Warm up

burki · Post by **burki** » Tue 04/12/05 5:22 am

Hello guys,
I have a tiny little question:
How long do you warm up your tubes befor you play on Volume 5 or something like that.

Burki

erl · Post by **erl** » Tue 04/12/05 5:47 am

I usually flip on the power for ~30sec. - 1min. and then flip the stand by and letâ€™er rip

. Iâ€™m not sure if this good, bad or indifferent, it's just the way I do it.

Eddie

loverocker · Post by **loverocker** » Tue 04/12/05 6:40 am

erl wrote:I usually flip on the power for ~30sec. - 1min.

+1

dartanion · Post by **dartanion** » Tue 04/12/05 1:53 pm

I usually flip the power switch on as soon as I plug the amp in nad wait until I start playing to flip the standby switch. The amount of time varies, but it is usually at least 5 minutes or so. Som times more, sometimes less, but the more "Warmed-up" they are, the better.

Post by **rjgtr** » Tue 04/12/05 2:25 pm

It really depends on the amp. Some tube rectifiers take longer than others, although silicon doesn't care! Also different power tubes and preamp tubes take longer to get up to playing temperature.

So my general rule is wait a minute, but a few amps can take as long as two.

Here's a test. Turn the amp on and wait 10 seconds. Then flip the standby switch and play until the amp gets to full volume. That will show you how long to wait. Wait at least that long to flip the standby after that and you shouldn't have any problems.

electric_ripple · Post by **electric_ripple** » Tue 04/12/05 2:38 pm

The idea behind warming the tubes before applying full voltage is to prevent stripping the coating off the cathodes. Have you ever seen a tube with little white particles inside the glass? That is cathode coating that has stripped off because high voltage was applied before the tube was warm enough.

Just because the amp will "play" doesn't mean the tubes are warm enough to prevent damage....

I usually wait 2-5 minutes........ 7-10 if possible.
Back when tubes were cheap it was less of an issue but I'm pretty anal with my $120 Mullards!!! lol

Post by **zaphod_phil** » Tue 04/12/05 2:47 pm

Same here. I usually put my amp on standby while I'm setting up and then go to full DC on when I'm ready to play.

chainsawmillerman · Post by **chainsawmillerman** » Tue 04/12/05 2:53 pm

18 watt amps don't really need stand by switches.You can turn your amp on right away if you want. They were designed for amps running plate voltages 1kv or above at these voltages cathode stripping was a "real " concern.If your using a tube rectifier the circuit isn't being slammed with current right off the bat as the rectifier has to heat up also.

Post by **zaphod_phil** » Tue 04/12/05 3:03 pm

So they say, but that's a risk I'd rather not take with my Mullards.

Post by **rjgtr** » Tue 04/12/05 4:03 pm

I agree that a tube rectifier has a slower warm up time, but tube life is extended if the tubes are allowed to warm up to operating tempurature. Plus I think 1kv is a little too optimistic. There's plenty of amps with a SS rectifier with 400V on the plates that have a standby. It is there for a reason. Leave it on at power up and your tubes wont last long.

chainsawmillerman · Post by **chainsawmillerman** » Tue 04/12/05 4:43 pm

I have other amps (larger ones) with solid state rectifiers and theres no difference in tube life that I can see or have noticed? Your not right just because other amps have it.Have you done any experiments? Your last statement sounded like it was coming down from the mountain

chainsawmillerman · Post by **chainsawmillerman** » Tue 04/12/05 4:51 pm

I think soft start for the heater filaments would be more benificial for the tubes , don't you?

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