Help with fuses blowing at startup

[Ankaret]

As per the manual, when I plug it into the wall socket, the power switch is turned to on already. Should I check and see if it blows when plugged in and the switch is off first?

[Ankaret]

Just plugged it in with power switch off and fuse did not blow.

[Doc B.]

OK, that pretty much makes the power trans the chief suspect. Since you have to remove all the wires to replace it, if you are willing to blow one more fuse you can absolutely verify that it's the transformer. Try disconnecting all the wires from power transformer terminals 4,5,6,7,9 and 10. Just leave 1 and 2 connected. If the fuse still blows when powered up it's definitely the power trans.

[Ankaret]

Ok ill give that a shot when I get home tonight. Thanks for the quick help!

[Ankaret]

Ok so the fuse blew with just the power transformer (1 and 2) connected. Is it all broken and I need a new one? Or is there some way to fix it up?

[Paul Birkeland]

This is probably a very, very good time to use our flat rate repair service.

Though this service doesn't cover iron, if there is some latent issue doing this kind of damage, we can figure it out for you.

A replacement PT-3 runs about $75 I believe, and we are fairly insistent on receiving the old PT-3 back (there are some DIY pitfalls with the PT-3 if it ends up in unrelated projects).

[Ankaret]

Thanks for the help everyone. This went from very fun to very frustrating very fast. I guess it was silly of me not to realize before trying to build a nice amp for my 650s just how easy it would be for a small mistake to screw up a ton of crucial components and quickly put me way over my head financially just to get it running at all (have no idea how it even sounds yet and if it's all worth the time, effort and money).

EDIT: sorry just feeling discouraged and I don't have money to send it anywhere for a fix graduate student budget was already stretched past it's limits.

[Doc B.]

Since you found what appears to have been the problem that blew the transformer and you fixed it, it's possible that replacing the transformer yourself will get you up and running with no further issues. I know it can be frustrating, but you ain't learnin' s**t unless you blow some stuff up once in a while. I could probably build a mountain with my mistake pile. I'm building a motorcycle right now and I've probably thrown away 25% of a second bike in the process, not to mention reordering the finishing materials twice.

[Paul Birkeland]

Yeah, I can commiserate. 

On a very high end build a few years back, I got everything built and went on to initial voltage checks and things looked very odd.  It turned out that the output transformers that I purchased (new, from a well reputed dealer) had open primaries.  After all that work, I had to chuck some very expensive output iron in the trash and scrounge for replacements (luckily Mike at Magnequest had some DS-025's for me). 

The biggest hurdles in amp building provide the richest eduction.

-PB

[Ankaret]

Yeah I hear what you guys are saying, and at the same time Im stuck feeling ambivalent about how to proceed. Given that I saw something smoking by one of the capacitors when I first fired it up if I recall correctly, Im just wondering what the odds are that I spend a ton of money on a new transformer and hook it all up again only to find it's not working and end up having to start replacing the whole damn thing piece by piece and paying off my credit card for months to come.

It's sad but almost feels like Id rather save up for another kit and start all fresh sometime in the future. This first crack kit for some reason already also had a slightly crooked drilled power transformer hole in the face plate, so it also isn't aesthetically the most pleasing thing to look at either...even if it was working right now I know Josh mentioned the face plates are all laser cut when I talked to him, but somehow mine got screwed up a bit and isn't quite straight for sure.   

[Ankaret]

Also what is meant by the flat rate repair fee not covering iron? Im stuck wondering what to do. Scared of spending hundreds more dollars I dont have to get it working, but the useless metal heap of assembled parts into which Ive already invested almost $400 sitting in my living room is doing literally nothing for me as well. So I either pay for flat fee repair, or order another power transformer? And in either case, pray hard that this will be the fix without needing to buy and replace more potentially blown out parts?

Any ideas or other options would be appreciated. Any other cheap amp options that Bottlehead fans would recommend? Does anyone ever buy/sell crack parts on this forum or elsewhere?

[NightFlight]

$400? So the speedball is there too.  The speedball kit would be still in bags?

[Doc B.]

It doesn't have to cost hundreds of dollars. The transformer is $75. You can put that in yourself. If you go back to the manual and follow the directions exactly the amp should work fine.

The alternative is to send it to us. Our flat rate repair service is $125 not including iron. So the total including the replacement transformer would be $200. If any parts like diodes resistors or caps needed replacing they would be replaced without any additional charge, as part of the flat rate. And in that case you would have a guarantee that the amp would work.

[NightFlight]

Its hard to beat that Doc. Those are pretty minimal costs all things considered.

Ankarat,

In the spirit of community help I'd be willing to lend a hand and  shoulder the risk and purchase the kit from you if Bottlehead will sell me a PT-3 as required.  Its just another option, but I'd really suggest you just go with Bottlehead's offer, that way you still have your kit that you put together and guaranteed to work.  It's a beautiful pairing with the HD650s once working. 

[NightFlight]

Wait, do you have the 240V or 115V version?