This is so weird it might belong in the lounge rather than the mod forum.
so I’ve got this old variable wattage device that I was originally told was an ac->dc and I’ve recently found out courtesy of IIRC @Eskie was only ac OR dc, and is need to rectify and clean the power if I wanted to use it the way I was thinking.
So here’s the question: because it’s gigantic and ancient and huge the thing is technically a mech device. How bad do I want to keep it that way?
There are three ways I know of to rectify ac into dc in order of PITA level:
A diode based full bridge rectifier
A vacuum tube rectifier
A mercury arc rectifier
Building a diode rectifier is fairly simple and cheap. The problem is the device is no longer really a mech.
Using rectifier tubes has aesthetic advantages, can be done with a single tube, and isn’t really any more complicated than the diode solution. It is NOT cheap though. It’s also only kind of mech even though it’s a ton more steampunk.
The total hardcore option:
Mercury arc rectifier. They haven’t made these things for a long long time. They’re unbelievably badass. They last a hundred years, and they glow blue while throwing up weird lightning in a bottle like effects. Very very steampunk, very cool, totally mech, and practically nobody else has got one. 110v is on the low end of what they can do, but it’s what I would be using.
The problem is I’d have to build one and I’m not sure I can. Scientific grade precision glass blowing is required, and that is not a skill I’ve collected.
A full bridge diode rectifier will work. But I kinda want a mercury arc rectifier. This rabbit hole might be too deep.
so I’ve got this old variable wattage device that I was originally told was an ac->dc and I’ve recently found out courtesy of IIRC @Eskie was only ac OR dc, and is need to rectify and clean the power if I wanted to use it the way I was thinking.
So here’s the question: because it’s gigantic and ancient and huge the thing is technically a mech device. How bad do I want to keep it that way?
There are three ways I know of to rectify ac into dc in order of PITA level:
A diode based full bridge rectifier
A vacuum tube rectifier
A mercury arc rectifier
Building a diode rectifier is fairly simple and cheap. The problem is the device is no longer really a mech.
Using rectifier tubes has aesthetic advantages, can be done with a single tube, and isn’t really any more complicated than the diode solution. It is NOT cheap though. It’s also only kind of mech even though it’s a ton more steampunk.
The total hardcore option:
Mercury arc rectifier. They haven’t made these things for a long long time. They’re unbelievably badass. They last a hundred years, and they glow blue while throwing up weird lightning in a bottle like effects. Very very steampunk, very cool, totally mech, and practically nobody else has got one. 110v is on the low end of what they can do, but it’s what I would be using.
The problem is I’d have to build one and I’m not sure I can. Scientific grade precision glass blowing is required, and that is not a skill I’ve collected.
A full bridge diode rectifier will work. But I kinda want a mercury arc rectifier. This rabbit hole might be too deep.