Field service cancelled

[ken]

I sent my letter too just like you did. Now we wait... and hope.

Anyone get their 2007 FMIC authorization diploma and sticker yet?
I did on Monday... I mailed my questionnaire on 10/10. I was really surprised they worked so fast, because I just got the 2006 auth set in mid June.

How do you become a Behringer service center? I have one of their box mixers with a really weirdo problem.

Ken

[Enzo]

Behringer? I don't know, try asking them. I contacted them cold, although I did have a dealer name to drop. A local dealer sells the product line but has no service. I do all their electronic work, so I try to be set up for warranty for most of their brands. I wrote Behr and said dealer so and so has requested I contact you to become a service center. Dialog from there. Look up service in your area on their site, see how many there are. They assign repairs to shops. I get them from all over Michigan, and recently I even had a repair sent me from Milwaukee. If Lansing is the closest Behringer repair center to Milwaukee, they might need you.

I can't send schematics, but what is wrong with the box mixer? PMX2000 by any chance?

Just mailed in Fender the other day.

[ken]

It's a Europower(?) PHM660M, there is no output from the amps, but when I feed in a 1 Khz signal I can get the meters to read levels. The monitor meter LEDs are nice and stable and show levels correctly, and the mains meter LEDs will also register too but all those LEDs will blink on and off at once randomly. The silly thing looks like a strobe light works. I think the power supply is busted, the speaker protection relays don't work. I checked for power amp output with a scope at the relay terminals, still nothing.

I used to hate PV, until I realized that they actually support most old products.
The only beef I have with them is the month wait average I have to get parts.

Ken

[Enzo]

PV parts had a period there a couple years ago where a few key people left at once and parts got way backed up. I have otherwise found them to be responsive. Phone calls always work better than emails.

Like most box mixers, this thing is preamp (mixer) on front and power amp on rear. I dismount rear assembly and front assemby, and rather than try to unplug all the glued crap, I turn the front sideways and pull it out the rear. Now without the box I can lay the whole damn thing flat on the bench.

Good VU means mixer works. Chances are real good it gets to the power amp inputs. Speaker relay not working means it has not achieved some operating parameter. I bet the PS is OK, it is a switcher, and if something as major as the PA rails were down, the whole thing would shut off.

I just boxed one of these up last night for shipping this morning. I will open a new thread in the repair section rather than hijack this thread. Look for Behringer PMH660.

[dumbassbob]

P.V.service

I would rather wait a month,than to be told by a company,that I spent $1300,to go away.Digitech is pretty cool also. I sent them my 23 yrs old RDS 3.6 It took a month ,But they fixed it like new.The only reason they took so longwas finding a regen pot.Dan Athens is the man.DOD

[Mars Amp Repair]

Matching the crate/ampeg xistors

I did hear rumors to this effect, but I am not Crate/ampeg authorized....was gojng to try again, but no point now.
As far as the output xistor pirating...I have rebuilt a Crate pa head (xr-600 I think) & it has blown up 2wice, too. Initially the bias if fine, the heatsink/xistor thermal connection is fine, but after about 30min..it blows. I have checked & rechecked all xistors, diodes, resistors & all bad were replaced...all xistors were replaced anyway.
I wonder if the mismatched or pirated TIP142's & 147's is the issue here. I'm about to just give the money back & forget about it. I got the TIP's from MCM & used the generic ones...sounds like that might be the issue..any feedback on this issue? thanx, glen mars amp repair

The power transistors on Ampegs come with colored dots on them for matching purposes, I've seen green, red, or gray. Some amps (like SVT3/4 Pros) are kinda hard on transistors, and need matched transistors.

I'm kinda bummed about this whole thing, I have been on other boards where people say they won't buy another Ampeg/Crate product. I have a feeling that this is going to really bite them in the ass very soon.

According to LOUD, service centers can buy parts for 'nonwarranty' amp service if they pay 'up front'. I have never had an issue with SLM customer service, but you can bet my Mouser and Digikey catalogs are going to get a beating from now on.

I'm waiting for the day when all amps are made by two or three manufacturers, and nobody bothers to get a transistor amp fixed ever again. I bet it's tomorrow.

Ken

[Enzo]

I can't imagine anyone matching TIP142/147s. These are general purpose xstrs used by Crate and Fender among others in a lot of models. I buy them from Mouser or Allied and don't recal getting any bad ones.

I think this discussion would be better as a separate thread, rather than at the end of this one. Why not open a new thread about your amp?

I just got my FMIC sticker yesterday.

[dumbassbob]

Life on Mars

This adspace for www. Exlax.com

[ken]

Fender was pretty quick with the auth. this time, wish my orders were just as prompt.

I talked to Behringer today about servicing their products, they want me to email them a resume and wait. AFAIK there is no service center for them anywhere within 75 miles of me.

Does anyone service PV, and do you still have to actually work for a dealer to
get authorized?

Ken

[Mars Amp Repair]

Ken, I received Peavey warranty status with no dealer connection at all. At the time there were quite a few existing warranty servicers in Denver ,too. They're easy to deal with & have great support. Roger Crimm is the guy to deal with there...Rcrimm@peavey.com good luck.

[Enzo]

I am a PV center, and am independent. Initially I was asked by a dealer to apply, but they have plenty independent shops too. PV is a great company to work with. Roger is a great guy, and he is the host for the amplifier forum on the PV web site. I am a frequent poster there myself. Ther is also a repair forum there, but the factory no longer parks a guy there. You can always access tech help at the factory though.

Carla Santos is my everyday contact at Behringer, but I think Chris GOmez is the service center overlord. WOuldn't hurt my feelings to have more Behr servicers around to compare notes with. Get ready for surface mount soldering by the way.

[ken]

Can I tell you a secret?

I worked once for a year in an OEM as a SMT board stuffer - I drove a SMT pick and place robot and final inspected finished boards, so none of this bothers me. I am outfitting a spare bench with a hot air reflow machine, a solder sucker, and other SMT stuff. I may as well join the 'SMT revolution' now like everyone else.

As for PV, I should try and get them too, lots of people like them round here but no repair center, so they all bring their stuff here anyway. I WISH PV would put out their schematics in CDR format like everyone else... my paper schematic pile from them is a foot high and I hate filing.

I called Mr. Gomez today, I'm supposed to email him a resume so they can 'decide what they want to do'.

Mars Amp, thank you for the PV contact, now I can talk to them too.

Ken

[Enzo]

My PV binders do take up close to three feet of shelf, but they have a dealer web site, so you can download any thing you want. SOmetimes I download something I already have on paper so I can refer to it while on the forum here. And of course to pass along to the guys.

All the Marshall drawings are online at the Korg dealer site, for that matter.

[Enzo]

And PV will email schematics to anyone asking anyway.

[ken]

I know, I thought my Rider radio manuals were bad, but I had no idea one amp maker could make so many different models of amp to get all those schematics.

Does anyone know where I can find an old 1960's Sams manual on guitar amplifiers? I don't know who wrote it, all I can remember is there was lots of really weirdo tube and early transistor amp schematics in it, and the paperback cover was blue. Somebody stole it from the local library I used to get it from years ago. I know this description is kinda skimpy, the librarian didn't even remember it either.

Ken