The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #131389 Message #2963565
Posted By: The Fooles Troupe
12-Aug-10 - 09:43 AM
Thread Name: Valve guitar amp voltage [UK] ???
Subject: RE: Valve guitar amp voltage [UK] ???
Well, actually that 'voltage rating' of 220-240V is an RMS rating for the sine wave mains supply. But non-techies don't appreciate that the ACTUAL PEAK mains VOLTAGE is higher.
And that this is within tolerances - so depending on just WHERE you measure the voltage, it can actually be higher or lower than these 'stated' values.
The peak is approx 1.414 time higher, roughly 315 V from memory ... not counting spikes... the difference between the resultant peaks is only a slight percentage...
Then there is the case of 'power factor' - where current and voltage are not in step - but one will 'lead' the other by a 'phase angle' and this sort of thing is why fluorescent tubes usually have a 'power correction fact capacitor' fitted to stop the current and voltage being 'out of phase' - which may actually result in damage occurring to circuits ... but we are getting pretty deep here ...
Now others far more qualified than me are sure to come along and give all the details...
"damage 220 - 230V circuits and valves and thus need to be modified by a qualified techie to run safely at our higher voltage.."
Arrgghhh - it's not as simple as that....
Components have maximum ratings eg capacitors have both Peak and normal working rated voltages (and are designed to tolerances). So it may be the case that the slight extra mains voltage may cause a component's rating to be exceeded - BUT, without actually at the full technical specs including circuit diagram, the component ratings (and the QUALITY of those components) and an understanding of just what the circuits are actually doing - some may be designed to 'buffer' slight overvoltages, etc - it's sorta like saying - in musical terms - that a march will ALWAYS be played faster than a waltz - a pretty meaningless and senseless generalising statement.