UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Device to simulate a dual rail power supply from a single DC source

bikerhifinut · 30th Jul 2020, 9:23 pm

Ok this isn't a world stopper, but it occurred to me and would be handy from my point of view if I could use a DCwallwart or battery via a 2 pin DC power socket and thence convert it to a dual supply for use with such a circuit.
I know its dead easy to just use a couple of batteries and dead easy to make, for instance, a +12 0 -12V dc supply with an AC transformer either twin secondary or single. So lets leave that one alone.
So I have had a quick look online and ended up going round in circles. I believe there are Chips out there that facilitate this by creating a "virtual earth" which sits in the middle of the DC provided.
This could be very useful from my point of view, but if its too fiddly or expensive no problem.
And yes I have some 24V DC sources to play with...….

If anyones wondering whats going on in my thick head it's because I am playing with dual rail opamp circuits for phono stages and very probably in due course some other preamp applications including a sensible and effective baxandall tone control.
And my bench PSU is a single rail job. That's got me on the case to build an adjustable dual rail Job, that'll be interesting.

Daft Andy.

30th Jul 2020, 9:23 pm	#1
bikerhifinut Octode Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK Posts: 1,993	Device to simulate a dual rail power supply from a single DC source Ok this isn't a world stopper, but it occurred to me and would be handy from my point of view if I could use a DCwallwart or battery via a 2 pin DC power socket and thence convert it to a dual supply for use with such a circuit. I know its dead easy to just use a couple of batteries and dead easy to make, for instance, a +12 0 -12V dc supply with an AC transformer either twin secondary or single. So lets leave that one alone. So I have had a quick look online and ended up going round in circles. I believe there are Chips out there that facilitate this by creating a "virtual earth" which sits in the middle of the DC provided. This could be very useful from my point of view, but if its too fiddly or expensive no problem. And yes I have some 24V DC sources to play with...…. If anyones wondering whats going on in my thick head it's because I am playing with dual rail opamp circuits for phono stages and very probably in due course some other preamp applications including a sensible and effective baxandall tone control. And my bench PSU is a single rail job. That's got me on the case to build an adjustable dual rail Job, that'll be interesting. Daft Andy.