Ceriatone Forum

American Style => 5E3 Tweed Deluxe => Topic started by: jimbo on January 28, 2011, 09:31:49 AM



Title: 5e3 Power Trannie getting hot.
Post by: jimbo on January 28, 2011, 09:31:49 AM
So I've finished my ceriatone 5e3 build, looks stunning, sounds even better, only problem is, today i was playing quietly, clean, vol less than 1, etc, and after about 20 mins of playing i leant down to switch the amp off, leaning my hand on the power transformer, The transformer was cooking, like burn your hand hot.

I've measured the heater voltages, as i've only got a cheap dvm i don't trust measuring the HT, but they are at 6.45 volts, which seems normal to me.

As i said, sounds just like a saggy old 5e3 should sound, but gets really really hot.

This obviously isn't normal, anyone got any ideas as to what it could be?


Title: Re: 5e3 Power Trannie getting hot.
Post by: grod915 on January 28, 2011, 04:43:05 PM
You wouldn't happen to be running a Sovtek 5Y3 for the rectifier would you?
My understanding is that the Sovtek is not a "real" 5Y3 and will produce some funky voltages.


Title: Re: 5e3 Power Trannie getting hot.
Post by: jimbo on January 29, 2011, 01:16:06 AM
I can't remember, although I'm pretty sure its not. There is a good chance its a NOS Ge 5y3, I'm at work atm, wont be able to check til i get home.

I read somewhere that if the PT gets hot, like really hot, then its looking like a short somewhere internally...


Title: Re: 5e3 Power Trannie getting hot.
Post by: jimbo on January 31, 2011, 03:04:24 AM
Yeah its not a sovtek 5y3 is a genuine GE nos 5y3.


I really have no idea what the problem is.


Title: Re: 5e3 Power Trannie getting hot.
Post by: mcinku on February 20, 2011, 06:43:50 PM
You need to measure all the voltages in there... just heater voltages is not.

You don't need to spend a lot on a decent multimeter... the market is full of them. If you are a diy guy you need one asap anyway.