Where does my power go???

[jdeanmc]

Hi guys,
Ive got a mk3 ho downstairs in a basement theater.More times than not when i go downstairs to watch a movie or listen to some music ill notice the sub has no power.the only way it will work is if i unplug the power cord for a few mins(5 to 10)then it will power up.
I keep it on the "auto"setting.
I now usually go straight for the sub and perform this procedure now before i even power up anything else because i know what will happen if i dont.
Is my amp/power supply going bad or is something else going on?
Btw,my system may sit for several days at a time powered off .

Any ideas?
Thanks
Dean

[Pete_Hsu]

Dean, does the LED literally go "clear" on the sub amp, and then you have to unplug and replug the power cord for the amp to work again?

I think you must have the VTF-3 HO (not MK3). Those 500w amps sometimes lock up as a safety measure, so one may have to unplug the power cord, wait 10 minutes, and replug the power cord for the LED to light up again.

May I ask what settings you have on the back of the sub amp for volume/crossover/bass extension? How high is the subwoofer channel level on the receiver?

Thanks

[jdeanmc]

Hi Pete,
I believe you are correct i have the Ho.
The amp loses power ,the led on the back of the amp goes out completely,but its always after the sub has been off for several days,its never gone off while being played.and then yes i have to unplug the amp for 5 to 10 mins to get it back on.
My rec xover is set at 80 hz,volume at roughly 11-11:30 on sub amp and i believe im set to max output/turbo not installed,no ports plugged.


Thanks Dean

[Pete_Hsu]

Thanks for the clarification Dean. On the subwoofer amplifier, try setting the volume knob to ~ 9-10 o'clock position. On the receiver, set subwoofer channel level to +0dB. Then increase or decrease the subwoofer channel level on the receiver in 1dB increments to your tastes.

Sincerely,

[jdeanmc]

Hey Pete,
I had to do something similar months ago to get the sub to power up at lower volume in auto mode.
This current problem however isnt in turning the led from red to green in auto,its that the sub led is "out"and has no power.No amount of signal will turn it on.
I dont mean to second guess,i just wonder how this will help the sub from powering completely off?

Thanks
Dean

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi Dean,

With the subwoofer volume knob close to 11-11:30, the gain is already very high, so the amp may be locking up soon after playing demanding program material. It is safer to run the sub with volume knob closer to 1/4 of the way up, and then leave the sub volume knob fixed in that position while you adjust the subwoofer channel level in 1db increments.

After playing movie program material, how long does it take for the LED to go out?

Thanks

[jdeanmc]

the sub has never powered off or locked up while playing any material however when its off(receiver is off etc)after 3 to 4 days or sometimes longer the red led on the back of the sub will go out and only come back on when the power cable is unplugged for 5 to 10 mins,then it will be fine for a while.

[Pete_Hsu]

That is pretty bizarre. Are you using a power conditioner, or plugging directly to the wall?

[jdeanmc]

Im plugged directly into the wall.

[Pete_Hsu]

I'll have to ask Dr. Hsu about this Dean.

Do you have many power surges in your area? If you plug the subwoofer into a surge protector, is there any difference in the behavior of the amplifier?

[jdeanmc]

we do get a power "blip"every now and then where ill come home and all the clocks are all blinking,but not that often,not as often as i see this happening with the sub.
I have never hooked up the sub through a surge protector(sounds like a good idea)i can try that.
Thanks for all the checking on this,its really not that big of a deal i was just concerned that maybe the amp was going bad.
BTW i dont know if this is relevant but the sub is connected via a bfd that does get shut down every time the receiver gets shut down.