Tecamp Puma owners!! quick question!

funkucan'ttouch · #1 06-06-2010, 09:30 PM

I own a puma 1000. Did an outdoor gig today, kept it in the soft case. About 1 and 40 mins into the gig. The clip light and logo lights flash and then shut off. Would I be correct in saying that it overheated? It seemed fine after a 10 min break.

just wanting to make sure!!!! never had this happen before.

fenderfunker · #2 06-06-2010, 09:35 PM

I would concur with your analysis of the situation. Buy the amp a fan. It will reward you with faultless service for many years, if you do. Funk on........FenderFunker...Australia.

silky smoove · #3 06-07-2010, 12:39 AM

That definitely sounds like an overheating issue. My Puma1000 has never done that, but I don't use the softbag. The design of that bag seems limiting to airflow, not to mention that you're basically insulating it to help retain heat by keeping it in that bag. Not a great design for that bag IMO.

Try using it without the bag, or do as fenderfunker pointed out and buy an external fan to help airflow. The only problem with this is that the primary source of ventilation is out of the top, so a fan would be blowing the hot air back into the amp.

KJung · #4 06-07-2010, 05:10 AM

One of my Puma500's shut down on the gig a couple of weekends ago (at the very end of a very long, VERY loud night). It was also in the soft bag. It eventually came back on, but I'm sending it in anyway for a check-up.

My feeling is that as cool as that 'rack bag' is, it impedes the airflow enough that when you are really cranking the amp, it can overheat. I will not be using the rack bag any more.

There have been other posts through the years of guys having shut-off issues with the amp in the rack bag, and then never having another issue when they remove it from the bag.

My guess is, part of this issue is the massive low end that those heads reproduce (I assume due to the hi pass filtering being set much lower than most other heads). This eats up a lot of power and hence generates a lot more heat than heads like Markbass, Genz, etc, etc. The little GK MB2-500 also has this super deep voicing, and there have been quite a few posts of those hitting their 'safety shut-down' when really pushed.

I would suggest taking your amp out of the rack bag and using a nice Mooradian bag for carrying it around. They already have the measurements for the Puma... cost, about $125... super high quality, and the bonus is you will have a pocket big enough for two 3' speakons, a long, heavy duty power cable, and an extension cord.

K

esoxhntr · #5 06-07-2010, 08:16 AM

I've had this happen with other amps. As far as I'm concerned, rackbags are "the devil".

KJung · #6 06-07-2010, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esoxhntr

I've had this happen with other amps. As far as I'm concerned, rackbags are "the devil".

I unfortunately agree. It is such a high quality, cool bag, but I again will never use it again.

The Markbass rack bags are fine, since they literally have holes in them where the fan and vents are (versus the mesh type netting of the TecAmp bags). However, that leads to other issues regarding rain and total safety when transporting the amp.

funkucan'ttouch · #7 06-07-2010, 08:45 AM

well, no more bag for me!!!

Thanks for the info guys!

BTW has anyone tried the bad bull head?

tombowlus · #8 06-07-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkucan'ttouch

BTW has anyone tried the bad bull head?

Only at NAMM Shows, but it was pretty darned impressive! Unfortunately, so is the price tag.

funkucan'ttouch · #9 06-07-2010, 09:24 AM

how would you compare the sound of it versus the puma?

tombowlus · #10 06-07-2010, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkucan'ttouch

how would you compare the sound of it versus the puma?

It's more big, ballsy and aggressive, and it definitely sounds like a tube head. He's using an EL-84 power tube to drive the class-D output section, which is pretty cool, IMHO. By contrast, the Puma is more clean and more mellow sounding.