Ampeg PF issues cutting out?

[Passinwind]

Hi folks

Marketing is not about facts! e.g. (Class D + marketing = digital )

It' s about snake oil, magic fairy dust, mojo…

Marketing quotes:

Solid state: These amps are more reliable and have a lower signal to noise ratio than tube amplifiers.

For me that reads like: Our tube amps are unreliable and noisy things, you should not buy.

Hey Wisebass,

Except that they actually meant a lower noise floor, not a lower ratio.

 

[agedhorse]

Hey Wisebass,

Except that they actually meant a lower noise floor, not a lower ratio.

Damn marketing guys, they hate me when they see me coming

 

[jerry]

I had a PF 500 on top of a SVT cab for a backline gig last week, it killed.

 

[mbell75]

Back on topic:
Despite everything negative being said about the PF series, I ordered a PF350 last sunday. I am confident it wil work without problems/just fine. I am not going to push the amp to its limits.

While I am writing this I am listening to music from a CD (CD-player: SS, digital to analog) played over a single ended class A tube amp and enjoying it!

Thanks for getting back on topic! I had to return my BA210 because of an intermittent crackling noise coming out of it and I hate the smell it produces in my room from the top vent. The other BA210 in the store had the same issue with the crackling noise, not sure what it is or where its coming from but this was with multiple cables and different basses too. Ive also decided against the PF series and Im back in the Fender Rumble camp for now despite my prior grumblings about its build quality.

 

[Alevine1nc]

Hey... I just posted about my PF-500 cutting out and i was referred to this thread. Mine is here: Ampeg PF500 cuts out


I spoke to someone at Yamaha Guitar Group (now owns Ampeg, LOUD) who told me that this is a known issue with the amp but that it was a very popular amp. He also said that the line may be “refreshed” soon since it is about or over 10 years old.

He did tell me that they started having problems in the middle of the run. Mine was bought in 2015 and was likely near the end of the time of the problems.

I’m looking to find someone who had the same issue and replaced the board. Did the issue stop happening?

I typically have my gain at about 1:00 or dialed to 6 I think and my volume anywhere from 12:00 - 2:00 depending on how loud I need to be.

 

[JimmyM]

I believe the BA-115 V2 is also class D.

Turns out, as I should have known, that you are correct. BA115 v2 is class D. Just wanted to put that out there.

 

[agedhorse]

It's hard to keep track of these things Jimmy, technology is moving very quickly these days. I should know

 

[seamonkey]

Hey... I just posted about my PF-500 cutting out and i was referred to this thread. Mine is here: Ampeg PF500 cuts out


I spoke to someone at Yamaha Guitar Group (now owns Ampeg, LOUD) who told me that this is a known issue with the amp but that it was a very popular amp. He also said that the line may be “refreshed” soon since it is about or over 10 years old.

He did tell me that they started having problems in the middle of the run. Mine was bought in 2015 and was likely near the end of the time of the problems.

I’m looking to find someone who had the same issue and replaced the board. Did the issue stop happening?

I typically have my gain at about 1:00 or dialed to 6 I think and my volume anywhere from 12:00 - 2:00 depending on how loud I need to be.

Ask YGG to send you the board revisions done between the rev you have and their latest rev. It may be just a few parts need to change. No need to buy a whole new board if it's just a few parts.

 

[bobdabilder]

Were you charged?

I had a PF 500 on top of a SVT cab for a backline gig last week, it killed.

 

[Mikey Ramone]

I've had my PF 500 and 210HE cab for about a year and a half now. I haven't played any gigs with it yet but it started cutting out yesterday at band rehearsal with the volume knob at noon. It's going up for sale today. Fender here I come.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I've had my PF 500 and 210HE cab for about a year and a half now. I haven't played any gigs with it yet but it started cutting out yesterday at band rehearsal with the volume knob at noon. It's going up for sale today. Fender here I come.

A hot day, lack of sufficient air circulation, and expecially a dip in the wall power can cause cutouts. Air conditioners running in the area can stress the power delivery and lower the line voltage.

 

[adk teleman]

It may be, I thought I saw the V2 had been changed but I'm not positive if this.

The 3 BA amps that I know are class d are the BA-600, 300 and the 210V2. All 3 are also solid state.

Who cares, they all sound awesome.

 

[fuadramsey]

Another PF-500 thermal shutdown amp owner here, but I got it working "normally" again, so far:

I purchased the PF-500 new around 2017 so it's around 9 years old. I opened it up and it has one of the newer Revision J boards that are supposedly free from the thermal shutdown issue. The amp was working fine and I used it for gigs and never had an issue. I started using it at rehearsals a few years ago and last year it started shutting down and coming back on a second or two later.

The amp would still work but would shut down when it played at normal volume under a 4 ohm load with a 7 piece band. I don't really have the amp turned up that loud, but it did start to shutoff more and more. I tried lowering the gain, and turning up the master, but that didn't help. I also tried running just one 12" cabinet that put the amp under 8 ohms but still had the same issue. Since the board was probably not the issue, I decided to upgrade the fan. I tested the fan and it was working, but wanted to upgrade it with one that is a little more powerful.

The stock fan is pretty quite (some users say it's too loud), at 37db putting out 23cfm (YM1206PTB1), so I went with a AFB0612EH which is at 46db and puts out 38cfm. It is louder, but to me, it's not that much louder especially if you are in a room with musicians. The fan is a direct replacement as far as size, but I had to cut the connector to make it work. This fan is also one of the "stronger" fans I could find with that size 60*60*25mm. I oriented the fan the same direction to pull air out from the amp. I also installed two 10mmX50mmx50mm fans side by side on the cover where the air intake holes are at, oriented to push air in. These fans are also 12volts and are powered by the same feed, but they only pull 11.89cfm individually so maybe that equates to 23.78cfms? I don't know how the push pull combo works out as far as CFM and if these new fans hinder the intake, but figured I would do a trial and error test.

Anyways the amp hasn't shut down through two long rehearsals operating the amp at the same levels as before. The temperature conditions of the rehearsal space were about the same. Soooo, so far so good!

Notes:
-amp was pretty clean inside.
-I understand pushing air in will create more dust inside, but hey, if it works I don't care and will gladly clean it out now and then if that's what it takes.
-I use this amp just for rehearsal and use my PF-350 for recording and I use my Venture V7 for gigs.