Stewart 1.2 - Will it overheat?

Once, a long time ago, outside, in the sun, loud playing. no fan. I've played other, similar gigs and had no problem. It's been a real workhorse for me, and I've relied on it.

 

like i said in another thread,

i did a few low volume gigs that haphazardly became "high volume" gigs, and the Stew rocked on just as well. and it was inside my 2 rack SKB case. granted this happened before NYC's sudden heatwave, but still, the stew was rockin'.

at a hot sunshine gig, good air flow from something like a clip on fan to a larger box fan that can better cool both you and the amp should blow enough cool air over the massive heatsink fins, to keep the Stew AOK.

 

For what it is worth, I don't have actual personal experience with the Stewart amps. But the guys at Bass Northwest love the Stewarts but really only recommend the 1.6 or the 2.1. That could be a sales ploy but they really aren't that way. Chad and the Aaron are really on the up and up.

On the other hand, I sure would never question Joker's or Coyoteboy's experience.

 

I haven't had any problems with mine, but I only drive a pair of 1x12s with it, and I have lots of air space around the heatsink fins.

 

I have mine in a 2 space rack with a preamp. I usually run it bridged into 8 ohms. I have done loud gigs with no fan and have never had a problem.

 

Let me tell you about my experinece.

I have a SWR Gran Prix preamp feeding a power amp. This power amp feeds either a Bergantino 310 which is 4 ohms or a 112 ontop of a 115 whic totals 4 ohms.

I had a Stewart 1.2 mounted in a rack with a space below it and a external fan blowing air across the bottom. You will notice the bottom is the area tha gets real hot. I also had a space above the amp. So much for staying with a small rack, right?

Well one night I was playing through the Bergie 310 and we were half way through the 1st set when my Stewart power amp went into thermal protect mode. I was pissed. The next week the amp came out and a QSC PLX 1202 went in instead. NO PROBLEMS SINCE.

MY ADVICE. If runnig bridged and less than 8 ohms forget it. It will not take it. At least mine didn't.

 

i did so many searches before ending up with a qsc plx 1602. i would like another ten or so pounds off of my rack weight, but i also want something with a fan. i got the qsc and love it, never looked back at the stewart repair table, even once.


your mileage may vary


dave

 

I'm running my 1.2 in a two space rack w/a preamp. Bridged into four ohms, playing fairly loud, the 1.2 regularly goes into thermal shutdown during the first set. I used to carry a clip on fan - what a PIA, so I had an amp tech mount a small 120V fan to the back of the amp inside the rack, and that works OK. Played out at the lake last weekend, 95 deg F, in the Texas sun and it held up fine. Still got hot as hell though.

 

Forget the Stewart, get the Peavey DPC 1400X.

http://www.peavey.com/products/shop...details&item=00350750&wc=2A2C2&fam=2C&tcode=2

 

The differing experiences might be accounted by inconsistancies in build quality over the years. For the longest time I ran at 2 ohms a side into four Acme Low b-2's, and I was pumping those speaks, and nary a clip light was a showin'. Granted, mine is a grey PA-1000, though I doubt there is a significant difference.