Transfex Pro-212s problem

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

To my great chagrin,
I got my amp set up in a club last night,
and the island electricity in this corner
of Fishermans village was so poor,
that the dang thing couldn't even boot up
the software from memory....
nada nothing.

We NORMALLY don't have to deal with 220v dropping down to
160v on a regular basis.
They did just run a 3rd under sea cable for more power..
where's it GOING??? B=Not to Beatles bar for sure.
Evil or Very Mad

I finally had to plug the Revelation into the
crap amp I had not intended to use again.
It'so bad that... ;
How bad is it?
The harmonica player won't use it,
and it's HIS amp...

Well the Revelation sure helped that no-name amp a LOT.

Looks like I must get a UPS power supply
if I want to use the Transfex out though.
I have a 5k watt UPS at the studio.
But it ain't moving...

SO the other amp sat on top,
and the band said I 'sounded great'.
But what an agravation and why carry
a 212, 1,000€ amp stand...
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

That's why I carry a line voltage regulator. Do you step down to 120 VAC first, or do you run the equipment at 220?

I use a Furman AR-1215, but that's for 120 VAC, rated 120 +-5 VAC for input voltages between 97 and 141 VAC. It shuts down below 75 and above 150 VAC. If you're stepping down to 120 for the amp, this might do the trick, but 160 VAC is pretty hideous for a 220 supply. I've had pretty bad power for some outdoor gigs, but I'm not sure that bad.

I'm not sure what's available at reasonable cost for direct voltage regulation of 220 VAC. The Furman AR-Pro does it, but is over 3 grand street price.

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Your amp comes stock with a memory battery, know to leak. It leaked ion my Transfex Pro head that I bought recently. Cost about $150.00 or so to fix it! Had I owned it earlier I would have put my battery-less mod in it and not had that issue! Check your battery for sure..

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Hi guys.
I do have a digital line voltage stabilizer,
but the same issue;
it shuts down if the voltage goes to low.
Which it does.
I have read 164 volts and fluctuating in the middle of the afternoon.

But it also spiked out on a startup once
and took out my Mac G4 twins power supply...
(hear the loud cursing, followed by round trip flight to Bangkok)

That's when I got the APC unit for 130,000 baht
or about $3,500 US.... a serious unit.

I run the whole place including guitar amps during recording.
I get about 15 minutes of time to finish a take and save if the power goes down. I tell the players ;
if the emergency lights come on keep playing.

The Transfex is a euro bought amp so runs 220v
Though it will do 110v too, with a change of
cable/plug, and the voltage switch.

Thailand is theoretically 220v.
But the island is not wired by rational people
in many areas. I will take a pic and post it.
A USA electrician would just wince, turn away
and have a good cry if he saw MANY wiring jobs here.

They actually hate ground as a concept,
believing that it is riskier since they never wear shoes indoors.
Purest madness.

If they installed about 50-100 capaciter/transformer
blocks on poles around then it might act more stable.

But you must pay for it yourself in most cases...

I MUST run the whole studio through the 5,000w APC
battery back up and stabilizer.
0 switching time and no actual direct output and input connect.

I guess I stupidly assumed the club would be ok for the big amp.
The PA and the digital reverbs run ok there.

Ken the battery is fine, I was using the amp
just prior to going to the gig.
It is the full amp and effects version,
not the rack mount only effects unit.
As pictured above. But imagine it's much the same inside.

But I like the mod you have, where did you get it, Peavey?
looks like and easy install. Change the chip in its socket,
and just leave the battery holder empty;
unless it needs a patch across it.

I have a Tubefex rack unit also,
and the battery is on it's last legs now.

I guess I can try to slog the stabilizer with me next Saturday...
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Here's an idea - have you thought of a Variac into a voltage regulator? I'd use the Variac to set a nominal voltage, and the voltage regulator to control it. If the steady-state voltage swings are wild, this might not work either, but if the power was predictably low all the time, it might.

Even with that, I wouldn't try to power sophisticated electronics with that kind of power on a gig like this. I'd use the sturdiest amp I could find with no bells and whistles and wing it. Maybe a Twin Reverb or all-analog solid-state Peavey with nothing fancy, just the use on-board spring reverb. Whew, that's bad. Shocked

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Unfortunately I have seen the power fluctuate
between 164 and 200 several times in a few minutes.

The Voltage stabalizer has a digital read out.

