Is it possible that the power coming into my home is not uniform/effecting my amps?

[davebc]

On occation I swear I can hear changes in my amps tones/output while I'm playing.
This is through a variety of different amps which have had no issues.

I usually right it off as, "O.K., this is a bad guitar cord?"

Now I'm asking myself a completely different set of questions:
1st- Is the power coming into my home fluctuating so much,(or just enough) to cause this phenomenon/problem ?

In the past year I did have an addition put on, new furnace, central air, new wiring ect. The breaker boxes were upgraded ect.

2nd- If so, can this phenomenon potentially damage my amps?

3rd- How do I get a measure/reading to see if this is occurring and by how much?

4th- What devices are available to remedy the problem and the cost?

This is so bizarre. I'm I just nuts?

[bobcs71]

The voltage for residential power is allowed to vary. In Florida it is 120V +/- 5%. So you can get 114 to 126 volts at your outlet (it typically runs on the high side). When a large load like central air hits you can have a brief voltage drop or flicker. This should last less than a second. It would be just enough to notice the lights dim briefly.
I'm not aware of any potential damage to amps but an amp builder could better answer that.
In Florida the local power company can give you a free analysis if you call and tell them you suspect a voltage problem from their side (the power coming into the meter).
If there is no problem on the power company's side I would try a power conditioner.

[Curly]

I've always thought my power varied from time to time.
For sure I've seen my lamps dim occasionally, which indicates the wiring can't handle the current demand in my apartment building.

I know I've read that there are easy ways to monitor your wall current, but I just can't tell you what they are.

[LensOfMadness]

Yes, it is possible the power coming into your place is inconsistent. You could get a nice power conditioner/regulator/filter. That would protect your gear from surges or drops, and some of the nicer ones would give you a little readout on the front as to the power you're getting.

However, this is almost undoubtedly overkill for home use unless you have other reasons to suspect the power. If you were playing out at crummy bars with spotty electrical (I played a place recently where three power strips were daisy chained into the same outlet; blew one of my fuses) then I'd say get something to protect your gear.

The normal worst case for power irregularities, though, is a blown fuse. The worst worst case is a blown amp and a small fire, but that is very unlikely.

[davebc]

Well, that's a relief.
Thanks.
I know there some high end audio/media folks who have purchased expensive power regulating equipment to help regulate the juice coming in from outside and it got me wondering if this had the potential to be a problem.

It sounds like I was off base in my thinking.

And, I too definitely remember the big swings in voltage in those crummy dives many years ago.

[Tubebender]

At a rehersal studio, I found out after plugging in a few different tube amps on different occasions that one outlet was bad. It made all of my amps take on a noticable crackle or dissonance, or rather, general shittyness, that was soon healed by plugging into a different outlet.

[doublee]

Maybe the above is true, but I have a couple fenders that seem to be making noise lately and power quality has been ruled out,( IE have tried different power locations) and my amp guy has replaced caps & checked everything (tubes of course)...and he still cant the snap/crackle to stop....!

[tdarian]

I would say that is is very likely that the power coming to your home varies considerably. Any of your neighbors who are tied to the same transformer that you are will impact your power when they run appliances, A/C, etc.

Just the way it is with the current electrical infrastructure in most areas.

[Curly]

Originally Posted by doublee

Maybe the above is true, but I have a couple fenders that seem to be making noise lately and power quality has been ruled out,( IE have tried different power locations) and my amp guy has replaced caps & checked everything (tubes of course)...and he still cant the snap/crackle to stop....!

crackling is more likely resistors or wiring issues

[davebc]

Originally Posted by tdarian

I would say that is is very likely that the power coming to your home varies considerably. Any of your neighbors who are tied to the same transformer that you are will impact your power when they run appliances, A/C, etc.

Just the way it is with the current electrical infrastructure in most areas.

I'm going to give my best friend a call today, 2 graduate degrees in power engineering, CFO of a utility comapny. I'll get to the bottom of this thing.

I'll ask him what instruments are available to measure it; and if it's a problem what's available to make it uniform. This thing is still eating at me.
I'll definitely report back.

[smolder]

not sure how to even out the voltage... but if you want to drop it slightly, check this guy out... it's called the amp preserver

http://www.vintagesoundworkbench.com/

[pelkie123]

Get a Uniterruptable Power Supply, (UPS), like one from APC sized for your amp on full current draw.

i.e. -
http://www.apc.com/products/resource...otal_watts=200

I have UPS's on everything valuable, Flat Panel TV, Computer, Amps.

Grid power is not very clean anywhere anymore - don't trust it - especially at gigs.

UPSs will smooth out brownouts, overvoltages, noise, and drops.

I don't gig anymore, but I remember clubs typically had awful power.

I'd take a UPS with me.

-John

[EightySix]

$6 receptacle tester + $20 DMM at Home Depot, etc

The receptacle/outlet tester will tell you if the circuit is wired correctly. The DMM set on AC Volts will tell you the voltage at the plug. If you think it's varying, try checking ACV before you plug in, especially at peak hours (4-8pm or so) then at off hours (12-4am)

[jleung]

I use a Monster Power strip that has filtering. Not exactly cheap and not even sure if it makes a difference lol.

http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=1033

[Ken Ho]

Originally Posted by pelkie123

Get a Uniterruptable Power Supply, (UPS), like one from APC sized for your amp on full current draw.

i.e. -
http://www.apc.com/products/resource...otal_watts=200

I have UPS's on everything valuable, Flat Panel TV, Computer, Amps.

Grid power is not very clean anywhere anymore - don't trust it - especially at gigs.

UPSs will smooth out brownouts, overvoltages, noise, and drops.

I don't gig anymore, but I remember clubs typically had awful power.

I'd take a UPS with me.

-John

This is a good answer. A UPS is basically like a battery on trickle charge all the time. A typical one for a computer will run for 4 hrs after power fails or so before running out.. An amp will suck it dry a lot quicker, but will stabilise voltage.