Crackling sound

[danosol]

Ok so Paul helped me with the LED issues and now I'm getting a crackling sound.  I'm guessing that it's a ground problem as I was hearing weird bell like sounds through the left side so I tapped on the chassis with my fingers to see if that would get the sound to stop or perhaps increase.  After doing this I got this crackling sound which got me thinking that it was the tubes. , but the weird part is when the crackling is going on if I press both corners of the front chassis down it goes away.  Maybe it's nothing and that's just tubes but the music does play through quite fine.

I did try different tubes by the way.

[Grainger49]

I just read the title this morning and realized your Crack has crackling sound.  Sounds like it could be normal???   (Tongue-in-cheek!)

Aside, Paully is visiting this weekend.  He is still sleeping, but I'm an early riser, and I can't change that by much on the weekends.

But seriously...   I don't know what was in the old thread to help with crackling.  So here goes:

First pull and reseat the tubes 6 times each.  More if you think it might help.  This cleans the tube pins and the socket.  Even though they are both new they have been around since manufacture and might have some oxide on them.

Since flexing the chassis, moving the circuit, makes some difference, the next try should be the chop stick check.  I often use a Pentel roller ball pen.  But stole a chop stick the last time I was at a Chinese restaurant.  I can use them, I chose not to.

This test is to listen while the Crack is upside down.  Use the insulated item to push on each and every solder joint.  It doesn't have to be a ground, it could be in the signal path, or power supply.

If it is a (dreaded) "COLD SOLDER JOINT" you will hear it cutting in and out as you flex the solder joint.  You don't have to push hard, the fact that it crackles all by itself says the joint should be loose.

Yes, this takes a while but it is worth the effort. 

[Paul Birkeland]

Crank down the #8 screw by the IEC socket, and the 4-40 screw that holds the 5-lug strip on the 9 pin socket. 

Also, if you have an outlet tester handy, it might be interesting to check and see if you have an open ground at your residence.

-PB

[danosol]

Figured out what it was.  The Left channel coming out from the Pot was touching the pins on the socket.  Just the jacket of the wire was touching.  I noticed whenI used the chopstick to tap and found the wire touching.  I raised it up a bit and that took care of it.  I'll re route it later to avoid this all together in the future.  Thank you for the replys.