Jeez, in this day and age one has to seriously question why electronics manufacturers/designers of any type of gear ( nevemind amps!) can’t get simple grounding correct...!! This seems to be an ongoing and common problem.
Owners of Carver Crimson 275 -Caution/Warning--Potential Increased Risk of Electric Shock
What's going on?: If you own a Carver Crimson 275 amplifier there is a real potential that your amplifier does not have a proper chassis grounding scheme inside. There is a type of grounding system involved, but the third prong of the IEC socket (the actual electrical socket on the inside of the amplifier) is left wide open on my amplifier and and at least one other amp that I have virtually confirmed (not firsthand--only through another owner).
What does this mean?: If one of the hookup wires carrying power/B+ came loose from its soldered weld and touched either the chassis or something conductive to the chassis and the user then touched the chassis/unit with the power on they could get a significant electric shock. There are some seriously high voltages in this tube amp (like many amps of its topology) and the result could be lethal.
Carver Corporation's Response to Status on Grounding: I have notified Frank Malitz of the Carver Corporation about this problem. He responded to me in writing saying the following, exact quotation, nothing more or less:
"the design is under review with engineering and I'll contact you tomorrow." (F. Malitz)
In the interim, users may be at an increased risk of shock and bodily harm. I would encourage you to check with an electronics expert or the Carver Corporation for further guidance, as I'm not qualified to say more than there's no confirmed chassis ground in the unit that I have and at least one other unit.
Finally, unless you are qualified in working with high voltages do not open your unit to check for the ground wire running to the ground prong on the IEC. Please note that doing so with or without a chassis ground should only be done by someone experienced with electronics--i.e. caps must be discharged and care taken to cause an issue. Seek professional help.
I'm just a music lover and hobbyist. I'm merely relaying this information out of concern for the safety of fellow humans. I'm not an expert and perhaps an expert will rule out this identified potential increased risk as non-existent. For now, I can say that it is my opinion that there is a real reason to believe that grounding scheme might be deficient and I will not be using my amp until this is sorted out.
I'll report any response from the Carver Corporation as soon as I hear back. For now, my amp will sit unplugged.
Showing 6 responses by daveyf
Perhaps in the electronics industry there is a thinking that so long as no harm has occurred then no foul. This is common ( unbelievably enough) in a number of industries and occupations...and only luck has caused no immense damage, or death! Pathetic (criminal?) on a number of levels...but quite common!!! |
@raysmtb1 What Bob did to deserve the attention is apparently exactly what he failed to do...oversee a product that has his name on it and could very well prove to be deadly to the consumer. This has not happened so far, at least that we are aware of, BUT the OP is trying to expose a potentially deadly fault in Bob’s design..and as such, IMO, it needs to be disclosed. PERHAPS Bob will be pleased to realize this potential issue and instruct his manufacturer to remedy the problem, or if there is no issue to rebut the issue and clear the air. Either way, perhaps Bob ( or one of his crew) will be more than pleased to have the opportunity to correct a potential disaster in the making...or not?? |
@jbhiller So Bob offers a full refund to consumers of his product. This seems quite strange to me..as IF there is a safety hazard should he not be requiring all units in the field be recalled and corrected?? If there is no issue, why offer a refund? Plus, if there is a safety issue, why would he still want to have units in the field that could do harm ( maybe even kill?) and suffer the consequences of that action...doesn't really make any sense to me! |
Reading the article posted on ASR would indicate that this amp is really a POS..particularly for the money asked… But it would be more acceptable if it was advertised as a 15 watt amp with a design by Carver at a more appropriate price to its quality. Instead, the company seems willing to risk liability and damages, with the full expectation that enough profits will accrue to off-set the risk. A common business practice these days… |
OTOH, could it be possible that the amp discussed on the ASR forum is in fact a fake?? Or that the issues about safety are not in fact part of the design at all...and are not a factor...?? Only real way to know is for Carver, or one of his employees, to rebut the issues and design..and clear the air. Probably not a bad idea to see if this is forthcoming, before any more conclusions are arrived at! I'm off this thread now. |