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SVT 7Pro Rebooting - Mainboard Replacement?
- Thread starter Shlabotnik
- Start date
Considering how many people have had bad experiences including myself, I would totally agree with you about the SVT7 Pro except for a few important points that in my view change the picture.
It is now well understood and confirmed what went haywire with the SVT7 Pro. The tech down under figured it out and graciously posted all pertinent information on the following thread here on TB:
Ampeg SVT-7 Pro - Reliability?
Go to message #65 to start.
The only thing left to understand is how / why Loud Technology permitted this debacle to happen, and why it took a tech in Australia to solve the problem. Which was, merely an IC chip that was under rated for the current it had to carry. Fortunately, it doesn't matter anymore. Ampeg is now owned by Yamaha.
Even people who have experienced problems with them admit that the SVT7 Pro has beautiful "tone", which is does, indeed. And, that it will play LOUD! The SVT7 Pro is one of the finer examples of a class D bass head. That is, when it's manufactured properly which now appears to be the case (finally). I'm keeping mine.
The SVT4 Pro has proven itself to be very reliable, and has always been highly regarded. If you don't mind a forty pound bass head, it leaves little to be desired.
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Yeah, like you do everything perfect on the first try
Lol probably
But I'd probably wrap things up by B or C
I'd be upset by B though. Most likely upset the guy who designed the turd.
My father designed military electronics.
There is no second chance. And by revision B. Few guys will be packing their desks.
Now is a amp difficult to design.
Nah. Cakewalk.
Pretty much suck by C kill yourself by H
- Apr 15, 2009
- 539
- 260
- Disclosures
- Sales and electronic tech/piano tech: England Music Center - Clinton IA - now closed
They're now up to revision H?
I had a 7 Pro ages ago and had problems with it shutting down also. At the time the C00 revision was supposed to cure all the problems. I had mine fixed and sold it as soon as I got it back because I couldn't trust it.
I had a 7 Pro ages ago and had problems with it shutting down also. At the time the C00 revision was supposed to cure all the problems. I had mine fixed and sold it as soon as I got it back because I couldn't trust it.
Well I'll give you that it was an ongoing problem that went on longer than it should, but from what I understand the 265 chip didn't exist until like 2014.
It's not a big deal to be up to rev H. Revs may not always be done to failures, they may be due to improvements, or a part substitution.
If any revs were done for failures then IMHO the manufacturer should do a recall for units under warranty. Every owner should be able to look up their serial number and see if a recall was issued and plan to send it in for the recall. "Professional Gear" is sold at a premium and need premium support. I've have seen this in other gear but not in the bass industry. Other gear actually had in the manual to contact the manufacturer before the warranty expired to send it in for updates.
I do pay more for good factory warranties and I expect more out of them other than waiting for failures. I hope YGG does provide some gear with premium warranties from the factory. And hope they provide revisions for failures as recalls.
If any revs were done for failures then IMHO the manufacturer should do a recall for units under warranty. Every owner should be able to look up their serial number and see if a recall was issued and plan to send it in for the recall. "Professional Gear" is sold at a premium and need premium support. I've have seen this in other gear but not in the bass industry. Other gear actually had in the manual to contact the manufacturer before the warranty expired to send it in for updates.
I do pay more for good factory warranties and I expect more out of them other than waiting for failures. I hope YGG does provide some gear with premium warranties from the factory. And hope they provide revisions for failures as recalls.
Hi Everyone,
I like to live dangerously - so Ive got a new Ampeg SVT7-pro. Yes its the rev. H board.
By cranking the input gain to max to get a fuzz tone and getting the red light to light up I have managed to get it to cut out.
Ive read *all * the threads on the cutout issue and looked at the circuit diagram to understand the problem.
looking at the cct diagram there seems to be two protection circuits - the one that works with the main power amp that shuts down the amp and causes it to " reboot" and the internal thermal shut down in the ICE2A265 chip.
I get the impression that for most people the cutout problems they are experiencing stems from the ICE2A265 over heating and shutting down. its fairly obvious that this chip is working pretty close to its thermal limit.
This was confirmed in one post by an owner that had a thermal imaging probe that could display the heat temperature of the chip in situ.
There's a couple of things that I think might be worth trying for those that have the tools and skills to try this.
1. there's a ICE2A365 chip available - its pin for pin compatible - looks like it'll drop straight in. is there anyone who has put their ICE2A265 in a socket that would like to see if the 365 improves things?
