Troubleshooting kits - the first step

[Doc B.]

Since this is the forum of an electronic kit manufacturer, one of the primary functions of the Bottlehead Forum is to offer tech support when you have a problem. We want to get you up and running ASAP.

If this is the first time you have powered up the amp after construction and something is not working right there is a 99% chance that you have a missed connection or you need to reflow a cold solder joint.

Please carefully inspect every solder joint before you post. We have see a lot of threads over the years where in the first post the OP says the newly finished kit doesn't work. Sometimes this even happens with an amp that has been running for months. The second post almost always suggests checking all of the solder joints and reflowing any that look suspicious. There is a reason that is usually the first suggestion and most of these threads end with the OP finding the mistake. But if it still doesn't work after checking and reflowing any suspicious connections, then please try to collect the following info before you ask for help:

-a description of what happened when the problem started, for example "ran fine for a year then one day one channel was not working" or "popping sound then tube wouldn't light up", or "accidentally touched meter probe to pin 5 and 6 at the same time", etc.

This post may help you with defining problems that you hear
http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,3364.msg29321.html#msg29321

-if there are LEDs on PC boards, tell us if any are not lighting up.

-redo all resistance and voltage measurements, and please post any variations from the manual that are more than 15%.

With this info we can usually get you started on sorting the problem out and giving suggestions for a solution.

If you are in need of a part it is far more efficient to email us at replacementparts at bottlehead dot com and let us know what you need than posting here and hoping we will be able to match your forum moniker to your customer info.

If you have purchased an assembled kit used and need to troubleshoot it, the best place to start is to refer to the manual. If you did not get a manual with a kit we can sell you a manual for any current production kit and some legacy kits. Once again an email to queen at bottlehead dot com will be the most efficient way to take care of things.

Thanks!