spark coming out from the virus ti???

  • Hi, i have the first generation virus ti,
    but for quite a long time, when i turn off the power from the main socket,
    i have to pull out the plug and insert back in for the virus ti to turn on,
    but i realise that if i forgotten to switch off the main socket first,
    it will have spark at the ac input of the virus ,
    i have other gears, but i never notice spark coming out if i don't switch off the main socket and plugging it in.
    what should i do, must i change the power supply in the virus ti?
    thanks for any help

  • Actually, that's how electricity works. When you hold two leads, surrounded by air, each charged with a different elecrical charge, as you hold them closer together, or increase the difference in the charge, they start to ionise the air between them and send a surge of electrons to even out the charges. Lightning works roughly the same way. It's just that this time you probably moved slowly enough to see it. If you measure the power supply voltage to be as it says on the box, I wouldn't worry at all.

  • If it helps, I get the exact same thing if I try and plug the power lead into the Virus when the mains plug is already turned on. I've not had this 'feature' on any of my other equipment before.


    It doesn't worry me at all. I just need to remember to do things in a specific order...


    :wacko:

  • Yeah my desktop has always done this - its because the ring on the dc jack touches the metal casing on the virus. I don't think it's overly dangerous (so long as you aren't doing it 20 times a day or something), and you can avoid it by being more precise when you plug it in (i.e. dont catch the metal casing with it).

  • Plug in the virus first, then the power supply into the mains socket, and switch on at the wall... in that order.. this will avoid current being drawn and arcing across the connector pins on the virus. Eventually over a period of years the arcing will gradually get worse because of the higher resistances being built up with the carbon build up on the pins of the connector, this will lead to over heating of the connector causing heat damage, melting of the plastic insulation around the pins etc... this is especially more important for the "figure of 8" type mains leads supplied with keyboard models which carry mains voltages of 230V (UK) but not such a big hazard for SELV (safety extra low voltage) equipment that supplies 12V or so on a DC plug.


    So simply follow the method i mention above and you will have no arcing... and a longer life Virus connector.



    Hope that helps.