Fun with Feedback

[pre65]

Oh dear Steve, I'm sorry to hear the amp is unwell.

I hope it needs only minor surgery to fully recover.

PS If it needs anything to repair that you don't have in stock let us know.

[IslandPink]

Cripes !

[pre65]

Cripes !

That reminds me of Billy Bunter.

Showing my age.

[Cressy Snr]

At first glance, it looks like a burned out mains transformer secondary. The thing was searing hot and stank of hot varnish. My mate, who once owned this amp had it on 16 hours a day 7 days a week for 15 years. Not jumping to any conclusions yet though; not until I’ve had a chance to investigate thoroughly. Any number of things could have caused the TX to go up in smoke. However, it is a start.

[simon]

That's a real bummer Steve. It's enough to turn one to a MoFo

[IslandPink]

Cripes !

That reminds me of Billy Bunter.

Actually, in my head it comes from Johnny Fartpants from 'VIZ', but I expect they nicked it from Billy Bunter !

[andrew Ivimey]

Cripes! is Billy Bunter. I believe there was also 'cheeeez' but as eni fule no....Molesworth is your man.

[Cressy Snr]

Well I went YARROO! when my fingers touched the mains transformer casing.

Bit of good…ish news. I found an almost identical Hammond mains transformer in my parts bin. I think it was from a 2A3 amp I built years ago. 302AX is the number on it. Secondary voltage is 300 - 0 - 300 the same as the burned out one. VA rating is less but it’s still well within the draw from the circuit.

Anyway, hopefully if there’s no additional damage inside, it might be a reasonably quick fix. I’m not looking at it until tomorrow.

[Cressy Snr]

That's a real bummer Steve. It's enough to turn one to a MoFo

Believe me Simon my patience with valve amps is being tested to destruction.

[Cressy Snr]

Apart from the mains transformer being scrap, a visual inspection of the insides doesn’t seem to show any more damage. A transformer replacement as the first step then.

But….How is an amp repair relevant, especially when all of us know exactly how to fault-find and fix. Can’t help thinking I’m storytelling again. Yes I am storytelling. Tell you what' I’ll let you know when I’ve fixed it. That’ll be sufficient.

[pre65]

Apart from the mains transformer being scrap, a visual inspection of the insides doesn’t seem to show any more damage. A transformer replacement then.

But….How is an amp repair really, especially when all of us know exactly how to fault-find and fix. Can’t help thinking I’m storytelling again. Yes I am storytelling. Tell you what I’ll let yous know when I’ve fixed it. That’ll be sufficient.

I don't mind a bit of storytelling myself.

[Nick]

Apart from the mains transformer being scrap, a visual inspection of the insides doesn’t seem to show any more damage. A transformer replacement as the first step then.

But….How is an amp repair relevant, especially when all of us know exactly how to fault-find and fix. Can’t help thinking I’m storytelling again. Yes I am storytelling. Tell you what' I’ll let you know when I’ve fixed it. That’ll be sufficient.

Hmm, I think you may be taking the piss here. You were not doing that in the first paragraph, but then in the second paragraph, you are, but then, all the second paragraph contains is how you are storytelling.

By all means post whatever you want, when you want, but don't then go all upset about it if someone else has a view on it. If you want to play the victim, that's fine, but don't then object to being victimized.

[Cressy Snr]

Not taking the piss. However for the sake of my own well-being. I think I’ll take a break. My decision.

[Ray P]

I think I’ll take a break.

Missing you already Steve, don't be a Titus...

[Mike H]

I've had a mains TX go up in smoke, the EL84 p-p, if anyone remembers me mentioning it before. The TX simpy overheated due to being in a (as it turned out) confined space.

I like Steve's design, so yah-boo-sucks.

In fact it's inspiring me to look again at the 'Aurora', which is still awaiting re-fettling.

In a very early iteration (but post the EF36/37A era), it used an old octal radio single triode (with sputtered alu outer screen) for the 1st stage (I believe it was CV1055, aka military copy of EBC33, I have ONE photo of it, all I know from this, it was silver/white coloured, this indicates the 'CV' prefix (the EBC was red). Eventually I found the datasheets, however I sold the valves.

Two more on order from Langrex.

However they're not the bottle shaped ones, as the first ones were, boo.

But they have top caps. Yay.