Time to get started on my new build, the PSE 8417. I doubt this will ever be an official Inspire offering, since Dennis doesn't like to build commercial offerings featuring hard to source tubes, and 8417's are not just lying around everywhere.
But, I have been looking at this tube for awhile. One might consider it one of the final culminations of the tube designer's art, as it was one of the last developed power pentodes developed before germanium and silicon made tubes "obsolete".
Yes there have been newer tubes developed, like the KT-90/120/150/170, but in my mind these are mere iterations of an earlier design, and not something new and different like the 8417. And since I have a reasonable stash of 8417s, I decided to see what this tube was capable of...
I decided to reuse the Slammer's power supply, albeit upgraded to provide the B+ voltage the 8417 is capable of handling.
However, first order of business was getting the corners welded up and then prepped for cutting/powder coating...
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
And after a lot more sandpaper mixed with elbow grease, here's one of the welded corners ready for cutting.
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
However, once I had the chassis ready, I found out that Straitwire was just too busy to cut my chassis, so I was going to have to do it myself. Ugh...The job I like the least when building amps from scratch. So be it.
Next was getting the design laid out for cutting. Dennis gave me a push by getting the first couple of sockets laid out, and then I finished it out.
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Here's what the topside will look like once put together.
Untitled by
analog addict, on Flickr
Unfortunately, in the next five weeks, I'll be out of town for three of them, so it will be slow going for awhile.
Stay tuned.