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Variac - when to use it?

cchean

cchean

Super Member
Hello folks,

I have several pieces of gear that had been put away in a storage unit and because of work, life, and everything else, most of it hasn't been touched for the past 6 years and they range from cd players, some tape decks and amps. Mostly are solid state, but I have a couple of tube amps.

I decided that I will do some downsizing, but first wanted to put a few pieces back in rotation and see how they perform before I decide what to do. My questions are:

01. can I use a variac with all gear regardless of what they are? I mean, dacs, cd players, can I use a variac with every single one of them? Any special rules for tube gear?

02. If bringing up the voltage with the variac, what voltage should I start with and at what increments? How long should it take till I bring it to 100%?

03. I read somewhere that some equipment might actually get damaged by the use of a variac. Is that true?

Thanks in advnace to all replies.
 
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IMO, variac only for test purposes when safe to do so (see post #2^) best with a DBT after rebuild/parts replacement.
Some people use a variac as a full time step down transformer for imported items, this makes me feel uneasy. A varic is a autotransformer with a sliding contact/tap, a bit like a volume pot. A winding fault(open) may result in mains Vac being presented to your precious imported item (=smoke). Spend the extra $'s and get an isolated stepdown...
 
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