Crack questions

Viktor · 10368

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Offline Viktor

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on: May 01, 2011, 07:51:18 AM
Hi! I just got my bottlehead crack kit this friday and yesterday evening I started to put the things in place, then I noticed that one of the rca-jacks looks really strange, I tried taking a rca-cable to test if it fit and it sure did, do you think it is something I should worry about?

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.head-fi.org%2Fd%2Fdb%2Fdbf6564b_bild-2.JPG&hash=a24f736304e2356a7dfd447d858bf710a9abe903)

Oh! And also one more thing. I get confused with the safety ground, I currently have two screws left, one philips 3/8" and one normal (star) 3/8" and one #8 lockwasher and one small lockwasher. In the manual it says that I should use  #8 screw, lockwasher, soldertab, lockwasher but I only have ony big lockwasher left and one small, and the small one doesn't fit the screw.
And what should I do with the screw thats left? I've read trough the manual several times but I can't figure out where to put the last one.


Also one last thing. I tried to begin with the soldering today and accidenly, I am a beginner, burnt the corner of the power-cord connector. It's only in the corner of the connector so I don't think it should be a problem?
I'm having some problem with cold-joints as well, I think it is kind of hard to tell when the joint is good or not, to me all they joints so far look kind of dull and boring. Maybe it is the solder, I'm using 60/38/2 copper.

Thanks


Offline 2wo

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Reply #1 on: May 01, 2011, 10:27:22 AM
For the RCA jack as long as the outside part does not touch the center pin of you interconnect, it should be OK. You can test it with your meter.

I don't have this kit so I can't help with the screws.

Ditch the solder. Go to Radio Shack, Fry's or whatever and get some plain rosin core electronic solder. I have tried that Cu stuff and hate it. One less thing...John   

John S.

Offline Doc B.

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Reply #2 on: May 02, 2011, 05:48:00 AM
There has been some variation on the look of RCA jacks, but they work fine. We may have miscounted the washers in your kit. The safety ground solder tab has its own teeth so leaving one #8 lock washer out should not be a problem. I'm not near one of our manuals at the moment. Is the extra screw perhaps the self tapping one that it used to thread the terminal strips?

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

Offline Viktor

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Reply #3 on: May 02, 2011, 08:10:04 AM
Ahh okay, that could be it. I figured that it wasn't so important.
Regarding the soldering I tried to take a picture with my phone but it was hard to capture the solder points in a good way. I also checked the cables with the continuity function on the DMM and it said that the resistance was 0.01 so maybe it will work? After these failed points I'll def. get some normal 60/40 solder!


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #4 on: May 02, 2011, 08:32:42 AM
Checking the continuity is the right approach if you are concerned about how good the solder joints are. I would not worry about resoldering the ones you have already soldered if they are testing OK.

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

Offline Viktor

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Reply #5 on: May 03, 2011, 08:50:05 PM
Okay! I went and bought some 'normal' 60/40 solder and it is much better. I think I have completed more than half of the build now, its going okay! :)
Really fun too, and I am learning something I couldn't do before so that's really nice!


Offline Jim R.

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Reply #6 on: May 04, 2011, 04:14:09 AM
Hi Viktor,

That's the spirit!  And when it's done and making sweet music and you can look at it and tell yourself that you built it, well, then you'll understand why so many of us are so addicted to Bottlehead!

I wish I could convince a few more of my audio buddis to give this a try -- both for the experience of building your own gear, but also for the immense pride of ownership, and of course the superb sonics.

-- Jim


That's the 

Jim Rebman -- recovering audiophile

Equitech balanced power; uRendu, USB processor -> Musette DAC -> 5670 tube buffer -> Finale Audio F138 FFX -> Cain and Cain Abbys near-field).

s.e.x. 2.1 under construction.  Want list: Stereomour II

All ICs homemade (speaker and power next)

Offline Grainger49

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Reply #7 on: May 04, 2011, 04:27:17 AM
Quote from: Viktor on May 03, 2011, 08:50:05 PM
Okay! I went and bought some 'normal' 60/40 solder and it is much better. I think I have completed more than half of the build now, its going okay! :)
Really fun too, and I am learning something I couldn't do before so that's really nice!

I would just rewet the solder joints that you made with the other solder.  Don't glob a bunch of solder on them.  Rather put a little solder on the tip of your soldering iron and touch it to the previous, dull, solder joints.  Then give it a little solder on the other side of the joint to wet the joint.
« Last Edit: May 30, 2011, 07:00:02 AM by Grainger49 »


Offline Viktor

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Reply #8 on: May 06, 2011, 11:40:41 AM
Ok! I'm done all the voltages checked out fine and everything. just the last part left,

'Final check


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #9 on: May 06, 2011, 11:47:48 AM
The tip is the contact where the tip of the headphone plug makes contact - the farthest contact from the chassis on the jack. The ring is where the ring in the middle of the headphone plug makes contact - middle contact on the jack. I will leave determining the sleeve connection as an exercise for the student.

BTW a google search for TRS connector will turn up several hundred images.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhome.comcast.net%2F%7Ephugger%2Ftrs.jpg&hash=fabcb571ef48557b1dfca097f785afe21b8bd69a)

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

Offline Viktor

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Reply #10 on: May 06, 2011, 11:53:10 AM
Thanks for a superfast relpy! Yeah I googled that but I couldn't find anything on the connector itself, I mean on the amp. Anyways, from what I understood now I should just check the voltage on the ring terminal where the white wire goes?

I did that and the voltage didn't reach 9V, maybe seven or something like that and then it dropped back to zero, is that okay?


Offline Jim R.

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Reply #11 on: May 06, 2011, 11:55:18 AM
Viktor,

That's it!  You should be good to go!

-- Jim

Jim Rebman -- recovering audiophile

Equitech balanced power; uRendu, USB processor -> Musette DAC -> 5670 tube buffer -> Finale Audio F138 FFX -> Cain and Cain Abbys near-field).

s.e.x. 2.1 under construction.  Want list: Stereomour II

All ICs homemade (speaker and power next)

Offline Viktor

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Reply #12 on: May 06, 2011, 12:02:05 PM
I fired it up but I get some slight cracking (hahaha) noises from the left channel, could this be due to a bad joint somewhere?

edit: Okay I tested to run it without any source and theres still a crackling noise in the left channel. Would a good guess be that theres something wrong with the solderings on the headphone jack?
« Last Edit: May 06, 2011, 12:13:16 PM by Viktor »


Offline Jim R.

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Reply #13 on: May 06, 2011, 12:17:13 PM
Not necessarily -- could be any number of solder joints in the left signal path.  Try checkin the tube sockets first -- both the wires soldered to them, and try resetting the tubes a couple of times to clean the contacts a bit.

Most of the time I've exerpeinced crackling it has been a bad tube socket connection.  Since all your resistance and voltage checks were ok, I'd just try the tubes first.

-- Jim

Jim Rebman -- recovering audiophile

Equitech balanced power; uRendu, USB processor -> Musette DAC -> 5670 tube buffer -> Finale Audio F138 FFX -> Cain and Cain Abbys near-field).

s.e.x. 2.1 under construction.  Want list: Stereomour II

All ICs homemade (speaker and power next)

Offline Grainger49

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Reply #14 on: May 06, 2011, 12:45:02 PM
Viktor,

That is why I suggested going over all your previous solder joints after buying better solder.

Now you are ready for a new/old trick; new to you old to the board.  It is the chop stick test.  You listen through your headsets while prodding each solder joint with a chop stick.  You can use anything that is insulated but I guess the first thing used was a chop stick.

When you find the one that crackles you clean it and resolder it.


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