solar inverter and tube amps

[Andy Le Blanc]

Heres a quandary.. is it ok to run a tube amp on an inverter?

Have one of those simulated sin wave things, I think it should be ok, interesting question.

I know fellows running their studios on solar, haven't heard any thing negative.

[dorrisant]

Don't see why not, as long as the inverter has the capability to keep up with the load. I've seen better looking (cleaner) AC from inverters than from the wall as far as noise goes anyway.

[Andy Le Blanc]

I'm thinking the same... good question, done and gone solar. I'm still trying to come up with possible issues be for I go and try it.
I am a little leary of the wave form, its not a pure sin and I know some supply types don't like that.
cant be any worse than a DC chopper supply out of early car radios

[dorrisant]

In the case of an inverter that puts out an ugly wave, you could use an AC line conditioner/filter. You can get them cheap enough for a smaller load.

[Andy Le Blanc]

good idea... I was thinking of an isolation tranny, 1:1, get some extra smoothing maybe

[xtian]

Why not pitch the DC/AC/DC conversion entirely? So lossy! Go straight from solar to B+. How many panels do you need for 500vDC?

Artist: "Sorry, I only play daytime shows. In the desert. Near solar power farms."

[Andy Le Blanc]

20 maybe... jeez might exceed the panel voltage max, great idea

[dorrisant]

Wit just DC... what about voltage doublers?

[John_P_WI]

I'd be more concerned with having an earth ground... don't know if I'd be comfortable with plate voltage in a floating chassis.

[Andy Le Blanc]

that would be a solar eclipse

[dorrisant]

Why the concern for an earth ground? You can tie the source ground to an earth ground via ground rod. Right? Then the chassis would be tied to earth ground and any potential shorts to the chassis would be to ground. Just like in your home AC panel. What am I missing?

[John_P_WI]

Why the concern for an earth ground? You can tie the source ground to an earth ground via ground rod. Right? Then the chassis would be tied to earth ground and any potential shorts to the chassis would be to ground. Just like in your home AC panel. What am I missing?

Only the difference between could and would, my previous statement was more general than directly at Andy.

[Andy Le Blanc]

just basic grounding, not missing nothing, wouldn't want to float a HV

[Leo_Gnardo]

FWIW Le Mobile was recording via solar power far back as 1993. Not that they do it all the time. There was a big California solar fest Spring '93 that called 'em in. The point was to show off what could be done with solar power. All the stage gear etc was solar powered, or run off solar charged batteries after dark. Guy Charbonneau & his crew wouldn't tie into dodgy power to run their very well equipped recording studio on wheels, you can be sure of that. Takes a high quality inverter and plenty of headroom between what you're using and what the inverter can turn out at its extreme.

[SilverFox]

I don't know if it was due to the inverter or the design of the Crate amp but the Crate blew up. The power transformer went out. I was using an APC UPS to power the amp and I think the voltage sagged, not sure...

Depending on the quality of design, the inverter will generate a stair stepped square wave of alternating polarity to simulate a Sine Wave. In addition to the original frequency component, you also get harmonics and hash. This is where the quality of design factor comes in.

In the end I purchased a true Sine Wave inverter, and the cost is much higher but it was in fact true sine wave. I believe the transformer application offers some smoothing also as would a Varicac between inverter and amp.

silverfox.