BG282 - A step by step approach to troubleshooting a significantly noticeable left vs. right volume imbalance in a Classic Audio Note 300B amplifier clone. We use a simple DVM and Oscilloscope to find and resolve this issue.
Пікірлер: 65
@davidnguyen5028 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Mark, I just started restoring my first console amp. I learned a lot from this video. Please keep making them.
@CrispyCircuits Жыл бұрын
Wow. Thanks. I also watch Mr Carlson's Lab videos. They are very technical. I just started watching your videos. They are much better from a "let's get it done" point of view. Everything you are doing and explaining is something I can just start using. I'll keep watching!
@buildstoys4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for pumping out the videos lately Mark!
@jimnewman55964 жыл бұрын
That was a great troubleshooting video Mark, learned something new today "Negative Degeneration" issue.
@darrylgodfrey96042 жыл бұрын
Really intriguing. I would have guessed the fault incorrectly. When I saw practically no cathode voltage on the "left" tube (left side of the screen, not necessarily left channel) I thought something must be wrong. The cathode voltage on the right side tube made sense to me - there's current flowing in the cathode bias resistor, therefore you expect a voltage drop - exactly the same way a cathode follower works. But lo and behold, it looks like the cathode bypass cap of the right tube was open! More head-scratching to do on my side .... but thanks for the puzzle!
@shrievy4 жыл бұрын
Great walkthrough of troubleshooting. Starting from input and going all the way to out put on DC and AC with scope. I've heard some say if you don't know where to start, start in the middle but going through start to finish makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the great lesson, I always enjoy your videos.
@sonotdown9984 жыл бұрын
Love the troubleshooting vids. Thanks, Mark!
@harryshector4 жыл бұрын
Good, practical instruction. Very useful...
@rciancia4 жыл бұрын
Well done Mark.. you make it look easy and in reality it is as long as proper safety is observed. Thanks so much
@brancarr14 жыл бұрын
Incredibly useful Mark! Thank you for this video.
@Lee-NN7X4 жыл бұрын
Great lesson Mark
@moodyga404 жыл бұрын
think this is the best fault finding video you ever made mark those caps look like some audio fhile trouble makers
@NickP3334 жыл бұрын
Excellent vid, Mark. Thanks!
@ekbanjosworld4926 Жыл бұрын
Excellent video ! Now I'm ready to do this !
@jean-mariemercier73564 жыл бұрын
thank you Mark. very interesting video and educative too
@danielthomas30574 жыл бұрын
This was most interesting and informative. Just heard of Totem Pole recently in your video. Looks similar to SRPP or Cascode triode circuit.
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
SRPP is another name for Totem Pole, guitar guys call it totem pole, Hi-Fi guys call it SRPP
@martinahlqvist45604 жыл бұрын
Hmm you measured 60V over the bypass capacitor but the caps seem to be 330µF 35V ??? not surprised it did not last, I am surprised it lasted al long as it did, a 100V cap would be more realistic.
@DaveMcAnulty4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, my first thought was, gee that looks like a fairly new Nippon-Chemicon, how did it fail? Oh 2x over voltage limit, haha.
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
You are spot on. I believe this amp was built using parts someone had laying around. Many of the resistors in it don't match wattage wise. Left channel would have a 1 watt, right channel would have a 1/2 watt for example.
@erichawkins29443 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the great video. I just learned a few things about my power amp.
@phykell4 жыл бұрын
Nicely done - a time-efficient run-through but still managed to be a thorough fault-finding process and all without a schematic :) I'm assuming you changed out those 27k resistors in the PS and if so, out of interest, how far out were they? I'd also replace the faulty capacitor, with a higher voltage part as 35v seems low; and do the same on the other side assuming it's the same part. (edit) Just saw that Martin Ahlqvist had already mentioned the capacitor's voltage rating being low.
@dhpbear24 жыл бұрын
Hmm. Considering it's an 'AC' problem (no clipping or non-linearity), I'd just probe around, comparing the channels with an AC-coupled 'scope! Having not viewed the entire video yet, my guess is a plate or grid resistor that is out-of--value, changing the gain. UPDATE: DUH! I should've realized that if it's an AC problem, to check cathode bypass cap,s. Out-of-value gain resistors WOULD affect DC performance! :)
@moodyga404 жыл бұрын
i would twist all the ac wiring in this amp
@EmilioGarcia-fr5po3 жыл бұрын
Learning allot from you thanks
@robt77853 жыл бұрын
Late to the show as usual, but did anyone mention that there was about 60 volts across those 35 volt cathode bypass capacitors? No wonder that capacitor was damaged. It will happen again unless they are upgraded in voltage rating.
@el_arte Жыл бұрын
I have a big mystery. This tube amp, when I plug in both RCA input cables, vocals/voices become recessed/distant/thin. If I plug only the left RCA or only the right RCA, then vocals/voices are back and overall volume is higher. So, it seems the circuit subtract one channel from the other and amplifies what is left. Ever seen anything like that?
@duanethompson23604 жыл бұрын
Looks like option 2 of the 300 build ?
@EngineeringVignettes4 жыл бұрын
Well, to quote Dave... don't turn in on, tear it apart :D Another perusal through the P2P circuits of a tube amp, looking forward to it! Cheers,
@linorocchi93393 жыл бұрын
Thanks for share
@andymouse3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic.....cheers.
@DingleBerry884 жыл бұрын
Hey man, would you consider doing a video on general safety and how not to get electrocuted when working on vintage gear? I zapped myself BAD trying to replace a resistor on a dynaco last week. I have 70s receiver I want to attempt a recap on and I don’t want to die. There’s not a ton on KZfaq about audio gear and what exactly to do to make sure you don’t get zapped. Thanks a lot, enjoying your videos and learning a lot.
