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Amplifier Discussion / Light Bulb Limiter
« on: March 17, 2011, 12:23:04 AM »
Some images:
I don't like the switch bypassing the bulb shown in the lower image, simply because it's too easy to switch it on by mistake.
Suggested bulb: 25W for small SS amps (10/30W) ; 100W for high power ones (60/200W); a tube amp might require a 150W to 200W bulb, simply because it eats too much on idle, because of all those filaments.
Most sites state that the bulb burns if a short is present; it does not; worst case it shines brightly, with full power.
If the amp is fine, the bulb usually lights barely visible red.
It allows to measure many things (do I have power rails? do I have DC on the speaker out?) which a fuse would not let you to, because it burns in a millisecond.
Remember all voltages will be low, the bulb is eating part of the wall voltage, do not aim for "schematic perfect" voltages but a reasonable proportion.
Example: power amp /main PSU states +/-40V DC
If I have a dark red or weak orange bulb, measure +/-25V, have no DC on output jack, amp is probably fine.
If I measure +/- 1 or 2V rails or +/-25V but have 24V on speaker out: bad sign.
In this last case, if I have 49V across the lower output transistor and 0.12V across the upper one, I can be pretty certain that the upper one is shorted, which will be confirmed later with an ohmmeter test with the amp off .
That's the general idea.
Much faster and better than:
replace one transistor -> power on -> blown fuse ... replace another -> power on -> blown fuse ... (repeat 25 times) power on -> nothing burns ... so THIS was the bad transistor !!!!
I don't like the switch bypassing the bulb shown in the lower image, simply because it's too easy to switch it on by mistake.
Suggested bulb: 25W for small SS amps (10/30W) ; 100W for high power ones (60/200W); a tube amp might require a 150W to 200W bulb, simply because it eats too much on idle, because of all those filaments.
Most sites state that the bulb burns if a short is present; it does not; worst case it shines brightly, with full power.
If the amp is fine, the bulb usually lights barely visible red.
It allows to measure many things (do I have power rails? do I have DC on the speaker out?) which a fuse would not let you to, because it burns in a millisecond.
Remember all voltages will be low, the bulb is eating part of the wall voltage, do not aim for "schematic perfect" voltages but a reasonable proportion.
Example: power amp /main PSU states +/-40V DC
If I have a dark red or weak orange bulb, measure +/-25V, have no DC on output jack, amp is probably fine.
If I measure +/- 1 or 2V rails or +/-25V but have 24V on speaker out: bad sign.
In this last case, if I have 49V across the lower output transistor and 0.12V across the upper one, I can be pretty certain that the upper one is shorted, which will be confirmed later with an ohmmeter test with the amp off .
That's the general idea.
Much faster and better than:
replace one transistor -> power on -> blown fuse ... replace another -> power on -> blown fuse ... (repeat 25 times) power on -> nothing burns ... so THIS was the bad transistor !!!!
binet 