Members dna-wzU7N Posted March 7, 2020 Members Share Posted March 7, 2020 Where does one find tube amp voltage charts? I'm looking particularly for the Carvin X-100 series amp; I have a 60 watt combo model. I looked at the websites of the major MFRs but they don't make that info public... I get that somebody will start pokin' around and get zapped... and blame the company for publishing their info. It's never the "victim's" fault right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 8, 2020 Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2020 ummm...voltage chart? You can typically find the various AC and DC voltages for a particular amp's components in the schematic...have a look here: https://carvinaudio.com/pages/guitar-amp-schematics Regardless, if you plan on poking around in your amp, be forewarned that there are indeed potentially lethal voltages stored in the capacitors. If you do not know how to discharge those components, then do not, and I repeat EMPHATICALLY DO NOT poke round inside the amp if the caps are charged! There are several methods [some worse than others] to discharge teh capacitors...and there are videos available on youtube ...please learn first! There is a recent thread regarding this topic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted March 12, 2020 Members Share Posted March 12, 2020 tubes don't produce voltage and current. that comes from your wall outlet and is stepped up and down at different levels by the power transformer to whatever the tubes need to operate. You typically have heater voltages and B+ which is the high voltages most tubes use to actually amplify. You should also know its not voltage that kills, its the current that does that. You can easily generate 20,000 volts simply combing your hair but other then a small jolt when you touch something grounded its not going to kill you because the current is so low. Where current is most dangerous is when the body acts as a ground and the current passes over the heart. Example, touching a high voltage contact with one finger while the rest of the hand is touching the chassis will allow the current to pass from one finger to the hand before t gets to ground. It will hurt like an SOB but unlikely to stop your heart unless its weak and the surprise is enough to give you an attack. On the other hand, if you touch a contact and the second hand is or bare foot is touching ground, then you set up a path that allows the current to pass over the heart (like those two paddles they use in and emergency room for heart attacks) First thing you're taught as an electronic tech is to always work on an amp with one hand only when testing. The second hand goes in a pocket or behind your back. This prevents a path across your heart. You don't want to lean up against a grounded work bench either. I know a guy who did that when testing a TV fly back transformer ang got zapped in his crotch with 10,000 volts. It was as painful as being kicked between the legs. Lastly, tubes aren't set with voltages. B+ voltages are fixed to whatever the tubes are designed to run on. Biasing tubes us done by balancing current levels which is actually very low in most tube amps. 20~30 milliamps is pretty common in most power tubes. Unless you're changing the power tubes and know the proper procedure for setting the bias you have no reason to be inside the amp. That's what they put a sticker on there that says, " To be serviced by qualified personnel only. No user replicable parts inside" That translates to, anyone who didn't go to college and get an electronics degree doesn't know jack from shinola so stay the hell out and leave the repair work to professionals who do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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