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Bottlehead Kits => Crack => Topic started by: hnguyen on September 16, 2014, 04:34:58 PM

Title: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 16, 2014, 04:34:58 PM
Good evening all,

I am building my Bottlehead Crack for the first time. The Crack worked well, all the Voltage and Resistance numbers were correct. So I decided to do the Speedball Upgrade. Every numbers were right except Terminal 9 and Terminal 10.

T9 was 176V while it should be 100V
T10 was 0.6-0.8V while it should 0

I checked my Crack many times and couldn't find a problem except at B+, looked like the 3 pads touch each other during soldering (https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdiy.koenigs.dk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F%2F2014%2F02%2Fdc794c3d6a1515e6822d6e5180b3c5b09b942176.jpg&hash=8b77310c3da0419ad27b42c9e9a67bdbd7b5954c).

However, when I put my headphone in to test the sounds, everything worked fine. I could hear very clear sounds both ears. So is it normal or it is just my imagination that it works fine?

And I have one more question, my setup is like this:

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FvGRaijL.jpg&hash=eb5c73d984537790617a70883bcc4c85883f20b1)

Crack --> O2 ODAC --> Laptop. I just don't know whether the ODAC part works. Like I turned the ODAC power off, or turned the volume up and down, nothing changed. So is it the right setup or the ODAC is unnecessary?

Thanks very much for your time.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: mcandmar on September 16, 2014, 05:02:48 PM
The ODAC is a small board inside the O2 amplifier case.  The ODAC itself is USB powered so with the main O2 amp turned off it will still function and provide an output via the input socket as you have it connected.

The volume control will do nothing as its part of the main O2 amp.  Best practice is to leave the volume on the computer up fully and control it via the Crack.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Grainger49 on September 17, 2014, 02:01:06 AM
In answer to your question about the 3 B+ pads, they are intended to be shorted together.  Electrically they are the same point.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 17, 2014, 04:47:41 AM
Thanks for you guys' answers. So about the T9 & T10 Voltage, is something wrong with it? It is higher than expectations but the sound is still good. Thanks.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 17, 2014, 05:04:26 PM
If sound was coming out both channels, then your voltage checks are incorrect.  Can you let the amp warm up for 30 seconds or so, then retest? 

176V is not correct, and could be an issue with the soldering on the center leg on the TIP50C feeding that terminal.

-PB
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: fullheadofnothing on September 17, 2014, 07:11:23 PM
The picture of the amp on the desk appears to show a partially inserted headphone plug. If the amp was listened to in that state, there would be sound from both drivers, but there would only need to be one channel functioning.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Doc B. on September 18, 2014, 05:52:46 AM
Ooh, nice catch. It probably is only working on one side.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Natural Sound on September 18, 2014, 12:15:50 PM
Quote from: fullheadofnothing on September 17, 2014, 07:11:23 PM
The picture of the amp on the desk appears to show a partially inserted headphone plug. If the amp was listened to in that state, there would be sound from both drivers, but there would only need to be one channel functioning.
Along those lines, the 6080 doesn't appear to be pushed all the way down either.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 19, 2014, 07:17:11 AM
Oh :( too bad you guys are right. When I fully inserted my headphone plug, just the right channel worked. So I guess I will have lots of work to do to fix this. Do you have any idea why this happens? Thanks very much.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: fullheadofnothing on September 19, 2014, 07:34:28 AM
Quote from: hnguyen on September 19, 2014, 07:17:11 AM
[...] Do you have any idea why this happens? Thanks very much.

Quote from: Caucasian Blackplate on September 17, 2014, 05:04:26 PM
[...] 176V is not correct, and could be an issue with the soldering on the center leg on the TIP50C feeding that terminal.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 21, 2014, 01:41:39 PM
Things went totally badly for me. I am worried right now. So I went from everything works nearly fine except the T9 high voltage and just one channel to:
- Only two LEDs on the PC board work. The other 2 LEDs on PC board and 2 LEDs on octal socket (A) don't lit.
- When I turn the power on to measure Voltage, there are smoke from the Xicon P 5W 270 and the two resistances it bridges together. (http://i.imgur.com/a2urozv.jpg)

Here are the pictures of my PC board:
- Is it because my terrible soldering: http://i.imgur.com/AWVe3HU.jpg
- http://i.imgur.com/TaPDVY9.jpg
- The LEDs down left side work. The up right side don't: http://i.imgur.com/Um1MmQQ.jpg

Please help me with this. Thanks very much

 
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 23, 2014, 07:40:55 PM
So after re-soldering lots of things. All the LEDs lit now. However the Terminal 9 is still 180V and Terminal 10 is now 48V. What did I miss here, would anybody please tell me?...
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 24, 2014, 12:54:57 PM
You spotted the error.

On the bottom of the big PC board, there are 3 pins on the TIP50C.  You soldered all 3 pins together, which shorts out everything.

The transistor may or may not be destroyed in the process.

You should use much, much, much less solder when building these boards.

-PB
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 28, 2014, 01:27:38 PM
So I spent my weekend try to de-solder and solder my Crack's joints. The voltages I got after all were a little bit higher (although were still in the 10% - 15% range). However, one of the LED didn't lid no matter how I tried (I ordered many LEDs since they were cheap and already replaced like 2 or 3 but it didn't work, I guess it was not the LED itself)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrNNf579.jpg&hash=af66ff75d59551c092804002e475e07f4d2e7ed7)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fzv4RYQu.jpg&hash=590e8c179f9cb143da4651e141eff379927b203b)

Here are the voltage, in case it will help the troubleshoot


TerminalExpectedResult
Terminal 175-9073
Terminal 2170192
Terminal 300
Terminal 4170192
Terminal 575-9078
Terminal 600
Terminal 7100108
Terminal 800
Terminal 9100113
Terminal 1000
Terminal 1100
Terminal 1200
Terminal 13170193
Terminal 1400
Terminal 15185207
Terminal 2000
Terminal 21206221

Thanks for your time.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 28, 2014, 04:36:06 PM
I could imagine there being a funky joint on the underside of that big board that's responsible for that LED not being as bright.

Your voltages look good, how is the sound?

Yes, an LED not lighting is the LED itself maybe 1-5% of the time.

-PB
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 28, 2014, 05:13:33 PM
It sounds good to me (i feel it is better than my Crack before upgrade). However, I am by no mean an expert in this field. The sound is clear, both channels work. So can I just ignore that LED?
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 28, 2014, 05:15:30 PM
That's probably what I would do if the voltages look good.

I might also be looking at the solder joints on the bottom of the board, clean, shiny joints with just enough solder to fill up each through hole on the board will actually make the amp sound a bit better.
Title: Re: Speedball Upgrade problem & Gears setup question
Post by: hnguyen on September 28, 2014, 06:03:19 PM
Thanks for your help. I will definitely take a look at it again.