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Post by StonySparrow on Aug 31, 2020 8:41:37 GMT -7
I was on another music forum and I was bragging about my Maz 18. One of the guys posted the following comment and I wanted to see what y'all thought about it. It's not an issued that I recall seeing here or elsewhere. "Dr Z puts together great amps, so for some unknown reason uses a hot switching standby, which puts enormous stress on the rectifier when it’s flipped into operate mode. To avoid a lightning storm happening inside the rectifier tube, just don’t use standby mode, ever. The tube rectifier provides a lovely slow smooth ramp up of the HT voltage all by itself."
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 31, 2020 11:22:56 GMT -7
My Maz 18NR has been running strong for five years on the original rectifier tube. I really wouldn't worry about what somebody said on some internet forum, Doc's been designing and building amps commercially for over thirty years now. He knows what he's doing.
I've got a bunch of Z amps and none of them has had a rectifier failure.
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Post by StonySparrow on Aug 31, 2020 12:46:06 GMT -7
I really wouldn't worry about what somebody said on some internet forum
I take stuff like this skeptically. I was just curious if anyone else had ever heard it.
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Post by pcns on Aug 31, 2020 13:27:45 GMT -7
From what I understand the stand by switch is a convenience for us players so that we can mute our amps and have them turn right back on and be ready to play without waiting for them to warm back up Todd
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2020 13:52:57 GMT -7
I *think* I recall reading something from Doc about him adding a capacitor across the switch to help with the stress. It's a little disc capacitor though I don't know the value.
Perhaps the one referenced was an older model that didn't have one.
I also recall Doc mentioning the slow/natural warm up with a 5Y3; however, I do not recall that applying to a GZ34/5AR4.
As always... hopefully someone with intellectual authority will set the record straight.
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Post by Ridgeback on Aug 31, 2020 14:33:13 GMT -7
I seem to remember that Doc did a short video on the SB switch. I don't use it on my Zs (for better or worse).
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Aug 31, 2020 14:40:31 GMT -7
Here's Doc's AMA video
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Aug 31, 2020 16:06:03 GMT -7
The capacitor across the standby switch is simply an arc quenching cap. It stops any pitting on the switch contacts from the high voltage arc that happens when the switch opens/closes.
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Post by StonySparrow on Sept 1, 2020 18:41:44 GMT -7
From what I understand the stand by switch is a convenience for us players so that we can mute our amps and have them turn right back on and be ready to play without waiting for them to warm back up Todd That's how I use it.
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Post by StonySparrow on Sept 1, 2020 18:42:58 GMT -7
Thanks! That's good enough for me.
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Post by zpilot on Sept 10, 2020 23:56:19 GMT -7
A 5AR4 is a slow start up tube.
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