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Can daytime heat damage amp electronics?

#3
On nights that I have band rehearsal, I bring my equipment to work. The parking lot is secure so I've been leaving my equipment in there except for the bass. Now I just got a Peavey VB-2 tube amp and its about 65 lbs. So I was trying to avoid lugging it up to my office and then back down at the end of the day.
 
#4
Equipment on the road spends a lot of time in hot trailers. Of course you're best if you can keep direct sunlight off of it, but other than that, it shouldn't affect it.
 
#6
walknbluez said:
I know it is bad to keep your bass in your car in the heat of the day, i.e. the neck can warp etc. This may sound like a stupid question but is it dangerous to keep a tube amp OR speaker cabinet in a hot car all day? Can that damage the electronics?
Click to expand...

The elctronics themselves, transistors, caps, resistors chips etc....will stand direct heat up to somewhere around 280 degrees f. Tubes, I am not sure of but probably less than this but more than you or I could stand, however the paper cones in the speakers, the voice coils, the wood in the cabinets themselves hotcar not good. Also in amps, I'd be concerned about solder joints. Even if the car doesn't get hot enough to reflow the solder, it'll break down under temperature and you could expose bad solder joints a lot quicker in a hot car.

A number of years ago, in the capacity of an electronics engineer I was called in by an insurance company to assess the damage to a lot of equipment that had been in a fire in a church band room, did a lot of research about the effects of heat on the circuitry and the long term effects after having been exposed to the heat of a fire in the same room. I was amazed that the majority of the damage to the electronics was from water, not the fire itself. Dried out the amps, boards, effects etc....and not a single failure! And not a failure for over a year. Course the speaker cones, covers, etc...didn't fare so well. That was when I got into how much heat the actual components could stand.
 
#7
rcarraher said:
The elctronics themselves, transistors, caps, resistors chips etc....will stand direct heat up to somewhere around 280 degrees f. Tubes, I am not sure of but probably less than this but more than you or I could stand, however the paper cones in the speakers, the voice coils, the wood in the cabinets themselves hotcar not good. Also in amps, I'd be concerned about solder joints. Even if the car doesn't get hot enough to reflow the solder, it'll break down under temperature and you could expose bad solder joints a lot quicker in a hot car.

A number of years ago, in the capacity of an electronics engineer I was called in by an insurance company to assess the damage to a lot of equipment that had been in a fire in a church band room, did a lot of research about the effects of heat on the circuitry and the long term effects after having been exposed to the heat of a fire in the same room. I was amazed that the majority of the damage to the electronics was from water, not the fire itself. Dried out the amps, boards, effects etc....and not a single failure! And not a failure for over a year. Course the speaker cones, covers, etc...didn't fare so well. That was when I got into how much heat the actual components could stand.
Click to expand...

I guess I'll be lugging stuff upstairs to my office!
 
#8
rcarraher said:
The elctronics themselves, transistors, caps, resistors chips etc....will stand direct heat up to somewhere around 280 degrees f.
Click to expand...

Most of the parts I design with every day are rated for a maximum storage temperature of 85C (185F). Even the less common stuff rated for operation under the hood of your car is only good to 125C (257F).

The radio in the dash of your car is almost certainly built with parts rated for 85C.
 
#10
rcarraher said:
The elctronics themselves, transistors, caps, resistors chips etc....will stand direct heat up to somewhere around 280 degrees f. Tubes, I am not sure of but probably less than this but more than you or I could stand, however the paper cones in the speakers, the voice coils, the wood in the cabinets themselves hotcar not good. Also in amps, I'd be concerned about solder joints. Even if the car doesn't get hot enough to reflow the solder, it'll break down under temperature and you could expose bad solder joints a lot quicker in a hot car.
Click to expand...
??
I have been dabbling in vintage stereo repair for the last couple of years and I would be really shocked if solder joints would be affected by the ambient tempature of a closed up cars interior,I have my soldering iron temp set at 630 degrees.
I cant see how car stereo equipment is any different than non auto equipment for dealing with heat.
I would not hesitate to leave my rig in a car specially in the shade.
Think about all of the less durable items in your car that fare just fine year after year.
just my .02
 
#13
I cant see any electrical issues to leaving your rig in a car and I dont think that the tolex and exterior will fall apart from it but Im sure over time there would be a noticable difference between one that was stored inside as opposed to one that has spent its life in a car or trailer.
I wouldnt hesistate to leave my amp in my car if it is a shaded secure area.
zombywoof5050 said:
Nobody mentioned the glues/adhesives that are used. I would think those might be able to soften up in the heat and perhaps cause some damage, couldn't they?
Click to expand...
 
#15
FuzzBoxVoodoo said:
??
I have been dabbling in vintage stereo repair for the last couple of years and I would be really shocked if solder joints would be affected by the ambient tempature of a closed up cars interior,I have my soldering iron temp set at 630 degrees.
I cant see how car stereo equipment is any different than non auto equipment for dealing with heat.
I would not hesitate to leave my rig in a car specially in the shade.
Think about all of the less durable items in your car that fare just fine year after year.
just my .02
Click to expand...

agreed,

and tubes? the only thing that survived a van fire a few years ago were the EL34 tubes.
 
#16
zombywoof5050 said:
Nobody mentioned the glues/adhesives that are used. I would think those might be able to soften up in the heat and perhaps cause some damage, couldn't they?
Click to expand...

I've been traveling with a band for about 2 years now (only playing bass for about 2 months). We leave all our equipment-the guitars/basses under the bus. Including Subs, Mains, Tube Guitar Amps, bass amps, Sound board/drive rack, drums..Etc.Etc. and we've never had a problem with any of it.


I know personally it gets well above 100o​F under there especially in the back bin near the engine. The only time we've replaced anything is when our guitard wouldn't let his tube warm up before he played and then had to replace the tube which costed a pretty penny so he now makes sure to give it time to warm up.
 

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