Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9

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nathanm

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« on: 11 Oct 2004, 06:01 pm »
As I may or may not have posted before, my SE-9 amp blew up before my very eyes a few months back.  Ever since then the poor thing has sat collecting dust.  Although I can read a schematic about as well as I can read Greek, or sheet music, I was able to replace the visually apparent damage - blown cap, without too much ado.  However, all is not well and the sound is still distorted on the left channel.  So clearly there's some other gubbins which aren't functioning.  

How does a greenhorn bumpkin armed with little more than a multi-meter, half-ass soldering iron, cheesy hand-drawn schematic from Norh and a can-do attitude go about troubleshooting this thing?  How do you tell if a resistor or cap is no longer working?  If someone points to something and says "replace that" I could do it, but getting There from Here is the befuddling part. :?

Help! :oops:

hmen

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #1 on: 11 Oct 2004, 08:56 pm »
Please put back Brother Theodore.

nathanm

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #2 on: 11 Oct 2004, 09:14 pm »
Oh...right - I was trying to troubleshoot Dan's avatar conundrum.

So, other than that...got any advice on ye olde blown amp?

JohnR

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #3 on: 11 Oct 2004, 11:20 pm »
Probably the first thing to do would be to compare DC voltages on the two channels. For example, pin for pin on the tube sockets would probably be a good place to start.

Be careful though  :o

randytsuch

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #4 on: 12 Oct 2004, 12:04 am »
Quote from: JohnR
Probably the first thing to do would be to compare DC voltages on the two channels. For example, pin for pin on the tube sockets would probably be a good place to start.

Be careful though  :o


Yeah, I saw someone recomend working with only one hand when probing tube gear.  This way, you can't put high voltage across your body, so it will only hurt you, not kill you.

Randy

Rob Babcock

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Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #5 on: 12 Oct 2004, 12:15 am »
If Nathan never posts again, we'll know your safety advice wasn't so great. :wink:   JUST KIDDING!  Be sure not to electrocute yourself!

nathanm

Electronics Idiot with blown SE-9
« Reply #6 on: 12 Oct 2004, 01:10 am »
So I take it the thing has to be powered on to test things?  Hmm.  Yeah, I've been electrocuted a few times in the past (I'm not dead yet! I feel happy!) and it was always through one hand.  Stimulating, to say the least...  Isn't there something like 400 volts or so running around inside your average tube amp?  Yikes.

Here's another question I always wondered about: is it bad to power on a tube amp without the tubes installed?  Not that I really have a pressing need to do so, but I was just curious if you yanked the power tubes while the thing was on would it be kaput or what.