POLL: What Will Craig Do?

[mark1101]

What happens when you have 220 motor devices like heat pumps? They have to go across both phases. Then what?

I have 11 tons of HVAC in my house. 3 systems.

I have 2 200 amp services brought in.

They wired 2 systems to 1 box, and 1 system to the other. But I am not sure how it is connected at the transformer out in the yard.

[sfogg]

"What happens when you have 220 motor devices like heat pumps? They have to go across both phases. Then what?"

You just make sure your audio stuff is on a different circuit with *good* surge protection. There is not much more you can do, and really you shouldn't need to do much more then that.

Most problems are when the audio gear is on the same circuit as something nasty (dimmers for example) or when the audio gear is on different circuits with different grounding. When possible have your audio system on its own dedicated circuit(s).

Shawn

[mark1101]

Shawn,

This is exactly what I have done....basically nothing. I use a respecatable surge protector and nothing else. No power regulation or anything fancy. I have no noise problems at all.

[meagain]

I have no affiliation with either Craig or NOS Valves. I have never used his services or purchased his amps. Heck, I've never even heard the VRDs. I only know Craig through the forum and even at that I think he can be a bit crusty some times (you shoulda seen him 3 or 4 years ago).

Now that I have that out of the way, I can put my .02 in. Meagain, you are way out of line with your posts and expectations. Do you fully understand that this is Craig's business? That it is the way he earns his money and pays the bills? I can't imagine that you could understand that and author this thread, among your many recent threads and posts, including such clever threads as "POLL: Fun with bias/voltage meters? What is your wall voltage?" Your intention is obvious - you wish to either discredit Craig and Craig's product or support your "side of the story." IF you were a paying customer, which you are not, your actions are at least explainable (yet still in poor taste and, thus, not excusable).

Perhaps you are new to the world of high end audio or cottage business in general, but you should know that the attention given to you, both personally and through this forum, is likely unprecedented in this industry. Craig may well send you the bill in the end, but do not forget about the HOURS of personal attention he must have devoted to your issue thus far. Try getting that out of any other manufacturer of audio products. It is exceedingly rare. MANY companies would tell you to shove that amp given that you are not the original buyer. In, I would guess, EVERY other instance you would make a phone call or write an email to find out where to send the amp and simply send it in.

You, however, have this wonderful forum where you can voice your opinion. You never simply sent the amp in. You could not even get those amps to the manufactuere without months of attempting to self-diagnose the problem and apply various fixes. Worse yet, you dragged Craig, VRDs, and NOS Valves through the streets of the forum the entire time. Some would say that thus is only fair as Craig has certainly availed himself of the forum in getting the word out about his product. Again, to me anyway, the difference is that you did not even support Craig in the first place. Fortunately for Craig and his business, those actions speak to your irrationality.

Bottem line from my point of view - You saved a buck and bought second hand. You are encountering problems but never seek the simple solution (send amps to Craig, investigate home electrical system). Now you demand not only Craig's attention, but the attention of the forum at large, while recklessly endangering Craig's reputation. Bad manners, plain and simple.

B*llsh*t - Because I want to know what everyone's wall voltage is, that's a deliberate attempt to discredit Craig? LOL RU kidding? I sent the amps to him for a check. According to him, they are pristine. I told Craig to send them back a day or 2 ago. Kev - F off. You don't know what's been going on. And how am I not a paying customer?

[dp1954]

Can't ya just feel the luv? I have 2 fuse boxes... one for my refrig/pool/furnace/AC and one for my A/V stuff... The service feeding my A/V room is 100 amp I do believe.... Like I said(....knocking on wood)... I have never had a tube failure in over 4 years of messing with tubes...

[Allan Songer]

The VRDs are obviously messed up and Craig just doesn't want to fix them for Lisa.

(snark)

How about shutting this thread down before someone goes down in flames?

[sfogg]

Shawn,

This is exactly what I have done....basically nothing. I use a respecatable surge protector and nothing else. No power regulation or anything fancy. I have no noise problems at all.

In my theater I have two dedicated 20 amp circuits (same phase) for my equipment. The dimmers and AC in the theater are on a different circuit on the other phase. I use Brickwall surge protectors and that is it.

Shawn

[kev313]

I have no affiliation with either Craig or NOS Valves. I have never used his services or purchased his amps. Heck, I've never even heard the VRDs. I only know Craig through the forum and even at that I think he can be a bit crusty some times (you shoulda seen him 3 or 4 years ago).

