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3348 Views 15 Replies Latest reply: Jan 30, 2013 6:36 PM by bluebluetones RSS
no1guvnor Just Startin'
no1guvnor
5 posts since
May 17, 2010
Currently Being Moderated

Jun 13, 2010 10:41 AM

Spider 4 power cutting off.

Hey guys, i recently purchased a Spider 4 2x12 amp and have to say i love it. But just recently it has started to power on and off for no reason. i have a mate who had 3 of these amps and  the same thing happened to all 3 of his so he finally returned the amp for his money back.

   It actually powers off and then reboots when there is a slight power drop.( eg. Kettle,Washing machine etc switching on,) I first noticed mine when my oil burner turned on (Which as you know doesnt take much power) and the 1st gig i done with it, it turned off when the ice-making machine turned on in the bar where i was playing.

   I live in N.Ireland where the voltage is between 230 and 240 volts which is as good if not better than the rest of the UK.

Its the 1st time i`ve had this kind of thing happening in my 30 years playing guitar, as most (all) amps i`ve had, will run with a slight power drop.(220-240)

   I hope you dont think i`m being cheeky or anything but i think that this is a fault on your behalf.

   As i said i love this amp and because i play in a band that play all varieties of music, it is probably the most versatile amp on the market today.

Maybe a voltage stabilizer would do the trick? I dont know.

Could you please advise me on what to do before i send it back to the shop and hound the poor salesman for my money back.

                        

                         Kind Rgrds

                           Alan Wilders

  • magpie Just Startin'
    magpie
    79 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 13, 2010 2:25 PM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    Hello Alan.

    I think I experience the same as you here in Sweden with my spider iv 75.

    See my thread here:

    http://line6.com/community/thread/38228?tstart=0

    It also might be a firmware issue but then lots more users would complain. Perhaps a cold solder joint?

    My spider have had 3 quick resets during the first day. It does not make a pop like when you turn it on, but the sound drops out and the firmware shows on the display when it starts up again. Its back again after 3 seconds. Do you also see the firmware when it happens?

    With all other gear and amps I have no problem but I do get the normal noise if a household machine is on nearby. But never power dropouts like this.

    Can Line6 confirm that the spider amps are extra sensitive to current drops?

    What can be done to fix this problem?

    It should be very easy to test and confirm this with some electrical skill and equipment. It would be great if Line6 or someone here could do a little power test and confirm this rather serious issue.

    • no1guvnor Just Startin'
      no1guvnor
      5 posts since
      May 17, 2010
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jun 15, 2010 2:05 PM (in response to magpie)
      Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

      Thanks Magpie for your reply.

          I got this email from line 6 so tell me what you think?

       

      Hi Alan, If you are playing with the voltage,that could be the reason for your intermitent fault.If thats the case you have voided your warranty.

      You will need to contact our UK office for further assistance with your issue.

       

      Tell me were in in my 1st post did i say that i was playing about with the voltage?

      Sounds to me as if they dont want to know.Think i will take it back now and get me money back.

      • magpie Just Startin'
        magpie
        79 posts since
        Jan 25, 2007
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jun 15, 2010 8:35 PM (in response to no1guvnor)
        Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

        Alan, that's weird. I don't see you mentioning trying different voltage in your question.

        As far as I know no outlets never have a constant volt, it always drops a bit more or less.

        Blenders and stoves always clearly drops the volt. All gear I know of have no problem handling these normal drops.

        I have never had an amp restart because of this normal event. .

         

        Do you also see the firmware on the display when this happens?

        What firmware do you have installed?

         

        What voltage stabilizers are there?

        It would be great if Line6 or someone here could do a little simple safe voltage test and investigate this rather serious issue.

  • malped Just Startin'
    malped
    3 posts since
    Mar 31, 2009
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 17, 2010 9:45 PM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    Hi,

     

    I bought my amp a few days ago, and I've experienced the same thing while I was trying to edit a few tones. I just turned the gain knob slightly and the amp reset.

