Right Channel Issue, Continued...

[oguinn]

Alright, reheated the OT terminals. Right channel is still completely out, left channel is very staticky. Swapped the tubes and the problems persist. Should I just ship it to you guys? I feel like I’m making things worse.

[Paul Birkeland]

You could definitely take advantage of the repair service.  You might also want to post photos of the OT wiring on each side.

-PB

[oguinn]

I found a broken orange wire (I break those Cat 5 wires constantly - any tips on how to strip them without cutting too deep and breaking them?) but it didn’t make a difference. All voltages still look good. Here are photos of the OT

[Doc B.]

You could try an Ideal Stripmaster with 16 to 26 ga. jaws. Some people don't like them but I get very consistent results with them.

[oguinn]

Thanks, Doc. I’ll give it a shot.

[Jamier]

Jameson,

      I use an Exacto blade, I lay the blade on the insulation with light pressure and roll the wire under the blade. This will cut almost through the insulation, then use your finger nail to strip off the cut end of insulation. A little practice to get the pressure right and you can strip that CAT 5 wire without any nicks.

Jamie

[oguinn]

I’ll give that a shot also. Thanks, Jamie.

[oguinn]

Paul - Here is the wiring for the right side output terminal.

The current status after a little prodding around over the weekend is:

• Right channel is completely out
• Left channel is working but staticky
• Voltages and resistances are all within regular parameters

You'd mentioned previously about installing jumpers to troubleshoot. Would that be my next course of action?

[Paul Birkeland]

If you don't have one perfectly operating channel, then the jumper tests won't provide any conclusive results. 

[oguinn]

Ok. Hopefully I’ll get some time in the next couple weeks to devote to getting the left channel back. The only thing that’s changed there is the pot, so it should be easy enough to isolate. I picked up an extra foot of Cat 5 just in case.

I’m kind of baffled that everything was working reasonably well for a month and then just imploded. Doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence that I can pull off the builds for the Stereomour, Smash, and Reductor that I have boxed up and waiting to start.

[Paul Birkeland]

Sometimes just purchasing some tools that are slightly better suited for the job will make the build process a ton easier.

[oguinn]

For sure - and to be clear, I'm blown away by the support you all are providing. My lack of confidence is in my skills.

Just wanted to make sure you all don't think I'm blaming Bottlehead for my clumsy build.

[oguinn]

You could try an Ideal Stripmaster with 16 to 26 ga. jaws. Some people don't like them but I get very consistent results with them.

These showed up last night. I tried them on a couple spare pieces of 24 gauge wire I had laying around… Wow! Really nice stripping. Thanks for the recommendation!

Our fiscal year ends tonight (thank god), so I shoul hopefully get some bench time on the amp this weekend.

[oguinn]

Alright, I’m calling it. I reheated a bunch of joints on the right channel and nothing changed. Paid for the repair service since I’m basically just beating my head against the wall.

After you’ve done the repair, will you let me know what my error was?

[Doc B.]

That costs extra.

Just messing with you. We put a note in with the repaired gear that explains what was fixed.