2. I am thinking that if most problems are caused by the ICE chip overheating, a 365 chip with a heatsink glued to the top of it might sort things out once and for all.
any takers ?
I like to live dangerously - so Ive got a new Ampeg SVT7-pro. Yes its the rev. H board.
By cranking the input gain to max to get a fuzz tone and getting the red light to light up I have managed to get it to cut out.
Ive read *all * the threads on the cutout issue and looked at the circuit diagram to understand the problem.
looking at the cct diagram there seems to be two protection circuits - the one that works with the main power amp that shuts down the amp and causes it to " reboot" and the internal thermal shut down in the ICE2A265 chip.
I get the impression that for most people the cutout problems they are experiencing stems from the ICE2A265 over heating and shutting down. its fairly obvious that this chip is working pretty close to its thermal limit.
This was confirmed in one post by an owner that had a thermal imaging probe that could display the heat temperature of the chip in situ.
There's a couple of things that I think might be worth trying for those that have the tools and skills to try this.
1. there's a ICE2A365 chip available - its pin for pin compatible - looks like it'll drop straight in. is there anyone who has put their ICE2A265 in a socket that would like to see if the 365 improves things?
2. I am thinking that if most problems are caused by the ICE chip overheating, a 365 chip with a heatsink glued to the top of it might sort things out once and for all.
any takers ?
True
It's not the first time I see that idea around here. To me that's a bit dangerous. What if for some reasons, the heatsink leaves its socket? You will end up with a piece of metal roaming on the amp. You can make sure it will simply kill it by making a shortcut somewhere on the main board. You will then fry a totally sain and safe amp.
If you have a revision H you're fine. No need to mod anything.
I'd like to add that I still have my old RevC board that I replaced with a RevH and would happily give to anyone for just the cost of shipping, in case anyone wants it to play with.... perhaps to fix it and have as a backup.
It is. It stays on for a little bit and then stop and restarts. Probably needs an ICE chip replacement but that's beyond what I have experience with and I'm not comfortable working on the board myself.
If you use the proper non-conductive heat sink cement applied correctly, the heat sink will not separate from your IC.
I want to let everyone know that this problem came back after I had replaced the board with a rev H0. It was fine for about 3 years and then the problem came back. So, I figured... "I'll replace the board one more time and then sell this thing."
So the new (2nd replacement) board came in today, after an 8 month backorder. I installed it and now I've got a new issue that perhaps someone might have some advice on?
With the new board installed it will not turn on at all. Well, let me clarify "at all". The fan doesn't turn on, the power LED doesn't come on and it doesn't output sound.
However, I can see that power is going to the preamp because the tube is glowing lightly as it should be. Also, when I hit the "mute" switch (I tried pushing all of them) the peak/mute LED comes on.
I hate to put more money into this and I'm kind of disgusted with the whole thing but I don't know wether to smash it with a sledgehammer or, perhaps put yet more $ into it by bringing it to a tech. Both options are tempting.
Any ideas? Thanks!!!
So the new (2nd replacement) board came in today, after an 8 month backorder. I installed it and now I've got a new issue that perhaps someone might have some advice on?
With the new board installed it will not turn on at all. Well, let me clarify "at all". The fan doesn't turn on, the power LED doesn't come on and it doesn't output sound.
However, I can see that power is going to the preamp because the tube is glowing lightly as it should be. Also, when I hit the "mute" switch (I tried pushing all of them) the peak/mute LED comes on.
I hate to put more money into this and I'm kind of disgusted with the whole thing but I don't know wether to smash it with a sledgehammer or, perhaps put yet more $ into it by bringing it to a tech. Both options are tempting.
Any ideas? Thanks!!!
Buy a new one and sell this one explaining the hole history of the amp.
You're not a tech and those things a very complicated.
I will most definitely not be buying another one of these! I already bought a Genzler Magellan 800 after this broke for the second time, and I am extremely happy with that at this point.
However, I agree with you that it is complicated and I will probably need to bring this to an electrical technician if I want to be able to sell it for anything of value.
Or keep it as backup?
However, you repaired it for the first time and it lasted 3 years, so you did pretty well. And this new issu might not be the board but something else too.
Oddly enough, the preamp seems to work even though the power light isn't on. I can hear a signal through the headphone jack and the EQ, compression, etc all affect the tone and are working as they should. Just the fan doesn't come on, the power LED doesn't come on and no signal is going to the cab. ???
Well, it looks like the main board is out of order. You can always change it again, or bring it to a tech.
Having a failure after 3 years can be pretty common after all.
