Smoke1 Messages: 107 Registered: September 2003 Location: Southern Maryland Solomon...
Senior Member
I just remembered that I used to pick up AM radio stations thru my K200B 5 amp head? It hasn't happened for awhile and not since I installed the 3 prong grounded plug and 16 gauge power cable as specified in the replacement parts section 3 years ago. Though I have only taken the whole PA set out of the house maybe 3 times in 4 years. Maybe it's just because I'm down here in Sticksville away from the big cities that I don't pick up Radio signals anymore? Any one else had this problem in the past or info on this subject?
Smoke1 Plays Kustom Amps & Old Tube Amps Loud in S. Maryland
rodak Messages: 511 Registered: October 2001 Location: Georgia
Senior Member
Boy, that's bizarre. My Kombo picked up a radio station for a short time last night - first time I ever heard it do that. Then I see this topic posted, and the first reply is from a fellow (or ex-fellow, I guess) Kombo owner.
I'll try the polarity switch if it ever does it again.
Smoke1 Messages: 107 Registered: September 2003 Location: Southern Maryland Solomon...
Senior Member
Thanks Steve, See your up early again, What if that doesn't stop it? I remember getting the radio signals in either switch position. I assume this is just one of those weird problems that we can't fix? I even went as far as trying longer extension power cords into different power outlets and that sometimes cured the problem. What else can we do about this or is this just the luck of the draw where the location is when you plug it in? Do you think the grounded wire power cable addition had anything to do with eliminating the rogue signals?
Smoke1 Plays Kustom Amps & Old Tube Amps Loud in S. Maryland
RoyC Messages: 97 Registered: April 2000 Location: East Central Illinois
Member
I used to have this issue all the time with a K150sc. I would pick up the most bizzare stuff - many times it was a foreign language evangelist - sometimes it was just poor quality music.
It seems the problem went away when I switched to using a guitar transmitter.
Sometimes the "radio-recieving" was hilarious - you'd finish up some heavy duty rock song, put the nice tight ending on it and - all of a sudden a foreign evangelist was raving at you.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
I remember back in the 60's that a lot of amps would pick up AM radio's not only the kustoms. Back then coiled guitar cords were in vogue. We used to wrap the mic cables around the mic stands and created the perfect antenna for radio's. Once we stopped using the coil cords and wrapping the mic cords, am radio bleed in came to a stop. We used a kombo 1 organ back then but I don't remember the organ picking up stations. Maybe because we used a common point AC mains connection. One thought that comes to mind to correct the organ, is to remove the back and replace the single wire audio wire from the keyboard to the power amp that is in the bottom of the organ with a shielded cable. I was supprised to see the length of the audio wire to the power amp wasn't a shielded cable. I guess I would also run a shielded cable from the pre amp panel to the power amp as well.
Don
rodak Messages: 511 Registered: October 2001 Location: Georgia
Senior Member
I was surprised to see that unshielded wire, too. Except for picking up radio that one time, it's been pretty quiet, though. I had plenty of other stuff to do last time I was in there (26 screws and a half-dozen wire nuts), so I never replaced that wire. Next time I'm in there, though, that'll definitely be on the list.
stevem Messages: 4728 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Yea, all kustom amps use unsheilded wire from the preamp boards to the output driver, not a good thing for radio sheilding.In the metal face amps they used sheilding on the inputs but still left those preamp to driver lines the same.Most kustom preamps have the volume contol in about the middle of thr preamp stage, so any stray radio signals I would think would be picked up from those unsheilded preamp to driver runs.A cheap guitar cord can also be a pain.