REACTOR amps smoking caps!

[ttocs]

I think he will be ok is when they explode that they really do damage. In tech school we had a group bring in a big cap to blow up one day. I will never forget when I looked back to see everyone look at each other as if to say "looks good to you?!", put on their safety glasses(the whole group at one time you knew it was an omen something was going to happen) and then switch on the power supply. The explosion was strong enough that the metal top left an dent in the ceiling.

[trickyricky]

I think he will be ok is when they explode that they really do damage. In tech school we had a group bring in a big cap to blow up one day. I will never forget when I looked back to see everyone look at each other as if to say "looks good to you?!", put on their safety glasses(the whole group at one time you knew it was an omen something was going to happen) and then switch on the power supply. The explosion was strong enough that the metal top left an dent in the ceiling.

No shit....my boys and I pop small caps with a small power supply (three 9v batteries in series, lol) at safe distances with face shields and the pop is pretty damn loud as well as the explosion leaving a good mess near by. I can imagine a large capacitor blowing up..

[ttocs]

after seeing that one I was ALWAYS nervous around the big 1 farad caps even though they have a hole in them to prevent it. I could not help but think if one of those went that I didn't want to be in the car with it.

[onecrazy95civic]

All 3 REACTORs taken apart...here's some pics of the burn one. Out of the "6" amps (ZX450 & ZX500), including the burn one, I would say 4 seems to have leaking caps, one of them for sure. So time to get them all fix and prevent any further incident.

I would like to say that yes I was aware of the leaking caps problem, so had my amps check and told all good. I'll take responsibility for this and not try to find excuses for this, should had them change...god knows I had all the time in the world to do so. But what disappoint me the most is the amp that leak/burn was brand new never plug. The only one that has no leaking caps is my original one who I used to compete with.

[Eric D]

The burned one looks pretty bad. When the burn goes all the way though, things are not easy to deal with.

Here is what I did before on a Reactor with a burn which was similar...

http://www.soundbuggy.com/Eric/Car%20Au ... index.html

I may have some spare ZX500 boards. If so, I could swap terminals (as I know mine are white), and you would have a nearly perfect replacement board.

[onecrazy95civic]

The burned one looks pretty bad. When the burn goes all the way though, things are not easy to deal with.

Here is what I did before on a Reactor with a burn which was similar...

http://www.soundbuggy.com/Eric/Car%20Au ... index.html

I may have some spare ZX500 boards. If so, I could swap terminals (as I know mine are white), and you would have a nearly perfect replacement board.

Just PM you.

[ttocs]

I see no reason to place blame on anyone I can only imagine your disappointment to this. After all that time you get it going and now this.

[onecrazy95civic]

I see no reason to place blame on anyone I can only imagine your disappointment to this. After all that time you get it going and now this.

You can't begin to imagine!!! Just finish some changes that I wanted to do following the car show and was ready to start tuning...this will have to wait now!!! Like my wife said glad it happened with you in the car imagine if it happened when you were not around! The car and garage could have went up in smoke!!! And that would have suck even more!!

[zeropoint0.5]

The burned one looks pretty bad. When the burn goes all the way though, things are not easy to deal with.

Here is what I did before on a Reactor with a burn which was similar...

http://www.soundbuggy.com/Eric/Car%20Au ... index.html

I may have some spare ZX500 boards. If so, I could swap terminals (as I know mine are white), and you would have a nearly perfect replacement board.

Just PM you.

smart choice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[onecrazy95civic]

Well amps are on their way to Eric D for caps replacement and fixing looking forward to re-install them!!! Thanks Eric D for accepting to fix them.

[vwdude]

Your amps are in good hands.

[RayBuck]

[twisted]

good choice, eric does great work! he has fixed an orion for me and did a phenominal job and i owned a outlaw eric rebuilt the board on for that very reason...top notch work!

not bad for a guy like this :No longer really "in tune" with the audio industry, and probably have not been for some time.
Hands down the forum's most ignorant member...

sorry eric, i had to bust yer balls a lil helicopta helicopta helicopta

[onecrazy95civic]

Well looks like I might have dodge a bullet or two with only one amps shorting out!!! Eric D sent me pics of some of my amps and wow!!! the good news is that my amps are now fix and on their way back. Many thanks to Eric D for fixing them.

