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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:31 pm 
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Hey all,

Just getting started, I'm sure I'll have questions as I progress through the build :) Here's where I'm at now,


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:32 pm 
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So, first question. Not quite enough 22 gauge twisted (actually I think it's 20 gauge that came with the kit) to run to the LED indicator. I have some 22 gauge solid core, but it doesn't have near the girth of insulation -- I would assume that lack of insulation would contribute to hum?


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:07 pm 
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You'll be fine, insulation won't affect him. Current is low enough that guage won't matter.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:44 pm 
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Continue to post. We will help you through it.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:27 pm 
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Moving right along :)


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:54 pm 
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Looking very nice so far!!

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:46 pm 
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Looking good Mate, great to see another Tramp in the making!!


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:04 am 
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Thanks, having worked almost exclusively with DC circuits in the past it was a hurdle to attached one Green VAC heater wire to each of the Red / Black leads on the "Power" ground terminal strip, trusting that it's an AC thing ;)

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 10:30 pm 
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Moved on to the board today. Ran into a small inconsistency between the manual layout and the diagram layout, you're probably aware of it already, but just in case. I assume an additional eyelet was added to reduce the clutter of the eyelet with the .047uf cap, 1M resistor and 2K7 resistor. I've circled it in one of the images.

Eyelets with only one component connected and no jumper I assume will be connected off-board and therefore I left them unsoldered for now -- seem like a good idea? I much enjoyed this part, there's something very satisfying about working with large caps.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:21 pm 
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Here's the back of my board, might help as a reference. I'm not sure why you have the extra/different eyelet positioning, but it could have been changed/updated to reduce clutter as you mention. (mine is a 2012 build).
On your board I couldn't spot the 2 x 220K bleed-down resistors (R19 and R26) that run parallel with each cap C12 and C13, and I also could not spot R25 running parallel with C7, are you running those 3 220K resistors under the board? From what I understand I don't think they are critical to the build but are handy to bleed/discharge the caps when the amp is powered off.

Image

Here's the top-side.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 7:43 am 
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Quote:
On your board I couldn't spot the 2 x 220K bleed-down resistors (R19 and R26) that run parallel with each cap C12 and C13, and I also could not spot R25 running parallel with C7, are you running those 3 220K resistors under the board?


I did miss these first two. Should be enough room to slip them under. I finished this much late last night and hadn't yet gone over the diagrams again to double check -- thanks for the catch. Though this version doesn't have the R25 you mentioned, noted as removed in 2013.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:56 am 
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Added the two bleed-down resistors and insulated the diode and resistor leads as indicated in the diagram (it should probably mention this in the manual as well, easy to miss).


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:31 pm 
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Extra eyelet was put there to reduce clutter. Manual has been updated. Thanks for pointing that out!

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:36 pm 
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Finished the board, flying leads, volume knob jumpers, input jack jumpers, MOSFET and board mount -- all in bare feet.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:43 pm 
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Nice work, looks very nice and neat :thumbsup: . (I assume you realise that the "Tweed/Tude" Volume Pot (VR1) needs to be re-located over next to the Cliff Jack)


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 8:34 am 
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Quote:
Nice work, looks very nice and neat :thumbsup: . (I assume you realise that the "Tweed/Tude" Volume Pot (VR1) needs to be re-located over next to the Cliff Jack)


Yeah, I caught that one shortly after the photo, thanks.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:17 pm 
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Annnnnnnnd done?

On to testing, I had a question. The manual clearly states, and I've read elsewhere "REMEMBER: DO NOT OPERATE YOUR AMP WITHOUT A LOAD", but then the manual goes on to say:

Quote:
Install a 1 AMP SLO BLO fuse.

Note: If you see or smell smoke when you turn on the amp, turn it off immediately and re-check the connections.

With no tubes installed, apply power. Leave VRM at idle and measure the DC voltage on the first 50 uf filter capacitor. It should be over 400 VDC. Measure the AC voltage. Ensure the multimeter is set to AC. Measure across the rectifier pins where the transformer secondary was connected. It should read (630 VAC minimum). Test the filament voltages and ensure they are on the correct pins for all tubes. 3.15 from each pin to ground or 6.3 across the heater wires on the tubes sockets.

If everything is okay, power off the amp, install the 12AX7 and the 6V6 power tube and power on again.

Plug in a speaker, install the tubes and turn it back on again. Leave VRM at idle while tubes warm up. Ensure all settings are at Tweed, Thin. Then measure the DC voltage at the second 50 uf cap on the + terminal. As you turn the VRM, the voltage should rise. Test to see if it increases as the Level control is very slowly turned clockwise. If this doesn’t happen, turn off immediately and recheck the connections.


So my question is, the warning seems to indicate that I should plug in a speaker immediately while the steps indicate that I should first run it with no tubes and no speaker, then only with tubes, and then with a speaker. So do I do the first two steps without a speaker? or heed the warning?


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:49 pm 
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You must have a speaker load any time you have the tubes plugged in, with no tubes in the amp you don't need the speaker. So the initial steps checking the Rectifier, the first filter cap and filament wiring voltages with no tubes you don't need the speaker. Once you turn the amp off to add the tubes for the next series of tests with the tubes now added you must connect the speaker before turning the amp back on.
That single line sentence between the two main paragraphs should probably read more like this (I added the bold text) to be clearer.

"If everything is okay, power off the amp, install the 12AX7 and the 6V6 power tube, ensure the speaker is connected and then power on again"


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 5:21 pm 
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Quote:
No457 Snowy wrote:
You must have a speaker load any time you have the tubes plugged in, with no tubes in the amp you don't need the speaker. So the initial steps checking the Rectifier, the first filter cap and filament wiring voltages with no tubes you don't need the speaker. Once you turn the amp off to add the tubes for the next series of tests with the tubes now added you must connect the speaker before turning the amp back on.
That single line sentence between the two main paragraphs should probably read more like this (I added the bold text) to be clearer.

"If everything is okay, power off the amp, install the 12AX7 and the 6V6 power tube, ensure the speaker is connected and then power on again"


Yes, I agree. Couple more questions about testing, first tube amp build here, what leads am I testing to test the VAC of the rectifier? Two red leads coming off the first transformer are connected two two diodes on the board, are these the transformer secondary?

And as for testing the pins, heater and filament are synonymous? So pins 2 and 7 for 6V6 and pins 9, 4 and 5 for the 12AX7?

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Last edited by substatica on Fri Apr 01, 2016 5:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 5:53 pm 
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Everything seems to checkout fine once it's warmed up voltage-wise, 440 DC on the first filter cap, 663 VAC between the rectifier diodes, 7.05 on tube heaters. Once the tubes are in and the speaker connected the DC across the second 50uf filter cap climbs with the level control. I've got a 4 ohm speaker plugged in, trouble is when I plug in a cable there's no sound whatsoever.

Also, I have one 220K resistor left over from the kit.

Edit: After testing my speaker cable I found that the positive lead had detached in the connector, so after all that talk about running with a load, the amp was plugged in, in effect, without a load for a minute or two. Same result of no sound once the speaker cable was fixed.

Here are some additional photo angles to show the pots, jacks and switches. I think I was able to match wire colors to the diagram so if you're having a look that may help. Thanks for any insights.


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