Author Topic: Solarus output transformer safety  (Read 3471 times)

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Offline TheLustyGhost

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Solarus output transformer safety
« on: April 26, 2007, 08:33:18 am »
I was talking to an amp tech about my solarus the other day, and he said that since the Solarus has an ultralinear power amp, there is a higher-than-average chance of output transformer failure if it is run with no load (i.e. a speaker blows at a show).  Anyone know if it is possible to add a second fuse that protects the output transformer?  I've heard of similar mods for other amp types, but I don't know enough myself to adapt one to a different type of amp.

Offline JoeArthur

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Re: Solarus output transformer safety
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2007, 10:15:42 am »

Personally I think your tech has been sniffing to many solder fumes. An ultralinear is not more likely to blow an output transformer without a load than the non-ultralinear design - They both will blow equally well, and usually faster than you can hit the power or standby switch.

It can be fused just like any other power amp with a fuse between the B+ supply and the output transformer primary center tap. If you do this, put the fuse inside the chassis - do not drill a hole and mount it so you can change the fuse from the outside. This is not only a safety issue... you REALLY want a tech to check out the amp before you just slap in another fuse.

What I would do is add in the 47 ohm 5 watt plate resistors and the 47 ohm 2 watt screen resistors like Sunn did on their larger 120 watt amps. The purpose of these resistors is to act like fuses under unsual conditions and are more likely to save an output transformer over a single B+ line fuse. Plus, you won't have to try and figure out an appropriate safe fuse value.


Offline TheLustyGhost

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Re: Solarus output transformer safety
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2007, 10:02:24 am »
NAh, his explanation seemed pretty sound.  It has to do with the way the transformer is coupled to the power section.  In most amps there are components between the power section and the transformer that are liable to fail before the transformer does, and if they do it can protect the transformer itself, at least for long enough that you can switch the amp on (his example was that most marshall heads will last about a minute with no load before the transformer is ruined); with an ultralinear amp most (all?) of those components are absent, so the transformer tends to die much faster, which makes it less likely that you will notice something is wrong and switch the amp off in time to save it.

On the other hand, he also said ultralinear designs tend to be less prone to transformer failure related to other internal problems, so that kind of compensates  I just prefer not to lose my ransformer if I blow a speaker.

That fusing scheme is pretty much what I was thinking of, but I didn';t know if it would work in an ultralinear amp.  Thanks!

Offline basiklybass

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Re: Solarus output transformer safety
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2007, 02:06:18 pm »
But if it had all that other stuff between the stages...it wouldn't sound like a Sunn.....would it?

Offline JoeArthur

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Re: Solarus output transformer safety
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2007, 04:23:46 pm »
But if it had all that other stuff between the stages...it wouldn't sound like a Sunn.....would it?

There is no extra stuff. TheLustyGhost's tech either doesn't have a clue or is trying to pull some sort of scam on him. Techs do try to sell their services and one of the best selling methods is fear - as in blowing an output transformer.

An ultralinear design simply means that the screen grids of the output tubes are connected to a separate primary tap on the output transformer instead of being connected to a fixed B+ voltage supply.

Neither method of screen grid connection is going to prevent destruction of an output transformer when the secondary is unloaded.

BTW - Marshalls by far, above and beyond any other make of amp, have the world's record for the number of blown output transformers.


Offline TheLustyGhost

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Re: Solarus output transformer safety
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2007, 08:20:08 pm »
I think it's more a case of me doing a bad job of retelling.  I'm just talking about one resitor.

And no, he was not trying to sell me a mod.  In fact he never mentioned the possibility of one.