[Drock]

Damn

[vwdude]

Yea that's pretty hard core. I want to see how much repair was needed on the one that smoked.

[LowandLoud]

Good to hear your amps are fixed up and on the way home.
Dont forget about the Powercore though, same problem.

LL

[onecrazy95civic]

Yea that's pretty hard core. I want to see how much repair was needed on the one that smoked.

Actually Eric D just replaced the smoked board and transferred all the REACTOR related accessories to it i.e. x-over board, etc. He will keep the smoked board and fix it later.

[onecrazy95civic]

Good to hear your amps are fixed up and on the way home.
Dont forget about the Powercore though, same problem.

LL

Yeah will keep an eye on that, Eric D told me that he doesn't fix those so will find some one to have it fix.

[kg1961]

just seen this post man sad to see
remove the power core it is just as bad or worse as there are way more caps
I thought it was capped also but Eric is a great guy and has done a lot for me over the years stand up guy
let get your crazy civic back to making noise

[onecrazy95civic]

just seen this post man sad to see
remove the power core it is just as bad or worse as there are way more caps
I thought it was capped also but Eric is a great guy and has done a lot for me over the years stand up guy
let get your crazy civic back to making noise

Removing the Powercore is easier said than done...what would I replace it with? And that would also mean some rebuilding and to be honest at this present time pretty much tired with re-building. I have spent the last 4 months fixing things that made no sence and made it logical...i.e. adding some switching, re-wiring the 120V, etc... So my question is, what would you replace the Powercore 20 with?

[kg1961]

just seen this post man sad to see
remove the power core it is just as bad or worse as there are way more caps
I thought it was capped also but Eric is a great guy and has done a lot for me over the years stand up guy
let get your crazy civic back to making noise

Removing the Powercore is easier said than done...what would I replace it with? And that would also mean some rebuilding and to be honest at this present time pretty much tired with re-building. I have spent the last 4 months fixing things that made no sence and made it logical...i.e. adding some switching, re-wiring the 120V, etc... So my question is, what would you replace the Powercore 20 with?

fit a alumapro inside of it use the shell

[dwnrodeo]

just seen this post man sad to see
remove the power core it is just as bad or worse as there are way more caps
I thought it was capped also but Eric is a great guy and has done a lot for me over the years stand up guy
let get your crazy civic back to making noise

Removing the Powercore is easier said than done...what would I replace it with? And that would also mean some rebuilding and to be honest at this present time pretty much tired with re-building. I have spent the last 4 months fixing things that made no sence and made it logical...i.e. adding some switching, re-wiring the 120V, etc... So my question is, what would you replace the Powercore 20 with?

The Powercore 15 is not made of multiple little caps like the Powercore 20 or Tantrum Powergrid 10. You'll want to check the internals to make sure there's no corrosion on the inside terminals. http://www.phoenixphorum.com/viewtopic. ... wercore+15

Don't contemplate replacing the Powercore any further. It will be a pain to replace it, but it will prevent another incident like this from happening in such a beautiful install. http://www.phoenixphorum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14604

[vwdude]

Agreed, go wih a powercore 15, there's one on eBay right now.

I'll bet the reason Eric doesn't rebuild the powercore 20 is that Rees so many caps in it, the cost would be insane (I think I calculated it was like $700 in caps, plus the labor to replace that many caps, it's $1000+). If nothing else, gut it and just leave it in there for show.

[Eric D]

The reason Eric won't work on a Powercore is Eric does not want it to blow up in his face, or discharge into a tool and weld it to something else...

I don't like working with stuff that can kill me. For this reason I don't work on really high powered amps either. For example if someone wanted me to fix a "The One" I would pass on it.