As some of you may know, I have a personal passion for supporting captive and wild elephants worldwide. What you may not realize is that we could well be the last generation to know these gentle giants. In just the last few decades, wild elephant populations have been destroyed to the point where their numbers have dwindled from the millions into the thousands. At some point, there won’t be enough genetic diversity in the herds to maintain the species.
Every elephant is important. One of my favorite organizations dedicated to their welfare is the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital (FAE) in Thailand. Soraida Salwala and her dedicated staff provide round the clock care to injured and ill elephants. Two of them, Mosha and Motala, have been fitted with prosthetic legs after stepping on land mines left over from conflicts in southeast Asia.
As you might guess, taking care of elephants is an expensive proposition. FAE hospital is completely supported by charitable donations from those who care about the importance of their mission. As one of those supporters, I’m always on the lookout for potential fundraisers. In clearing out some of my lifelong collection of electronic equipment and components, I realized that I had a couple of high quality audio transformers that are of interest to audiophiles, recording engineers, high end audio hobbyists and musicians. I’m auctioning them now on eBay with the intent of donating 100% of the winning bid to Friends of the Asian Elephant.
Here are the specifications: This is a pair of rare vintage Triad HS-3 audio input transformers. They are prized for their high quality design and construction, which is suitable for military applications. Most notable is their wide transparent frequency response, voltage step-up characteristic, and rugged sealed metal can enclosure. They are triply shielded for a 95 dB reduction in noise pickup. Input impedance is selectable by pin strapping options for 600 ohm and 250 ohms balanced with center tap, and 150 or 62.5 ohms also. The secondary impedance is 118,500 ohms. Frequency response is 20 to 20,000 Hz at a maximum level of +10 dBm.
Audio aficionados and professionals use them for impedance matching and gain boosting inputs for vacuum tube microphone and phono inputs. A pair can be connected back to back to create a “sweetening” filter that has a subtle effect on the quality of music.
Is high end audio your hobby or profession? Do you know anyone who is passionate about sound, especially those who are technically inclined? If so, would you please share this link to the Triad HS-3 Audio Transformer Auction on eBay? Time is of the essence since the 7 day auction is in progress and ends Saturday, August 18. Thank you so much.
Update: Thanks to everyone who shared this post or link. With your help, we raised over $1,000 to support the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital. This effort is ongoing. You may find something of interest in my latest eBay auctions.
