PATHÉ PROJECTOR AMPLIFIERS

These circuits are shown to assist anyone who may be restoring these amplifiers, they are intended only as a guide and no responsibility can be accepted for any damage or injury resulting from their use
Amplifiers of this type use high voltages, so repairs or modifications should only be made by suitably qualified or experienced persons.
If you don't know what you are doing, don't do it!


PATHÉ VOX

Original circuit

 

Modified circuit

Points to note:

Never run a valve amplifier with the loudspeaker disconnected, this will generate high voltages which could damage the output transformer or output valves.

If the original loudspeaker plug is not available, the amplifier can be tested by bridging the appropriate pins on the loudspeaker socket but make sure the choke terminals are solidly connected. If the choke terminals are open circuited, voltages in excess of 450v will appear between the metal cans of the smoothing capacitors and the charge will remain after the amplifier has been switched off. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Some capacitors followed the pre-WWII German practice of quoting the capacitance in centimetres. The conversion factor is 1cm = 1.13pf.

VR2 balances the drive to the output valves. It can be conveniently set up by feeding in a constant tone and adjusting VR2 for minimum signal appearing at the cathodes of V3 and V4.


PATHÉ SUPERVOX

Original circuit

 

Modified circuit

Points to note:

Never run a valve amplifier with the loudspeaker disconnected, this will generate high voltages which could damage the output transformer or output valves.

If the original loudspeaker plug is not available, the amplifier can be tested by bridging the appropriate pins on the loudspeaker socket but make sure the choke terminals are solidly connected. If the choke terminals are open circuited, voltages in excess of 450v will appear between the metal cans of the smoothing capacitors and the charge will remain after the amplifier has been switched off. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!


PATHÉ SON MkI

Circuit of one of two amplifiers of this type, the circuit of second amplifier is almost identical.

 

Points to note:

Never run a valve amplifier with the loudspeaker disconnected, this will generate high voltages which could damage the output transformer or output valves.
In one of these amplifiers the second valve appears to have originally been connected as a pentode but later modified to work as a triode; a suppressor grid decoupling capacitor is still in place but disconnected. In the second amplifier it appears to have been triode-connected from new and there is no sign that a suppressor grid capacitor was ever fitted.
The tone control does not appear to function particularly well.


PATHÉ SON MkII

Points to note:

Never run a valve amplifier with the loudspeaker disconnected, this will generate high voltages which could damage the output transformer or output valves.
The first valve is a pentode connected as a triode; this gives a lower noise level due to the absence of partition noise.
The tone control is very effective, giving a useful range of bass boost and cut.
The 10-ohm resistor in the motor governor snubbing network can get very hot, keep wires and components away from it.
To reduce radio and television interference, connect a 4n7f 750v capacittor directly across the motor brush holders with the shortest possible wires.