I don't really know why but I find them failed or they fail in front of me all the time. The single and doublers just the same. Seems like just about every single amp that comes in with these type/brand/number on the rectifier will need to be replaced. The MUR1620CTG/CTRG have been holding up well, but the dual doublers are only available in FED16/CT/BT/DT/FT part suffixes from what I've searched.
I mean, I've even had them pop after an amp repair, when what I repaired had nothing to do with the power supply nor outputs, nor rectifiers. Like, after cleaning a switch/gain control.
Are these parts just very poor quality? I'm always finding them shorted to begin with, or they short under non-severe load testing.
Its not just Soundstream amplifiers either. I've found these in a bunch of old Orion amps and others as well. Same failures.
I mean, I've even had them pop after an amp repair, when what I repaired had nothing to do with the power supply nor outputs, nor rectifiers. Like, after cleaning a switch/gain control.
Are these parts just very poor quality? I'm always finding them shorted to begin with, or they short under non-severe load testing.
Its not just Soundstream amplifiers either. I've found these in a bunch of old Orion amps and others as well. Same failures.
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These FEP16xx are also used in audio system Twister series. Also had a couple twister series which had shorted FEP16xx rectifiers.
(I wouldn't be surprised if some STEG models also use these rectifiers).
I would also say poor quality. I barely see amplifiers with shorted rectifiers. The only ones were FEP16xx.
Maybe their ratings are overrated?
(I wouldn't be surprised if some STEG models also use these rectifiers).
I would also say poor quality. I barely see amplifiers with shorted rectifiers. The only ones were FEP16xx.
Maybe their ratings are overrated?
I don't know if its rating related or they just have a death clock. I had a FED16BT short on me just last night while testing an amp. I heard one pop and the the PS pegged to the bench limit (LOVE my Gophert CPS-1620!). The amp was only drawing about 12A when it popped, and then my bench PS saved the amp when it hit about 17A draw. I ended up replacing all four FED16BT with 4 new FEB16CT.
I was doing a sort of 'odd' test. I have a new frequency generator; a GW INSTEK GFG-8219A. It has a feature called sweet-cycle, which will scale the frequency up/down. It makes the output sound like a police siren or a house alarm. The rectifier popped only a few seconds after I initiated sweep. Not sure if thats related at all (It shouldn't be)
Thank you
I was doing a sort of 'odd' test. I have a new frequency generator; a GW INSTEK GFG-8219A. It has a feature called sweet-cycle, which will scale the frequency up/down. It makes the output sound like a police siren or a house alarm. The rectifier popped only a few seconds after I initiated sweep. Not sure if thats related at all (It shouldn't be)
Thank you
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My guess is these amplifiers do not like sinewaves. That really stresses an amplifier and you’re finding the weak point.
If you have any of the failed rectifiers, look at the back of the rectifier, one side looks like it was crushed to within an inch of its life. The other looks like it didn't have nearly as much force on it. I don't think they mate well to the heatsink.
I was never a fan of this way to clamp the semis to the heatsink. Memphis did it right on one of their OLD Memphis Belle amps. They used clamps on top of the board to apply force directly to the center of the semiconductors.
I was never a fan of this way to clamp the semis to the heatsink. Memphis did it right on one of their OLD Memphis Belle amps. They used clamps on top of the board to apply force directly to the center of the semiconductors.
That would probably explain some reliability issues on Soundstream amps, but I've seen many similar failures with Orion SX/GX amp rectifiers which have imo better clamping.
I didn't see many failures in Orion amps. The failures in SS amps were at a much higher rate. In SS amps (other than common semiconductor failure and the dreaded switches), I saw a lot of intermittent transformer shorts. There was quite a bit of board damage associated the overheating dropping-resistors in the shunt regulator circuits.