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Topic: Do power strips spike amps? |
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 7:39 am |
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| I have power strips all over the place, mostly to keep from having to plug in and unplug wallwarts all the time. SOmetimes when I have specific chain I like, I have an amp plugged in too. Does it make any difference to turn the amp (or any other device) off and on before I turn the power strip on? I mean, is there some sort of buffer in the amp's "on" switch that brings up the power gradually? |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 8:31 am
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It makes zero difference. The amp switch just routes line voltage to the power transformer (in a tube amp). Having the amp "on" and using a strip as an on-off switch does the same thing. The only "spike preventer" I can think of would be a Variac turned up slowly, which can actually cause other problems.
Just do what you've been doing. No problem. |
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Bill Crook
From:
Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 8:33 am
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Turn the Power Strip on FIRST !!!
Then the other stuff.( Amps,one at a time.)
Most power-strips (A.K.A.) bought at WallyWorld,K-Mart,Bestbuy,etc,etc, have a generaly cheap switch in them. Thats why you can buy them at about $6.00 to $10.00 bucks.
I know of NO amps that do a slow power-up.
(Now with that said, there are amps that have a delayed sound to the speaker so you don't hear that "Thunk" sound when first turned on.)
If you have, lets say, 2 amps, 3 wall-wart devices pluged into a powerstrip, Then turn it on with everythings power switch on, the hit on the switch in the power strip is about 20 to 30 AMPS at startup !! These cheap bars will not last very long before the thing dies a horrible death.
Most Amps,(Tube or Solid-State) have heavey duty switches in them. Power-Strips do not.
I know it may take a tad more time to turn on everything seperatly but, if your on a gig and blow out a power-strip, It's your fault !!
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http://home.comcast.net/~crookwf/
http://photobucket.com/albums/v479/billcrook/
[This message was edited by Bill Crook on 29 December 2005 at 09:11 AM.] |
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Bill Crook
From:
Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 8:37 am
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Double Post there, Hit the "Enter" button twice.
Jim.... I didn't mean to rain on your post but as a Electronics tech, I know a little about current,voltage and rateings of this kind of stuff. [This message was edited by Bill Crook on 29 December 2005 at 08:43 AM.] |
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 10:53 am
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Some amps have a capacitor across the power switch contacts to prevent arcing when the switch is turn on. In that case, it would be best to have the strip turned on, then turn on the amp. Actually, I don't see a big problem doing it either way.
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www.phelpscountychoppers.com/steelguitar
[This message was edited by John Daugherty on 30 December 2005 at 05:59 AM.] |
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Chick Donner
From:
North Ridgeville, OH USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 6:48 pm
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| While you're at it, DO NOT buy power strips with "surge protecters" in them. I fined most I need at Lowe's opr Home Depot with 8 ft cords, and NO surge protectrion. |
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Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
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Posted 29 Dec 2005 7:14 pm
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| DO NOT buy power strips with "surge protecters" |
Why?? Just curious.........bb |
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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Posted 30 Dec 2005 6:17 am
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I do not see a problem with using surge protectors. The power strip surge protector has a simple device across the power line, that has no effect on the 120vac line voltage. It acts as a short circuit at a preset higher voltage.
The device used in the cheap power strips is a "MOV" (metal oxide varistor).
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www.phelpscountychoppers.com/steelguitar
[This message was edited by John Daugherty on 30 December 2005 at 06:17 AM.] |
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Bill Crook
From:
Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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Posted 31 Dec 2005 12:29 pm
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| Quote: |
| The device used in the cheap power strips is a "MOV" (metal oxide varistor). |
A "MOV" (metal oxide varistor) is used in most surge protectors reguardless weather it's consumer gear or indrustrial gear.
The "cheap units generally only have 1(one) MOV at the input of the device, The high quality units have a MOV at each AC outlet plus one at the input. The indrustrial stuff has MOV's and other circuits to protect the electronics and such.
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http://home.comcast.net/~crookwf/
http://photobucket.com/albums/v479/billcrook/
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Scott Appleton
From:
Ashland, Oregon
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Posted 31 Dec 2005 3:26 pm
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I use a "block" style line conditioner/ surge protector
every since we had a line surge in a storm that took out a bunch of TV'S and other items with constant on
circuits. The units that had surge protectors did not suffer damage. Everything els did.
Its just a good idea to have a box that cleans up your
AC signal and prevents over voltage from damaging
your hard earned equipment.
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Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130, Acoustic 165 100 W all tube EV 12, Nash 112, digitech 2101 FX |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 31 Dec 2005 4:27 pm
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The 120 volt rms AC line actually has a peak voltage of 170 volts and most of the MOV's in the power strips are rated at 220 volts and above. They will have no effect on the operation if you power the amp off first then the power strip.
Turning the power strip on with the amp switch on is not a big problem if the amp is the only thing plugged into the strip. If there are a bunch more devices plugged into the power strip at the same time, and they are all on when you power on the strip, then you will be getting full inrush current from all of them at the same time. This can result in an initial voltage sag followed by a spike. You may also hear a wallop in the amp speaker as the power caps charge up the output devices switch on. Another way to look at this is if you had 3 amps plugged into the same wall outlet and turned them all on at precisely the same time. Not good!
If everythig is powered on, including the power strip, turning off the power strip first is not good. The AC circuit will resist the change in current (v = Ldi/dt) and cause voltage arcing at the switch. Since the power strip switch is fairly cheap, it may not last long. Not a good practice.
Greg
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 1 Jan 2006 4:13 pm
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I use a TrippLite Line Conditioner/Stabilizer. They're fairly expensive, but well worth the money, especially if you play clubs (or outdoors) where the voltage drops so low that the tone changes in your amp or it starts to break up. I used to do a lot or outdoor gigs with lousy power conditions where I would play a big c6th chord and the voltage would drop so much, my sythesizers would shutdown. Big bummer when they would boot back up with a program I didn't want to be loaded.
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Carter D10 9p/9k, NV400, Korg Triton Le88 Synth, Korg CX-3 organ, Yamaha Motif Rack Module, Regal Dobro, Tele, Gretsch Acoustic.
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