Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

Woah! A Variac did *not* use a powedered iron toroid -- nor
did the Superior Electric "Powerstats", nor any other variable
autotransformer by anyone else that I ever saw. :-)


The one I had was salvaged from a damaged, imported 3A unit.

The OP will waste a lot of time and gasoline finding and testing cores
that don't work well enough.

Do you have the test equipment to measure the frequency response and
distortion of a homebrew transformer at high power levels? You need a
clean sine-wave signal generator and an amp that's better than the one
you are trying to build.


Yes, but my entire shop is covered with plastic sheets till the roof
is replaced. the entire 1200 square foot flat metal roof has to be
removed and replaced.


I used a home-made Super Tiger modified into a wideband op amp.
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/Catalog1969a/Page04.jpg


I built one in that series for the magazine articles in the late
'60s, but I have some high power signal generators like the TS-382F/U
and some high power solid state PA amplifiers. The meter was destroyed
in my HP331A, and I am designing a digital replacement, rather than
scrap another 331/332/333/334 series for the meter.


It was useful as an RF transmitter at Fort Monmouth when the Signal
Corps students started competing to build and run pirate radio
stations and jammers. Electronic surplus was cheap and plentiful in
northern NJ and NYC's Canal Street in 1970 and we learned a lot
through the pranks we concocted.


Till they tore it down to build the World Trade Center.


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.