Now that I have that out of the way, I can put my .02 in. Meagain, you are way out of line with your posts and expectations. Do you fully understand that this is Craig's business? That it is the way he earns his money and pays the bills? I can't imagine that you could understand that and author this thread, among your many recent threads and posts, including such clever threads as "POLL: Fun with bias/voltage meters? What is your wall voltage?" Your intention is obvious - you wish to either discredit Craig and Craig's product or support your "side of the story." IF you were a paying customer, which you are not, your actions are at least explainable (yet still in poor taste and, thus, not excusable).

Perhaps you are new to the world of high end audio or cottage business in general, but you should know that the attention given to you, both personally and through this forum, is likely unprecedented in this industry. Craig may well send you the bill in the end, but do not forget about the HOURS of personal attention he must have devoted to your issue thus far. Try getting that out of any other manufacturer of audio products. It is exceedingly rare. MANY companies would tell you to shove that amp given that you are not the original buyer. In, I would guess, EVERY other instance you would make a phone call or write an email to find out where to send the amp and simply send it in.

You, however, have this wonderful forum where you can voice your opinion. You never simply sent the amp in. You could not even get those amps to the manufactuere without months of attempting to self-diagnose the problem and apply various fixes. Worse yet, you dragged Craig, VRDs, and NOS Valves through the streets of the forum the entire time. Some would say that thus is only fair as Craig has certainly availed himself of the forum in getting the word out about his product. Again, to me anyway, the difference is that you did not even support Craig in the first place. Fortunately for Craig and his business, those actions speak to your irrationality.

Bottem line from my point of view - You saved a buck and bought second hand. You are encountering problems but never seek the simple solution (send amps to Craig, investigate home electrical system). Now you demand not only Craig's attention, but the attention of the forum at large, while recklessly endangering Craig's reputation. Bad manners, plain and simple.

B*llsh*t - Because I want to know what everyone's wall voltage is, that's a deliberate attempt to discredit Craig? LOL RU kidding? I sent the amps to him for a check. According to him, they are pristine. I told Craig to send them back a day or 2 ago. Kev - F off. You don't know what's been going on. And how am I not a paying customer?

"F off"? You continue to prove the real downfall of this forum is that anyone with a computer and at least one finger can use it and type what ever happens to be on their mind.

If what I said is bullshit, you are, at the very least, unnecessarily creating the perception that it is NOT. Or do I misunderstand your earlier posts about the VRDs not being able to handle a normal variation in wall voltage. I think I am not and that your inquiry is not quite as innocent as you make it to be. Again, if I am wrong, you should be more careful in what you write. You are certainly setting a different tone in your posts. If I don't know what's been going on, you should tell us. Lord knows you've said enough on the topic. Don't let misconceptions linger when your dealing with the reputation of a business. That would seem to be very reckless.

"And how am I not a paying customer?" - - Try reading my post again. Did you originally buy the amps? No. Again, and as I said in the earlier post, Craig may charge you, but he has been bending over backwards to give a level of service which is VERY UNCOMMON in this industry. The polite thing to do would be to shut up and deal with Craig personally.

[anarchist]

Fixing and/or eliminating the house electricity as an issue is fairly simple.

1st. Extension cords. Length and gauge are critical and it is not a simple matter of they are fine to use. Place a high current draw on an extension cord that is rated at the proper current and if it is too long, your device will not get the current it requires to run properly. Its that simple and I will be glad to demonstrate it to anyone who thinks they know different. Why are strips ok? Because of length.

2. If Lisa wants to attempt to isolate her problems you could use some good quality surge suppressors - not $500 components - to isolate the amps and see if the problems continue. This is a band-aid.

3. Old house. Old fuse box. Old wires. This could all be perfectly fine except - she needs to verify the wiring is rated for the correct current and her fuse is as well. Second, she should verify how her outlets are actually wired. Third, she needs to identify exactly what is on this particular circuit and calculate the load. Fourth, she needs to evaluate the grounding circuit and likely needs a better ground from the main box or needs to secure the existing ground. Fifth, any device on that circuit which cycles on and off automatically provides a voltage spike at that moment. Remove those devices temporarily or use a surge suppressor - either a local device or a whole house surge suppressor. She needs an electrician for none of this if she has any sense and a couple of tools.

On the other hand, she could pay an electrician to come in and toss that old fuse box and install a modern circuit breaker providing a great deal of expandability. That outside outlet could then be placed on its own circuit as many authorities suggest or require. She could have him install a few new outlets off dedicated circuits using modern three wire connections to power her home theater or stereo equipment. A far more attractive option than buying a line conditioner in my opinion and not that expensive in the scheme of things.

[Amy]

Please handle this privately from this point forward. Thank you.