guidothepimmp
hey guys,
my bloody amp has now started blowing the mains fuse. just to clarify, the amp has 2 fuses, 1 where you plug in the kettle cord (mains fuse) and another that i assume protects the preamp valves.
so the mains fuse started blowing. amp has not seen heavy use and only been played at home. it actually blew after i turned the standby off to let the valves cool. the new fuse blew mid playing after about 2 hours play.
should i be worried? could this be power surges causing this or some other issue i should have checked out?
also, i have been to every electronis store i could find and cant find fuses anywhere?! where do you guys get em. mine are marked 30mA . is this not helluva low?
thanks
TomCat
What amplifier is it. Usually a tube amp is about 1 to 2 amps,depending on the power of the amplifier.
There should also be a plate on the back of the amp indicating the power draw of the amplifier. Although this is an indication of the power draw of the amp while switched on, the initial current inrush at the moment of powering the amp up is much higher as the power trannie energizes.
30mA is very low for the main power fuse.
BTW the way a fuse looks when it blows is often a good indication of the problem. If the glass is black/silvery coated inside then there is usually a problem somewhere as there has been a sudden inrush of a lot of current due to usually a short circuit.
If there is only a white flash inside the tube along with a few bits of wire/blobs of metal then the fuse just got tired and went US.
Edit: It might also be that the mains voltage has climbed in your area and the amplifier is drawing more current than the fuse can handle.
AlanRatcliffe
That value does seem low. Slow-blow fuses can help with power fluctuations too.
guidothepimmp
thanks for the replies fellers.
Tom, its a laney 30w. the fuse had a black coloration on one end of the glass where it popped.
just find it strange that the 1st one popped on standy...
where do you guys find slowblow fuses?
TomCat
The best place nearest to you is Communica in Samrand.
+1 on what Alan said. I was going to say the same thing but forgot to mention it.
I'd say that what you need to be at about 1A slow-blow. Also have a look in the manual and see what they recommend.
guidothepimmp
thanks Tom.
of course communica. the only place i managed to overlook..
yeh had a look in the manual, it gave some code which i cant remember. didnt give a numerical value though. its only when i pulled out the fuse i saw it had the same code and next to it was 30mA.
Ill go chat to the lads at communica.
thanks
