Dilshan R Jayakody’s Web Log

TC-500 is 4 track stereo reel to reel player which is built around 1960 - 1970 by Sony Corporation. This is vacuum tube base reel to reel player with 2 × 3W audio output power. TC-500 is dual speed (3¾ and 7½ ips) tape recorder and it support reels up to 7 inches (18cm). Amplifier stage of this tape recorder is built around 12AX7, 6AU6 and 6AQ5 vacuum tubes and the 12BH7 tube is used in biasing oscillator. Other than above tubes, 6CA4 is used in PSU for rectification. Restored Sony TC-500 reel to reel tape recorder. Recently we got a chance to restore TC-500 reel to reel player which we got from our friend. The player which we got is heavily damaged and we spend nearly 2½ months to restore this player. In the first stage of restoration, we disassemble mechanical parts of this player and clean everything. In this player capstan idler wheel and take-up, idler wheel is damaged beyond repair and we reconstruct those wheels using rubber sheets.

This is our first vacuum tube base amplifier project and this project is based on 6AS5 pentode and 6N2P dual triode. Schematic of this project is not designed by us and we got it from web. We got this schematic sometimes ago and now we can't find original site where this schematic appeared first, because of that we host copy of that schematic in here . Prototype version of 6AS5 and 6N2P guitar amplifier In original schematic, initial stage of the amplifier is based on 12AX7 high gain tube. During the construction we can't find 12AX7 in local market and because of that we replace 12AX7 with 6N2P. Both 12AX7 and 6N2P had identical characteristics and only major difference is heater configuration. After replacing 12AX7 with 6N2P, both the tubes can drive through single 6.3V filament supply. 6N2P tubes are now commonly available and we use Russian version of 6N2P (6Н2П) for our testing. We test this amplifier with 4K audio output transformer and it produces excellent ...