A variac is interesting.. but lets se

Steel
Transfex amp
Revelation rack with Hilton
seat
voltage regulator,
variac.

roadie not supplied... YIKES! Shocked

_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I have the chips, Peavey does not. I have around 80 left and that will likely be the last time I order. I have done over 800 now and it is slowing way down finally. The Tubefex can get the worst damage of all the units! Check it and clean around the battery end ASAP with a Q-Tip and alcohol. Allow to dry well before using (denatured alcohol), That will keep the battery from shorting out the nearby cap and voltage rail.

Easy to change:

Avoid wearing knit clothing when working on the unit. Cotton is more of static free clothing. Components are static sensitive.

1- Save your settings to a memory card or Midi-librarian such as Peavey Midi-Filer, Yamaha Midi-filer.

2- I have now found I can just bend/wiggle the battery back and forth to break it off, no de-soldering needed!

3- Clean up any battery residue with a Q-tip and denatured alcohol or acetone (the wife or girl friend's fingernail polish remover).

4- Remove the old chip (U502) from the plug-in socket. A small flat blade screwdriver will help pry it out. Note the direction of the notch in the chip. There is a different chip number on the Transtubefex and Tubefex original memory chip (U507).

5- Insert new memory chip with notch in same direction. Note the 10K resistor soldered on to the new chip keeps it happy on power up!

6- Re-install top

7- Reinitialize by holding down the "PLAY" and "GLOBAL" buttons and then apply power (use “DOWN” and “RIGHT” arrows/cursors for Tubefex and Transtubefex.)

8- Unit will say "MEMORY INITIALIZED TO FACTORY SETTINGS"

9- Release buttons.

10- Adjust view angle with global settings to desired view

11- Reload settings

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

That looks like a pretty good upgrade.
Easy enough to do also.

I could use 2 of those chips,
one for the Transfex amp
and one for the Tubefex.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Ok, I'ma gonna do it.
~Ken check your mail.

But
7- Reinitialize by holding down the "PLAY" and "GLOBAL" buttons and then apply power

Can I assume that is hold them down while switching the unit on.
No doubt it is in the transf's manual.

(use “DOWN” and “RIGHT” arrows/cursors for Tubefex and Transtubefex.)

I have no manual for the tubefex.
And the last sentence isn't completely clear,
at least not to me this late.

But is it;
Transfex; use play and global

Tubefex; use down and right

Transtubefex; use down and right

I think that's what I read

So far in 30 years I don't believe I have ever zapped a chip...

Had speaker cones shoot through grill cloths

and amps burst into flames,

had a stage lighting electrician fly over me,
and land 12 feet from were he was wiring the
lights to the mains...
and he burst into flames for a bit... Rolling Eyes

but no chips staticed out... knock wood
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

For both your units use the down and right arrows. Hold them down and then apply power to re-initialize.

I would do one first and then midi in the info from the other unit.

I will mail the chips to Thailand today with pictures of both units and revised instructions.

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Cool.

I just got a scan of the mail receipt.
That is class Ken, very nice.

It will be awhile before arrival...
it will get here quick,
and then reside in various bins
till somebody actually looks in them.
eventually it will arrive on the island.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Well I took the Sidital digital voltage stabalizer to the gig.

We watched the power drop below 151 volts several times.
It would run at 213 for awhile then suddenly tank
into 180, and go back up, The unit could handle that.
But later go even lower 160v, 150v. Ridiculous!
Below 163 the unit shuts down output,
and recycles when the votage is controlable.

The amp did run sometimes,
but on arrival the program settings I had got scambled, on 1st boot up,
I never had time to re organize them.
Finally pulled my whole rig and used the crap amp again.

But worse than all this..........
a 'helpful person' saw my Hilton pedal was unplugged, and plugged it in..
a 110V unit into a 220v barr. Not my voltage conversion box.
By the time I noticed, it was toast... YAGGHHH!

I had to use a Boss FC-50 for the gig
into a no name Thai built amp.
And we were doing a recording too.

My attitude was pretty shot...
Then the russian guy sitting in on piano started up.
He had no monitor, but the pa stack behind me.
He was on the other side of the stage...
Not MY choice of set up. LOUD!

He was so loud I couldn't hear MY amp.
I had to take a break.
And later switch sides with the piano who then miraculously was now playing at the right level.

Pretty much a rotten night.
Then the band says they love the steel
and I got paid extra for the night.
Except next week I have to replace the bassplayer
for 3 months...

Maybe I'll bring the Supro 6 and do an intro or 2...

At least I have time to fix the Hilton...
Drat, caderack and offendicum!
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.

Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many!

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