Periodic Static in right ear [resolved]

Spargle Spike · 181

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Offline Spargle Spike

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on: January 10, 2025, 05:57:36 PM
Hello!

I got a couple of new 6080 tubes to try. So far, they heat up consistently. The original, superglued 6080 was finicky and finally stopped heating up altogether.

Now I have a reappearing static in the right ear. Sometimes it comes up as the tubes heat up. Sometimes, especially after I've inserted the tubes "freshly" it takes a while to come on. Its affected by movement on 6080 slight left-to-right movement brings the static in and out. I resoldered the red wires on the 6080 socket. I tried to tighten the sockets up a bit to better hold the tube pins. Loose pins?

Thoughts on what I can try to pin this down? Haha, no pun intended. Each change makes me think I've fixed it but then it comes back!

Thanks for your help.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2025, 06:52:19 AM by Paul Birkeland »



Offline Spargle Spike

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Reply #1 on: January 10, 2025, 06:03:01 PM
6080 definitely seems to wobble left to right pretty easily.



Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #2 on: January 11, 2025, 06:51:15 AM
You'll need to poke around the circuit with a wooden chopstick while the amp is running to see if touching any specific connection sets off the noise.  You should also consider reflowing the solder joints in the entire amp aside from the power switch and the joints on the 9 pin socket with LEDs present. 

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline Spargle Spike

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Reply #3 on: January 11, 2025, 01:29:47 PM
Wow! You are amazing sir! Thank you!! One of the 237Ω resisters on the small board was loose in one of the through holes. I reflowed both sides. No more fuzz! I'm happily listening again.

Thank you for your help!