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Post subject: electronics question
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:25 am
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Any thoughts out there on running a vacuum cleaner motor next to the pickups on a P bass or any other guitar? Any potential damage to pickups? I ask because of the (possible)magnetic field produced by a high revolution stater type motor. I've wondered about this before as far as it decreasing the magnetism in the pickup possibly. Maybe? And does the vacuum motor actually create a magnetic field around itself when running?


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:10 pm
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As for your last question, yes. But it is quite small as the intensity of the field drops exponentially.

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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:30 pm
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Theoricaly magnetic field close to guitar pickup can damage it. But IMO it should be very very close and powerfull.

I think you are not able to aproach a vacuum motor enough close to have a damage.

I do some test many years ago with VHS video tape . I put a big magnet on the plastic case few hours to see if I can damage picture or sound on tape ; no damage .

And on instruction they said do not put close to any magnetic field.

You have problem with your pickups since you vacuum the bass ?


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:25 pm
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S-V: From personal on-stage experience I can say that the pickups will probably survive... but if the volume control right on the bass is turned up, but just sitting in a stand and a stage crew with a shop vac is working close by, the TONE CAPACITOR in a passive system can take a hit - depending upon the field strength of the vacuum motor and the voltage rating of the capacitor. I have seen them short OR open up with this type of magnetic field intrusion if the volume control is turned on at the time.

P-L

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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:46 am
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PaducahLuke wrote:
S-V: From personal on-stage experience I can say that the pickups will probably survive... but if the volume control right on the bass is turned up, but just sitting in a stand and a stage crew with a shop vac is working close by, the TONE CAPACITOR in a passive system can take a hit - depending upon the field strength of the vacuum motor and the voltage rating of the capacitor. I have seen them short OR open up with this type of magnetic field intrusion if the volume control is turned on at the time.

P-L

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This is interesting. It seems the new type tornado vacuums rotate at a higher rate than the older type vacs. The shop vacs run fast also. I wonder if they all rotate at near the same rpms ? I would not have thought about caps taking some damage.
Every time I vacuum and get near the guitars on the stands I think about my original post. I don't go right next to the guitars when I vac. I move them away and them put them back afterword.
There was a coil where I used to work (about a 12 inch diameter) that was used I believe as a de-magnitizer. I started wondering about induced electronic fields and magnetics and I somehow got on the thought of stater motors and them being close to a magnet. How my brain works is not up to me. It just happens. HA! I guess if I knew more about electronics that would help. At my job I did what they told me with the equipment and I didn't need to know the electronic theories involved. I was just good
cheap help. I did alot of stuff the guys with degrees did. One time I built a 50,000 volt power supply from just my boss telling me how to.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:01 pm
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S-V: The disc ceramic caps with at least a 1 kilovolt (1000 volt) rating are mostly safe. The Mylar and poly film cap's with a rating of less than 150 volts are susceptable. Brother Dave always recommends the PIO (paper in oil) type and I have yet to see one of those fail because of a transient static discharge or from a stray magnetic field. While capacitor failures are rare, they do happen and it may be a good maintenance policy to change them out every couple of years - especially if your axxe is used for gigging and a paycheck regularly.


By the way - If you want to do a joke at work, put up a sign that says:

"DANGER - 50,000 Ohms"

:lol:


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:12 pm
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I think you are safe to vacuum them briefly and not too aggressively with a wand away from the motor. Some people say it is safer to take it outside and hit it with some canned air or even compressed air. However, that is totally dependent on the force of the air involved when you are talking about an exposed winding, such as on a single coil pickup. Either vacuuming or blowing with compressed air can be rough on the wax potting of a single coil. I like the canned air better as you can do it in short controlled bursts.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:14 pm
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And on the PIO tone caps, not just any PIO but a Sprague Vitamin-Q or other glass sealed and metal encased Vitamin-Q clone such as the Soviet caps. Other PIO caps are not stable enough long term.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 8:25 pm
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I don't actually vacuum my guitars-- maybe when I'm cleaning polishing compound out of the routes sometimes. My shop vac has the long hose and the motor never comes near the pickups. I was talking mainly about vacuuming the carpet near the basses on stands. It's all good though. I'm learning stuff about caps I didn't know.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:46 pm
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I actually thought we were discussing cleaning the pickups! LMAO


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:13 am
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brotherdave wrote:
I actually thought we were discussing cleaning the pickups! LMAO


+1


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 5:52 am
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I think we could just put the pickups in the dishwasher.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:04 am
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Make sure they are dry. The microwave to dry them.

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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:09 am
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I think pickups would survive a low heat dishwasher setting. The important thing would be if they dried completely. We could put them in an oven on 100 degrees to make sure. Maybe the flatwork would come apart in the wash-- that would be not good-- so let's not even try the dishwasher.


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Post subject: Re: electronics question
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:29 pm
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You can actually heat Alnico magnets until they are red hot and they will retain their pull. Don't know about the insulation on the leads though.


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