@filippf12 Жыл бұрын
Hi there i have the same problem with the one channel plays lower than the other but the problem is the potentiometer. I use a stereo 1M potentiometer where the one section has a difference of about 10K from the other. I bought 3 different potentiometers and none of them have both sections with exactly the same resistance. also if you do the right left channel test, the music from the right channel is heard low and in the left channel and vice versa. . Do you know what I could do to solve these problems? I've really tried everything
@user-dw6wy7fw4y Жыл бұрын
hi ! hey mark i need some help ! i have a 6v6 pp mono amp. here is the problem ! no sound comes out , the sound goes in through a 12ax7 tube and it reaches the output of the 6v6 tubes but it does not come out to the speakers , i changed tubes , no luck , i know the sound reaches pin one of the 6v6 but it does not come out of pin 3 which is the plate of the tube and that is where the taps of the output transformer is connected . another isssues is that the schematic needs 310 v dc on the plates of the tubes according the schematic , but i get 427 vdc , the power tran. is supposed to be 315vca x 2 centre tapped with 6.9 volt filaments . this is the transformer is in the amp , and the proper voltages on the primary side are correct as per schematic , but how come i end up with 427 volts dc on the plates ! is this the reason for no sound out to the speakers ? when i probe with my signal tracer sound is going into the tubes but i get no sound out of the plates of the outputs . can you advise as what is going on ?
@larryshaver35683 жыл бұрын
Could you make a video showing how to use a chassis punch?
@chicagomike66663 жыл бұрын
outstanding video! really good practical advice. one question: what kind of Oscilloscope probe did you use? 10:1, 100:1 ??? I am completely paranoid about screwing up my oscilloscope! I do use an isolation transformer on tube radios etc--but its only rated at 300 watts--so not really suited for a amp like this...any tips really appreciated. Thanks!
@steveh12734 жыл бұрын
good logical trouble shooting.If you don't bypass that ac signal, it will offset the dc bias of the tube on the load line and therefore reduce the gain, ie negative feedback to the grid.
@EJP286CRSKW4 жыл бұрын
Steve H It will not 'offset the DC bias' or affect the load line. It will provide NFB to the _cathode_ via the cathode resistor. Nothing to do with the grid whatsoever.
@BARBLEFT4 жыл бұрын
recommendations for what to look for on an oscope? looking at cheap digital ones just for troubleshooting like this.
@waynegram89074 жыл бұрын
When the bypass capacitor is not in the cathode circuit there is Negative Degeneration, any reasons why there is negative cathode degeneration or negative emitter degeneration which lowers the AC gain of a circuit or stage? What is causing Negative Degeneration?
@EJP286CRSKW4 жыл бұрын
wayne Gram The resistor. When conduction increases, the voltage drop across it increases, which increases the cathode voltage, which increases the bias, which partially turns the valve further off again,M reducing conduction. Without a bypass capacitor the gain is defined by the ratio of plate load to cathode load, if this is lower than the valve's gain. With it, it is defined by the valve properties alone.
@SciPunk2154 жыл бұрын
So the signal we saw on the bad capacitor was being sent to ground instead of getting amplified by the output tube. Do I have this about right?
@EJP286CRSKW4 жыл бұрын
SciPunk215 You have it back to front. The signal at the cathode in the working channel was zero because the bypass capacitor was working, and non-zero in the other because it wasn't. The cathode is DC coupled to ground via a resistor to get the DC bias, and AC coupled to ground via the capacitor so as not to get NFB via the resistor, which lowers the gain.
@normandomarcolongo74384 жыл бұрын
Is it me or when paralleling capacitors the positive and negative had been reversed?
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
it wasn't.
@mikeh25994 жыл бұрын
Top notch
@larryshaver35684 жыл бұрын
would adding a choke prevent red-plating?
@michaelhelgeland45884 жыл бұрын
Larry Shaver 🤦🏻♂️
@hugobloemers44254 жыл бұрын
That was fun.
@LJacyHenry4 жыл бұрын
I don't understand how that preamp circuit can work without a plate resistor?
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
plate resistor is the OPT primary winding.
@LJacyHenry4 жыл бұрын
I meant the first input stage there is no plate resistor. How can a voltage fluctuate without a resistor to B+ and the plate?
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
@@LJacyHenry Ah - take a look at the power supply schematic, in essence the 2nd 27K in each leg is the plate resistor
@LJacyHenry4 жыл бұрын
Oh ok I didn't notice that thanks!
@larryshaver35684 жыл бұрын
that capacitor doesn't even that old
@antoniograncino35063 жыл бұрын
Bad caps, bad caps, Whatcha gonna do ? Whatcha gonna do when they leak on you ?
@erin190304 жыл бұрын
What is a rectifier capacitor? You solved that like a real amateur.
@seanobrien71694 жыл бұрын
lol, mad about the last video's comments? You obviously have an axe to grind and the saddest part is you are only making yourself look dumb. Just quit while you are ahead.
@johnsenchak14284 жыл бұрын
You are testing voltages while the amp is not under load , I see a problem with this
@johnsenchak14284 жыл бұрын
@@garyswift135 The unit wasn't under load, because it was upside down and the tubes where taken out, so the output transformer was not connected to the plates of the output tubes. which means no connection , no load on the primary side
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
There was a load and playing through a dummy load. 1khz signal, otherwise there would have been no output or signal along the way to measure, think about it...
@Blueglow4 жыл бұрын
@@johnsenchak1428 tubes were not out of the unit, it was up and functional the whole time.
@tasmith19694 жыл бұрын
I'll bet those cathode caps are getting cooked by the cathode resistors.
@EJP286CRSKW4 жыл бұрын
tasmith1969 Yes, they should be physically larger, axial, and much further away.