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Is a voltage regulator necessary for my amp?


mbengs1

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I had my amp fixed after plugging it to the wrong voltage. now i had it fixed and changed to 220 volts, which is the standard voltage here in the philippines. do i still need a voltage regulator or is it safe enough plug my amp straight into the wall outlet?

 

should i worry about my amp blowing up if i plug it straight into the wall socket? i heard than voltage fluctuations are not uncommon and technically my amp could still blow up even if it is plugged into the right voltage.

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In any country with unstable voltage and frequent surges, spikes, and sags, a voltage stabilizer is a great idea. It will also filter out RFI and EMI and transient harmonics that present as audible noise in your amp. Try this one: https://www.amazon.com/VS-2410-Stabilizer-220-1000-manufacturers/dp/B008X7ISSS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469641977&sr=8-2&keywords=ACUPWR+220-240+volt+Voltage+stabilizer. They make excellent voltage converters too.

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You're mixing up regulators with filters. Filters simply prevent voltage spikes. They don't maintain voltage if the voltage goes down like you have when there's a brownout.

 

You would need a battery backup unit to maintain voltage when you have a drop in voltage. Because tube amps draws so much current with the tube heaters and transformers, the size and cost of the batteries in a backup unit are very expensive. I have one large enough to do the job that was give to me. There's no way I'd spend 5 grand for it however. Its cheaper to spend a couple of hundred and just buy a generator, or simply spend nothing and wait for the power to come back on.

 

Mr Grumpy is right however. If the amp is all tube, not a hybrid with no Solid State components there's no need of even using a filter. If it makes you feel better, go buy a $10 computer power strip with built in filtering. They contain a cap and coil which will arrest voltage spikes from Lightening or someone hitting a power pole. I use them in the studio and for live. Some of these clubs have beat electrical outlets from all the bands using them and they can cause intermittent sparks and pops. Doesn't hurt to be safe, especially for guitar pedals and such.

 

I'm in the electronic business and work for companies that sell good filters. I have a couple of good isolation transformer based filters which I use at home. An iso transformer completely separates the gear from the outside line. I use them in the studio to eliminate ground loops and protect all the gear. I get frequent power outages here in Houston as tropical electrical storms roll through. I have at least 50K in gear and its an inexpensive method of protecting it.

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