My zpa 0.3 and 0.5

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:21 pm

Wow is that in bad shape.

Take the covers off (hang onto those tiny screws, impossible to replace) and get some shots of the board. If you have experience at changing caps then you'd know that 99.9% pure alcohol is the best stuff to use to clean the electrolytic fluid. If you are not experienced, please learn on a cheaper amp. You'll kick yourself if you destroy this amp by just changing the caps.

The skins can be powder coated with texture black. I'll tell you now that it's a v1 amp by the 11 blade fans. I can't tell if the power terminals are solid or open due to how bad the plexi is.

I can pretty much do everything needed for this amp, shoot me a PM if you want to talk.

demosta · Post by **demosta** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:52 am

Yes i know, alcohol. But isopropyl is very difficult to find in Finland. it wasn't problem few years ago.. I have repair few old alpine MRV's and macrom's

I disassembly zpa and it is very sadly view.. Caps were leaking (original. blue with gold stripe). Somebody were trying to repair it before. And solders are very oxidized..
So i have to replace all capacitors. What is good capacitors? Originals are 2200uf 16v. is 4700uf 25v good enough?

Alfaholic wrote:also the serial nr is inside on the motherboard i would love to know what it is?.

Alfaholic, ZPA03 10024

I post pics later today.

edit:
http://www.vekoy.com/product_info.php?products_id=21021
I think these capacitors are good. Only 0,5mm higher than originals. Color is different but i don't think it matters very much

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:07 am

I use 16v/8200uf but you can use the ones you got, isopropanol is hard to get here to they cghanged the name and its now called "blue wash" or blå vask in my country.
You can clean the board with eletric cleaner in a can i bought different types and they work great, i spray of the board with eletric cleaner just hold the board over a sink and after i go over with q-tip and cloth.

Good luck with your zpa im getting a 0.5 soon its white and has the gold letter on plexi.

demosta · Post by **demosta** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:35 am

i bought 4700uf 25V Panasonic capacitors. They are almost similar than original Panasonic capacitors.

freshkryp69 · Post by **freshkryp69** » Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:48 pm

Stick with 16V on the B+ input caps.. no need for 25v caps as the B+ will never get that high and youll lose some capacitance as it wont be near operating voltages.. Panasonic FC 16V 8200uf @ 105c are what ive used on my zpa's. 8200uf is a bit overkill anything over 2200uf will work great.

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:34 am

The way i understand it does not matter if you go up in voltage?, when it comes to Uf its better the higher you go because it removes noize.
On my zpa i use the 8200uf and on my zx/ti series i use 5200-6800uf, the main problem for demosta was that like in my country its hard to find a company who sells the caps we want.
On the company he was going to buy from the 25v/4700uf was the best option they had, i buy all my caps from digikey but i have bought together with another phorum member so shipping would not get to expensive.

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:41 am

I don't think the higher uf is to reduce noise, but rather it's to smooth the power consumption for the power supply. At musical peaks the amp demands more power and at valleys it requires less. The caps can recharge during the valleys and discharge at the peaks to help out your electrical system a little.

Someone correct me if I am wrong. It's kind of what "stiffening capacitors" were meant to do.

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 8:21 am

Well i got my 0.5 today its in good shape and the indside looks clean, its white and got the v2 upgrade does the caps need changing there is alot of them.
Here are som pictures of it the plexi got some cracks in the corners, i think i will clean it up change the caps and apply new cooling paste then test it and maybe put it up for sale or trade in a ms2250 i realy want one with fan shroud.

trickyricky · Post by **trickyricky** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 8:56 am

That is one sexy ass amplifier...that plexi cracked corner just hurts my eyes though.

I recently sold my "as is" ZPA0.5 to a fellow member here for dirt cheap and the plexi was in good condition without any cracks.....I think I made a bad deal, lol. Oh well at least a fellow member got it and might thank me in the forum.

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 10:49 am

I dont understand why some people just got to over tighten the bolts, thhe bolts should have a plastic washer between the bolt and plexi.
I cant decide if im going to keep this in my ever growing PG colection or if i should sell it, are theyt worth more with caps changed with new cooling paste?.
My problem with it is that i would need a bigger alternator to use it in my car it sucks amperes this amplifier and its just to big for my current setup, but maybe i sell my car and buy a new one next year and i dont want to regret selling it and in a year be thinking what if i had it.

trickyricky · Post by **trickyricky** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:46 am

Let me know if you want to sell it, I know shipping is going to be pretty expensive (don't know how much is it from Norway to US...do you?)

