Pretty clever and happy coincidence that two if these elements in parallel make 8 ohms:
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DIY Audio Dummy load out of Water Heater Element?
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
I used to have a couple of those, forgot all about them. Mine were in big paint cans filled with transformer oil (same stuff used for my RF loads back in my Ham days). Used heater elements from a range or oven too at one point just for fun. Hard to get them to glow, though...
The impedance likely rises with temperature, though. Maybe not much, but...
That would be something to take into account for those critical measurements.
Extreme example:
Consider a 100W incandescent bulb.
Measures pretty short when cold. That's how you tell they're good.
But when hot...
That would be something to take into account for those critical measurements.
Extreme example:
Consider a 100W incandescent bulb.
Measures pretty short when cold. That's how you tell they're good.
But when hot...
My current water heater is gas, a little harder to make a dummy load of its heating element... 
OP
- Thread Starter
- #6
That is what he measured in the video and it did not change down to one decimal place!
Light bulb filaments change drastically but these big heating elements not so much. Hard to find the old light bulbs anymore; they used to make a pretty good sine wave generator for pretty cheap, before digital took over.
Yeah.
Maybe "Not so much" comes into play at the levels of measurement in play here.
At least, we'll get to finally see something that has to "warm up".
I believe it.
Measured the Coffeemaker just now. Cold, 15.6 ohm
Warmed a bit, no measurement. Maybe the thermostat opened.
Calculated: 1000W 120V 14.4 ohm.
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Actually this is perfect for simulating Soundlab electrostats. Connecting inlet and outlet of the tank should give about 3/4 ohm as required.My current water heater is gas, a little harder to make a dummy load of its heating element...
Well, you'd have to make it more reactive, too... A electric heater element works well as an Apogee load.
Don Hills
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Too inductive for RF though...
In my late teens, I built an RF dummy load. Two discs of tinplate, almost a hundred holes drilled in a grid pattern, resistors soldered between the discs. A huge pain getting the resistors threaded. A piece of hardline soldered into the centre of the discs, and the whole thing sealed into a can of mineral oil.
In my late teens, I built an RF dummy load. Two discs of tinplate, almost a hundred holes drilled in a grid pattern, resistors soldered between the discs. A huge pain getting the resistors threaded. A piece of hardline soldered into the centre of the discs, and the whole thing sealed into a can of mineral oil.
My RF load was a Heathkit... I may still have it, somewhere. I do not know where the idea of using a water heater element for an audio load came from, but the can and oil idea were from that Heathkit load.
Speedskater
Major Contributor
Heathkit made an oil filled one for Ham radio operators.
We had a 50,00 Watt at 100 MHz water cooled one at the FM radio station. OK it also had an automobile radiator, fan and water pump.
We had a 50,00 Watt at 100 MHz water cooled one at the FM radio station. OK it also had an automobile radiator, fan and water pump.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Electric water jugs.
Down under, we are on 240v and if you pick your kettle/jug rating properly (and measure the element to confirm) there are some series/parallel combinations that are perfect for testing really huge amplifiers. Many of them are linear and don't have a PTC or NTC. Many aluminium cast base jugs have a loop/ceramic element that isn't inductive at all.
In the US, you may have look at what is available.
Basically, you set up a power strip and can plug in whatever combination you need for a given load. All 2kW+ water cooled and very cheap! (<$10 per jug)
I know a few guys who use that for soak testing pro amps. The bonus being, you can make a cup of tea with the boiling water after you've tested your monster amp..
Down under, we are on 240v and if you pick your kettle/jug rating properly (and measure the element to confirm) there are some series/parallel combinations that are perfect for testing really huge amplifiers. Many of them are linear and don't have a PTC or NTC. Many aluminium cast base jugs have a loop/ceramic element that isn't inductive at all.
In the US, you may have look at what is available.
Basically, you set up a power strip and can plug in whatever combination you need for a given load. All 2kW+ water cooled and very cheap! (<$10 per jug)
I know a few guys who use that for soak testing pro amps. The bonus being, you can make a cup of tea with the boiling water after you've tested your monster amp..
Last edited:
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Two 3.6KW hot water heater elements from scrap HWSs could be used to make 8ohm loads here too. (240v).
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