Elrog 300B vs Takatsuki 300B tubes

All, my AC measures 122.1 V. I got the same number last week as I did last November, so I am a little concerned regarding tube longevity in my Frankensteins. I did check to verify I have no red dots on the cathodes. My power company will not address the issue unless the voltage is outside of 120 V plus or minus 5%.

I guess there is a silver lining to not having much listening time for the last couple months. Until if figure something out, I can reinsert my Psvane T's so that the Elrogs aren't compromised.

I have followed the thread since its inception, and am most grateful to all those doing the heavy lifting on sorting through this. However, I am uncomfortable allowing the 122. 1 V situation to stand "unrectified." Were I to utilize a variac, I would probably require two due to my AC wiring configuration. Any recommendations on a relatively inexpensive variac? How about using one of the PS audio power plants with the Franks, which would require some limited room rewiring?

07-07-15: Brownsfan
My power company will not address the issue unless the voltage is outside of 120 V plus or minus 5%.

That is the standard in the USA for household AC, as measured at the service entrance. The upper limit of that range corresponds to 126 volts.

With due respect to George, I must admit to some skepticism about the requirement of 122V max. I would expect that the designs of the power supplies in equipment marketed in the USA would in most cases be targeted to supply optimal DC voltages to the tubes and circuits for an AC input of exactly 120V. And I find it hard to believe that an increase of 1.67% from that figure would be the upper limit of acceptability.

Also, I don't see how a statement as specific as "over 122V AC is a game changer for these or any other 300B tubes" can be defined in such a universal manner, apparently with applicability to all 300B-based designs, given that I would expect significant variation among different designs in the +/- tolerances of the transformers and other components in their power supplies. Not to mention in how hard the tubes are driven.

Best regards,
-- Al

Thanks Al! I'm going to leave this discussion to you guys who actually know something. I will allow you and George to dialogue until a meeting of the informed minds occurs, at which point, I will act accordingly. I just don't want to start burning through 300Bs.

Once again, you are a priceless AG resource Al!

Hi Al,
You raise a valid point regarding the narrow recommended range for AC power.For sake of argument do you believe using a variac and keeping the AC between say 115-120 to go "easier" on the Elrog 300b(to enhance tube life) is reasonable?
Thanks,
Charles,

Bill (Brownsfan), thanks very much for the nice words.

Charles, I suppose it would be reasonable to try that experimentally with an inexpensive variac, perhaps purchased used at eBay, but it wouldn't surprise me if the result was degraded sound quality. Due to both the effects on the amp's sonics of the lower voltage and the effects of the variac itself.

Best regards,
-- Al