Moving Tube Amp in Winter?!?

[JFT]

Hi Guys,

I guess this one is a dumb one but...

I'm looking to get my first tube amp ( Blues Junior ) and live up north in Canada where winter is rather cold.

I'm wondering how the tube would tolerate the -20 after running hot for a couple hours jam session? Any risk they blow due condensation, temperature shock etc...?

Or is it ok to move they straight to the blizzard? I ask because I won't have time to let them cool down before heading home...

Thanks

JFT

[FrenchJemlover]

Hi

everything who use electronic, don t love the change from hot to cold.
especially tubes!

You are sure to break them if you move a hot tube in a cold place !!!!
let them coll down.

fred

[FrenchJemlover]

I forgot,

if you are obliged to move them quickly, I recommand to put them into a blanket or a cover to protect them from the cold.

fred

[microdmitry]

Cold air is fine. Just make sure you cover the tubes with some kind of amp cover or something, because a few drops of cold water on an extremely hot tube might not be fine - it might crack.

Again, cold indirect flow of air is OK, water, snow, or extremely cold air _blowing_ right at the tubes is probably not a good idea.

[somata]

i'd been thinking about that too. right now i have a hybrid head, but i'd like to start putting together a mesa rack over the next year, and would have to haul it in the bed of my truck (it has a cap)...

at any rate, two suggestions i could give would be to run a small desk fan (as long as it didn't put any interference into the signal) on the back of the amp to keep air circulating, and keep the tubes from getting too hot. keeping it running while you broke down and loaded everything else would also help to dissipate the heat, so it wouldn't be such a big difference. also, you might want to invest in a road case, which would help to insulate it from the cold, and allow it to come down in temperature more slowly...
hey i may have answered my own questions...lol!!!

[Skarekrough]

I spent a New England Winter (and two Summers for that matter) leaving a 2x12 digital combo amp in the trunk of my car with no major issues. We also did the same with tube amps.

The big thing I was told was to give the amp time to acclimate. Never take it right out of sub-zero temperatures and plug it in. Give the amp a hanf hour to warm up. If you're driving to a gig and it's in the cargo area crank the heat and see if you can get a little bit of time ahead of the game. When breaking down use a cover to trap some of the air when you have to move it and also, give it time to cool down. The biggest danger is condensation; amps are electrical and water will cause shorts and damage. The only bigger damage tubes present over solid state and digital are the fact that they are glass. if you can walk outside with room temperature glass and it won't shatter from the exposure then an amp that's been allowed to cool should be fine.

[JFT]

Thanks to all,

It appears I'll have to find time to let the amp cool down then

JFT