Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: stratavox on August 27, 2011, 07:37:27 pm
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...in my two tweed builds. A 5E5 Pro, and a 5E3 Deluxe.The Deluxe is ok, love the amp, as is the case with the Pro. But-
the Pro PT gets REALLY hot. Spoke with David Allen,having used his iron. He tells me the level of heat I describe is normal... but I'm just not happy with it. Installed a fan in the lower right hand corner of the cab, blowing left and up, per Ted Weber's suggestion...anyone else thinking this way, or have any suggestions?
Many thanks...
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I trust David.
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In some cases they can get pretty danged hot. Not much more to say. They make their own heat, plus they accumulate heat from the tubes. I've seen plenty of cases where you couldn't really leave your hand on a transformer end bell. I am not talking about leaving flesh behind like a power resistor or a tube. I remember having a Dynaco MKIII amp power trans that got so hot I fabricated heat sinks for the tranny...and that's for a tranny that's all out in the open. The perimeter (outside) side didn't seem to run any cooler than the inside side, right next to the tubes. A fan can't hurt.
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Installed a fan in the lower right hand corner of the cab, blowing left and up, per Ted Weber's suggestion...anyone else thinking this way, or have any suggestions?
Many thanks...
Sounds like a good thing for you. Just don't point it directly on the tubes & you should be fine. It just means the tranny is putting out a lot of current close to or at what it's specs can provide. The part I don't like is (w/out a fan) if you have the cab slanted backwards or tilted at all or in a tight area w/ no air flow then it just holds even more heat in.
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Heat is fine.
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And you do have a rectifier tube right there near the PT.
The PT will almost never be cold. If it is, you probably paid waaaaaay too much for it.