Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => Legacy Kit Products => Quickie => Topic started by: tfrei on March 02, 2014, 07:48:35 AM

Title: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: tfrei on March 02, 2014, 07:48:35 AM

This is my first build of a bottlehead kit.  Resistance and voltages checked out.  Hooked it up and it works. Yay!

But there are two noise problems I'm noticing.

1) Regular soft pop or click heard at regular invervals: kind of like the seconds clicking on a watch.  I really don't know much about anything, but the regularity makes me think it related to the AC equipment that it is hooked up to on the same circuit, basically an amp and a turntable.  These are all powered by long extension cords.  [ I know, I need a better AC power hook up .]

2) Bell like sounds whenever I touch a cable or adjust the volume.  The troubleshooting tips on the manual suggest this microphonic phenomenon could be due to a bad tube.  But the tubes are brand new from the kit.  They packaging suggests they were made in 1959, but my general assumption is that they are good tubes.

Any advice or suggestions?  Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: ffivaz on March 02, 2014, 07:58:08 AM

Microphonics is normal, especially with the quickie. Just don't tap the top plate. Btw, there are a couple of posts in this forum related to damping the tubes and plate to diminish microphonics.

For the tickling sound. I would say RFI, radio interference, for instance from your cell phone receiving a message or your wifi network. Try moving the quickie around, away from any source of radio signal.

Hope it helps.
Fabien

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: johnsonad on March 02, 2014, 09:25:50 AM

Both sound normal enough.  Does the tick go away once everything is warmed up?

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: Zimmer64 on March 02, 2014, 10:14:46 AM

I have three different sets of tubes, the RCA that came with the kit, Telefunken's and Mullard's. The Mullard's have the least microphonic. But it does not go away, it is just a little less. In addition I dampened the tubes using water pipe clamps.

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: johnsonad on March 02, 2014, 10:23:05 AM

Great idea with those water clamps!  Do they get hot enough to melt?

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: Zimmer64 on March 02, 2014, 10:27:39 AM

Quote from: johnsonad on March 02, 2014, 10:23:05 AM

Great idea with those water clamps!  Do they get hot enough to melt?

The 3S4 (DL92) tubes stay practically cold in the Quickie.

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: aragorn723 on March 02, 2014, 04:53:45 PM

Quote from: Zimmer64 on March 02, 2014, 10:14:46 AM

I have three different sets of tubes, the RCA that came with the kit, Telefunken's and Mullard's. The Mullard's have the least microphonic. But it does not go away, it is just a little less. In addition I dampened the tubes using water pipe clamps.

Are those D cells backwards?

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: Zimmer64 on March 02, 2014, 08:35:51 PM

Quote from: aragorn723 on March 02, 2014, 04:53:45 PM

Are those D cells backwards?

Yes and no. The manual had a mistake, which I had not rectified properly then. One solution was to put the D cells in backwards. I fixed this since  8)

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: tfrei on March 03, 2014, 03:57:09 AM

Update.  Moved the whole system to a better place.  No extension cord for power, better isolation for turntable, and Quickie.  Microphonics have lessened and I think I can get further improvements by putting a layer of silicone between the chassis board and wooden case for the Quickie.  I still have some clicks, but they have changed since the move so I imagine it is probably some stray RF (as suggested above) .  Thanks for all your help.

Question for Zimmer64:  How to you use those water clamps on the tubes?  Won't the tubes break? Or is their padding of some sort between the tube and clamp?

Thanks everybody for all your help!

Title: Re: It works, but maybe someone can help with a couple of noises
Post by: Zimmer64 on March 03, 2014, 05:34:32 AM

They have a rubber ring on the inside and I tightened them gently by hand.