NOT 2 OLD YET · Post by **NOT 2 OLD YET** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:57 am

Sweet amp indeed! IMO it would be worth more $ if the caps were changed, but only to someone who does not know how to change them or don't know somebody that can do the work. A lot of guys here including myself do the work to our own gear. Unless its major then I send it to Tricky!

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:00 pm

I simply love this amp its untouched inside not like the 0.3 it had signs of total stupidity of the person working on it before me, im leaving it for some days until i know what i want to do with it.

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:00 pm

Nice amp. The white ones are cool and more rare than the black ones. I'm surprised that zeropoint0.5 is t breaking your door down for this amp, or maybe he will once he sees is post. He bought my white 0.5 from me.

Ricky, you so,d a ZPA for cheap without asking me first? Lol jk man, it's cool. I do t need to be tempted to spend any more money right now. I have WAY too many amps at the moment.

NOT 2 OLD YET · Post by **NOT 2 OLD YET** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 4:52 am

vwdude wrote:Nice amp. The white ones are cool and more rare than the black ones. I'm surprised that zeropoint0.5 is t breaking your door down for this amp, or maybe he will once he sees is post. He bought my white 0.5 from me.

Ricky, you so,d a ZPA for cheap without asking me first? Lol jk man, it's cool. I do t need to be tempted to spend any more money right now. I have WAY too many amps at the moment.

There is no such thing as way to many!

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:21 am

NOT 2 OLD YET wrote:
vwdude wrote:Nice amp. The white ones are cool and more rare than the black ones. I'm surprised that zeropoint0.5 is t breaking your door down for this amp, or maybe he will once he sees is post. He bought my white 0.5 from me.

Ricky, you so,d a ZPA for cheap without asking me first? Lol jk man, it's cool. I do t need to be tempted to spend any more money right now. I have WAY too many amps at the moment.
There is no such thing as way to many!

Tell my wife that.

NOT 2 OLD YET · Post by **NOT 2 OLD YET** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:47 am

vwdude wrote:
NOT 2 OLD YET wrote:
vwdude wrote:Nice amp. The white ones are cool and more rare than the black ones. I'm surprised that zeropoint0.5 is t breaking your door down for this amp, or maybe he will once he sees is post. He bought my white 0.5 from me.

Ricky, you so,d a ZPA for cheap without asking me first? Lol jk man, it's cool. I do t need to be tempted to spend any more money right now. I have WAY too many amps at the moment.
There is no such thing as way to many!
Tell my wife that.

You just need a better hiding spot!

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:25 pm

How do you hide 7 ZPAs, 3 PPI 21400s, 1 octane LE, a PPI 2400, orion 2250 and all of my other amps and processors? We don't have basements in CA. Haha

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:28 am

vwdude wrote:How do you hide 7 ZPAs, 3 PPI 21400s, 1 octane LE, a PPI 2400, orion 2250 and all of my other amps and processors? We don't have basements in CA. Haha

I got a storage room and she never goes in there, if she know how much money i have spent on amplifiers and stuff i would never hear the end of it.

NOT 2 OLD YET · Post by **NOT 2 OLD YET** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:25 am

vwdude wrote:How do you hide 7 ZPAs, 3 PPI 21400s, 1 octane LE, a PPI 2400, orion 2250 and all of my other amps and processors? We don't have basements in CA. Haha

Good point! No Basement no extra storage. That would not be easy to get used to I live in my basement the upstairs is hers!

vwdude · Post by **vwdude** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 5:02 pm

As it is now, the garage is mostly mine, but my wife still goes in there from time to time and she notices when I take over new areas with new amps.

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:20 pm

Well i decided to change the caps on the zpa 0.5 and i have removed them all and all were leaking but not much, im using 16V/8200uf caps that looks like the oem just a bit lighter blue colour.
Im keeping it for now im not sure what im going to do with it but im cleaning the whole board and applying new coling paste, the sense pots are nice and not lose like on my 0.3 where im going to change them.
I think im getting pretty good with changing the caps now the desoldering station helps alot and it makes it easy removing them

trickyricky · Post by **trickyricky** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:55 pm

Nice job....that solder pump sure did come in handy didn't it? That's one pretty looking board, as well as chassis.

Alfaholic · Post by **Alfaholic** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:23 am

trickyricky wrote:Nice job....that solder pump sure did come in handy didn't it? That's one pretty looking board, as well as chassis.

Thanks

Yes im never going back to manual pump and desloder wick, the main advantage with the desoldering station is the time it takes to remove all the solder.
The desoldering station has some problems it get clogged up easy especially when the remaining feet get sucked in, but i clean it after each use and i got alot of parts for it.

RayBuck · Post by **RayBuck** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:19 am

What does this desoldering station look like?

My zpa 0.3 and 0.5

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