Fender Passport 500

[rockwik]

well same as most of the posts i have seen my passport has gone into permanate protect mode so what i am wondering is if anyone has tried to replace the amp section of the passport to just have use of the inputs and effects of this unit with an external amp, would this be impossible to do? I do have several amps that i would love to try or do i just throw this whole thing away and just keep the speakers

[Enzo]

If you want, disconnect the powr to the power amp board and see if the rest of the system wakes up.

How old are these systems? Fender has a substantial warranty, are they older than the warranty coverage?

[rockwik]

fender passport

thnx Enzo i will try disconecting from amp first and see what happens and yes it is pass warranty unfortunatley. Have you played around with these things much?

[52 Bill]

Those things are the biggest pain to work on. You pretty much have to completely disassemble the entire unit just to get access to the circuits. If you do take the plunge, take photos, take notes, do whatever you need to do to remember how it came apart, because it will be a real pain to reassemble.

The first thing to do is to pull the power supply feed to the power amp. Then turn it on and see if the power supply starts up.

If the protect light goes off, then you probably have a shorted output transistor in one of the power amps. If it still goes into protect then the problem is usually in the power supply itself. Fender doesn't support repairs to the power supply, they just replace them. That being said, they can be repaired if the problem is a common part and not something out of the ordinary.

Good luck.

[Enzo]

If it is a P500D, then it has a digital amp, with output ICs. Good luck with that.

It is REAL inconvenient, but I have done enough of them that it is just a routine.

[rockwik]

so when you say you have done enough of them that its just routine what do you mean by done ,Have you hooked up externals or do you just mean repaired

[Enzo]

My repair shop is an authorized Fender warranty shop, among many other brands. I am talking about disassembling them for service. AT this point I don't have to figure anything out when taking them apart.

[52 Bill]

AT this point I don't have to figure anything out when taking them apart.

But I bet the first one was a real joy.

[Enzo]

Oh lord...

Want to take out the power assembly - amp and supply. Screws out, won't come out. I have to admit, the first one I did I split the plastic cab open. NO I didn't break it, it took all the screws out that hold the halves together. Secret: you don't need to do that. Took the front panel off to se what was holding the power assembly up.

If they would just have added a couple little inches of slack to the wires, I would have been able to swing the panel out, but as it is, you have to start pulling cables when the panel is only about 45 degrees out.

Metal shield held on with screws and tape. Little cable to wireless power adaptor up top have to come off. Easy enough, but I find getting that little connector back on at reassembly to be the hardest part somehow.

etc etc etc

[rockwik]

passport 500

so it wont be as easy as disconecting a couple of wires and hooking them up to a new amp? Any advice as to how i might go about doing this getting it apart wasnt to bad thnx to your suggestions

[52 Bill]

Did you find the power supply plug going to the power amp? Did you pull it and see if the power supply would start up?

If the power supply will start without the power amp plugged in, then you're good to go. Use the mixer for whatever you want it for. Can't you use the front panel jacks for hooking up to an external amp?

[rockwik]

I Have'nt pulled power supply yet but will tonight by good to go do tou mean i can try wiring new amp? also how would i use front panel jacks for amp

[52 Bill]

What I meant was, if the reason the unit is not working is due to a bad power amp, if you unplug it from the power supply and the unit comes back to life, you can then use the remaining mixer sections as they are without the internal power amp.

On most if not all of the Passport amps, there is a preamp out and power amp in jack. Look to see if your unit has one. If it does, then you can take the signal from the preamp out and send it to an outboard power amp.

[rockwik]

Well thnx for all the advice all, but my passport is officially a pair of speakers with a handle tried to bypass amp and protect was still on and now im so deep into it who knows if ill ever get it back together again probabley just remove all the cuts so i have a handle for my speakers, sometimes I love digital and sometimes well not so much but thank you to all who took the time