crack Kit Newly built - fine at first and then issues

eharent · 860

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Offline eharent

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on: January 12, 2022, 07:54:08 AM
Hello,
first of all happy new year!
exciting to say that i have managed to finish my crack build:) it is actually my first serious time to get into an electronic build and proper soldering. loved it!
Anyway, at first once completed i got my resistance and voltage check and it all checked ok. i first tried the Amp and it was just great for the first listening session. may be an hour in and I started having issue like hearing a buzz (without the headphone) started to touch a bit the RCA and touching the transformer and the buzz stopped. worked fine after. The following day i plugged it back on and then basically realized that the right side was much lower than the left side! so bummed! so i decided to flip the plate from the base while in use (not recommended i am guessing!)
checked if any loose or cold soldering but could not identify anything obvious but again my soldering experience and knowledge is pretty new.
I then started to touch with my plastic pen tools some specific connections just to kind see if i could spot where this is coming from. after touching  the UF4007 rectifier on one side realized that the sound was coming back up on one side and then off again as soon as i stopped touching. would it be bad soldering? i have attached some pictures for review. thank you for any feedback guys... Best, Emmanuel



Offline Tom-s

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Reply #1 on: January 12, 2022, 08:07:37 AM
This would be an indication of a bad solder joint.

Reflow all joints. Redo voltage checks after. And try again.



Offline Thermioniclife

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Reply #2 on: January 12, 2022, 08:34:23 AM
I agree with Tom but I would also tighten the hardware on the power transformer. Transformers make physical noise that will be worse with loose hardware' So if you heard a buzz without headphones give that a try.

Lee R.


Offline eharent

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Reply #3 on: January 12, 2022, 08:37:52 AM
thank you for the answer. if you look at the pictures showing the UF4007 rectifiers and since these rectifiers are meeting each other from both side. do i have to solder both side? and if only going through the strip from one side . which side do i have to solder? hope i do make sense...
thank you
Emmanuel



Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #4 on: January 12, 2022, 08:51:02 AM
Heat is your friend too.  You need to heat these joints enough for the solder to flow in and around all your connections.  The amount of time required to do this depends a bit on the joints themselves, but those joints on the terminal strips can take a lot of heat without being damaged.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #5 on: January 12, 2022, 09:14:06 AM

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.


Offline eharent

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Reply #6 on: January 12, 2022, 09:41:27 AM
I agree with Tom but I would also tighten the hardware on the power transformer. Transformers make physical noise that will be worse with loose hardware' So if you heard a buzz without headphones give that a try.
thks for the answer but what do you call the hardware on the power transformer?
Emmanuel



Offline Thermioniclife

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Reply #7 on: January 12, 2022, 10:15:55 AM
The 8/32 machine screws and nuts that bolt the trans to the chassis plate

Lee R.


Offline eharent

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Reply #8 on: January 12, 2022, 10:18:05 AM
hello there, what do you call Hardware on the power transformer? tighten? you mean the crews holding it?
thank you & Best,
Emmanuel



Offline Thermioniclife

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Reply #9 on: January 12, 2022, 10:59:44 AM
Yes

Lee R.


Offline bucketofguts

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Reply #10 on: January 12, 2022, 04:40:45 PM
Take your tweezers gently pull on every connection under some magnification.



Offline eharent

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Reply #11 on: January 13, 2022, 03:49:29 AM
thank you all very much for the assistance! i will get into it this weekend.
best,
Emmanuel