    I can only assume it is due to a slight drop in voltage. Now, I know that we can say other amps deal with this but what we've paid for is basically a computer with speakers!

    There are voltage regulators you can buy for a round £30, usually used for PC's because they can have similar problems, so it might be an idea to try one of those before we all take our new toys back to the shops.

     

    Good luck, lads.

  • andrewpmast Just Startin'
    andrewpmast
    21 posts since
    Aug 6, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 20, 2010 6:16 AM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    I've experienced this too... turned the dial and it just decided to reboot... It's rebooted several times in the week that I've had it!  I wish I would have played on it BEFORE the firmware update because for all I know it's a bug in the software and not a physical issue with the hardware.

  • no1guvnor Just Startin'
    no1guvnor
    5 posts since
    May 17, 2010
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 21, 2010 11:29 AM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    Hi Andrew, I`ve just reinstalled the 1.52 version and as yet nothing has happened(Fingers Crossed). I have also tried switching on appliances (Kettle etc) and again nothing. It has to be the firmware and the problem lies with LINE 6. As i said before the amp worked great until i updated it and then the problems started. My mate had 3 and as soon as he opened the box he 2 updated and had problems with all 3. He sent them all back and got his money back.

         Keep in touch cause the more people we have complaining about this fault, we might then get LINE 6 to do something about it.

                  Rgrds Alan

    • andrewpmast Just Startin'
      andrewpmast
      21 posts since
      Aug 6, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jun 21, 2010 11:31 AM (in response to no1guvnor)
      Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

      Thanks for the update!  Yea, I tried plugging in a dehumidifier to see if it would trip.  I just can't figure out what the logic is behind why it happens.  I can play it for an hour and never see a problem... it's just so hit or miss.

  • magpie Just Startin'
    magpie
    79 posts since
    Jan 25, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 21, 2010 7:20 PM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    Good info.

    Here is what I just wrote in the thread I started earlier:

     

    "Thanks for sharing. I have not had any reboot problems for the last 5 days, playing 2-3 hours a day. I have tried turning on other normal household gear at the same time but I can't recreate the problem. So if it's not a power volt problem, could it be cold solder joints or the firmware? The reboot happens very randomly.

    I did have another problem 4 days ago. The amp went totally silent when I pressed the down arrow on the amp to change user bank. The display and lights were ok, but the amp made a little sound, like when it's turned on/off, then silence. I had to turn the amp off and back on and it was all good again. I read in an earlier thread that this has happened before.

    These problems are all very random and can't be recreated on demand. I don't feel like returning my amp yet (being without if for several weeks) since several users have reported that they have returned the amp and gotten brand new ones with the same problem again.

     

    I really hope that Line6 are looking into this and investigate further, troubleshooting the firmware and checking the components.  Could this be another X3Live problem case where bad components needed changing, for free?"

    • meliee80 Just Startin'
      meliee80
      1 posts since
      Feb 12, 2010
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jun 26, 2010 9:12 AM (in response to magpie)
      Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

      I have a same problem too.. In my Jamming studio. Before that the problem was happened to Marshall Amp. Then, I replaced position Line6 Spider IV HD150 to Marshall Amp place. Now the problem happened to Line6 Amp. My Marshall Amp working very well now. The mystic place is nearby Aircondition system.

  • gtrman100 Iknowathingortwo
    gtrman100
    479 posts since
    Jan 24, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 29, 2010 8:49 AM (in response to no1guvnor)
    Re: Spider 4 power cutting off.

    I've just gotten a Spider IV 120, and had it happen to me when I played the amp loudly. The amp was plugged into a surge protector power strip. I tried plugging the amp directly into the wall outlet and it solved the problem. It may be that power strips affect the current draw of the amp and cause the computer(that's what these amps really are!) to brown out. I'd try that before doing anything else.

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