Reactive Load (Suhr/Aiken)

[PedalBuilder]

Some folks on FSB did a trace of the Suhr Reactive Load, which turns out to be a slightly modified version of the schematic that Aiken Amplification put up a number of years ago. It looks like a pretty simple build, but having a PCB would be really nice. It's not quite a pedal, but hopefully it's close enough for Mr. PedalPCB.

 

[Funnel]

+1

 

[Dreamlands]

Reading the thread, it looks like Soulsonic might not have gotten it right and is still debugging the circuit ( thread ends this past Sept 30th or so... )

Cool project idea, though.

 

[mnemonic]

There’s a great thread on TGP (very long) going through a few people’s DIY reactive loads.

great project but the capacitors and inductors used need very specific characteristics which make them big and expensive. can’t just use any old parts.

Aiken's Reactive Dummy Load.

I have been planing to build a good dummy load box to my tube amp with a line-out, then re-amp with a quality Solid-State Power Amp into my Guitar Cab. After some research Aikens design seems to load the Tube amp like a speaker would...

www.thegearpage.net

Randall Aiken did the leg work for us with the schematic and description on his website. download LTSpice and build the circuit in there, you can plug in different values and see how they affect the impedence curve.

 

[temol]

PedalBuilder - there are many options when it comes to choosing components - different sizes of the inductors, caps, resistors. Also availability of the components varies. In my opinion it's much easier to build a reactive load without a pcb. I'd buy the components first, then choose right size of the enclosure.
Btw - you would have to install resistors on a big heat sink or screw them to the enclosure anyway.