Help on a PL 400 from Chile, South AMerica

FJMR

New Around These Parts
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Messages
10
Location
Santiago, Chile, South America
Tagline
---
#1
Hi There let me introduce mey self, my name is Francisco Miranda, Im from Chile, Im 45 years old married with three amazing kids, well now directly to the topic, just bougt a PL 400, could say in acceptabe conditions seems to be used only at home due the dust and spyder webs that I found inside, what I saw inside, the capacitors are 5900 microfardas and what I read is this is one of the parts that must be replaced in order to improve the PL performance, also read about WO Audio, wrote them a couple of times but no answers till now, so if some one can help me on what will be improve after I get the WO upgrades, and which ones should be done. Also when I open the FL I found that the VU meters are not equal seems one of them was replaced, so looks a little bit unbalanced, this PL have some modification because VU lights are blue.

Anyway to get a PL in my country is not easy, now I get I whant working for other 30 to 40 years, I must inform not good on electronics very small knowledge about it, but I have some one that can help me on the hand craft, if images need to be upload of my PL I can do that, thank you in advanced and very warm regards from Chile
Francisco
 

laatsch55

Administrator,
Staff member
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
74,912
Location
Gillette, Wyo.
Tagline
Halfbiass...Electron Herder and Backass Woof
#2
Welcome to Phoenix Francisco. Some pics would be nice, to see what we are working with.



 

Fishoz

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
May 20, 2014
Messages
5,224
Location
Northeast Illinois
Tagline
Always learning!
#4
Welcome to Phoenix. You will find what you need here. This is a bunch of great people willing to help. Give us a bit more of a clue on your gear. Pl 400 is a good start.
 

orange

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
17,704
Tagline
Broken beyond repair but highly affable
#5
If PL400 is the only PL in Chile, you have nothing to complain about :)

Hopefully these guys will put the Phun back in your Phase. They are Phase Linear Phreaks!

And welcome to Phoenix!
 

FJMR

New Around These Parts
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Messages
10
Location
Santiago, Chile, South America
Tagline
---
#6
Thank you so much for your answers. Ill take pictures and upload it, till now it works and sounds great, I still not push it, into the red zone of VU I dont have speakers to do Im running it with a SAE 2PA 10, thank you again for your help, very warm regards, from Chile.


Welcome to Phoenix Francisco. Some pics would be nice, to see what we are working with.



 

FJMR

New Around These Parts
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Messages
10
Location
Santiago, Chile, South America
Tagline
---
#7
Here we go see the pictures that I take from this nice PL I think have better days but still great piece of amp IMG_1771.jpg IMG_1772.jpg IMG_1773.jpg IMG_1774.jpg IMG_1775.jpg IMG_1776.jpg IMG_1777.jpg IMG_1778.jpg IMG_1779.jpg IMG_1780.jpg IMG_1781.jpg IMG_1782.jpg IMG_1767.jpg

Thank you so much for your answers. Ill take pictures and upload it, till now it works and sounds great, I still not push it, into the red zone of VU I dont have speakers to do Im running it with a SAE 2PA 10, thank you again for your help, very warm regards, from Chile.
 

R1200S

Journeyman
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Messages
264
Location
Foot of Mt. Belzoni
Tagline
Smoke and mirrors baby!
#11
Welcome Francisco! I have a PL400 like yours, that I need to work on also. Great pictures, those help a lot. Nice clean looking amp!

The first thing that jumps out at me are those power supply capacitors. They are the originals and probably far past their intended life. They are also attached to the side of the chassis with SILICONE! Definitely not standard and you might want to source replacement caps. and some brackets to replace that silicone. If I am not mistaken, those brackets are fairly standard and not very expensive.

Gepetto may be able to source the replacement caps. you'd need. I think they are not easy to find but Joe/Gepetto would know more about that than I would. After that.... I bow to the pros here, that know far more than me.
 

MarkWComer

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Messages
3,507
Location
Gaston, SC
Tagline
Victim of the record bug since age five
#12
Gepetto may be able to source the replacement caps you'd need. I think they are not easy to find but Joe/Gepetto would know more about that than I would.
I don't think you'd really want to go with the same 5,900µf / 85v caps when the capacitor kits from White Oak provide so much more power stability. Another benefit is having more current on reserve for transient peaks. Those old caps worked fine for their day, but what's available now is so much better.

The capacitor kits from White Oak are the least expensive upgrade in the catalog- well worth the expense.

FJMR: Welcome to the zoo!
 
Last edited:

R1200S

Journeyman
Joined
Dec 3, 2014
Messages
264
Location
Foot of Mt. Belzoni
Tagline
Smoke and mirrors baby!
#14
Looks like Joe may have a "Special 2 x 16,400 uF/100V" set of capacitors available on a limited basis, specifically for those early (side mounted caps.) PL400's.
$110 total to ship internationally. Quite a step up!
It would be difficult to get those "stacked" caps into an early 400 w/o that transformer cap/cradle to hold the caps in place.
 

FJMR

New Around These Parts
Joined
Oct 8, 2015
Messages
10
Location
Santiago, Chile, South America
Tagline
---
#16
Thank You guys for been so nice, and help me on this Amp, so first of all need to replace the Capacitors, for that I need to contact the guys of White Oak,and ask for those new capacitors and state that is for an early version of PL 400.

After the caps are replaced what other part you think I need to buy to the White Oak guys? , Id been reading your post and according what you said the WOPL can kick any new amplifier, have the fortune to hear a lot of amplifiers during my life, and how this PL sounds is amazing!!!, Im a solid state amp fun, I guess if vacuum tubes where better than transistors and silicon, all the avionics on F16s will be plenty of vacuum tubes.... and as far I know there is none on that jet jajajajaaj (small joke).

Saw a lot of you guys are FF, any advise regarding fishing in Chilean or Argentinian Patagonia, Ill be happy to help you I ow a FF lodge here down Patagonia so I still have secrets spots to share.

Again thank you so much and very warm regards from Chile
Francisco
 

laatsch55

Administrator,
Staff member
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
74,912
Location
Gillette, Wyo.
Tagline
Halfbiass...Electron Herder and Backass Woof
#19
I've read about some killer trout streams with some sea run browns that were BIG!!!!
 
Top