slate
Pin 8 - Yellow
I reserve Red and Black for B+ and Ground.
With output tubes, I use Blue and Brown for the grids matching the same as the plates from the OT. I use Orange for the screen and Black for everything else.
With the tone stack, it generally a crap-shoot and note what colors go where on my layout print. This is where I use the White and Violet colors.