figured i was starting too many threads and it would be better to keep it all in one place

gonna be posting some stuff that is painfully obvious to the more skilled members here yet is an epiphany for me 

btw everybody here has been super cool and helpful

so here we go

 

I decided to try and figure out what this TO-3 was....and if it was good

so a probing I went

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and here is the device under test 

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I kinda want to look it up and see if i am right....

but i will wait

 

so I am previewing this looking back at my data thinking maybe those reverse bias? readings look kinda low.....oh well too late to chicken out now

i say
-its a PNP and its good (no shorts)

  

fortunately this didnt have more than three wires on the secondary side

green to green

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then each green to yellow/green

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 that last pic looks a little too close for comfort
 

I presume that yellow/green is the center tap....

time to read about center tap(s)

the two green went to a bridge rectifier

the yellow green went to an 8 pin chip...and back to the primary fuse holder....


hope you had a nice labor day weekend

 

wanted to input signal to BB and check it out

seems SG needs to be added in series

so here we go....
randomly chose 1k resistor then connected SG as PS

didnt want to kill my "new" scope so checked with multimeter first

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being cautious was tough to get any kind of output...I started on the low output and cranked it up...got some mv reading finally

connected my scope and couldnt get a triggered signal worth crap

repeated the above on high output

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was still surprised to see small output....idk

but finally got signal on my scope and tried to adjust pp

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then I remembered what G1 said about dc offset so i checked it and it works like he said but wierd if i went to far it got cut off...clipping?

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so that was a lot of fun  gonna put this stuff up and contemplate todays events
 

like why i get the same reading when scope is set to ac or dc...

but i was happy to see the amplitude change when volts per div was changed

as usual thanks for listening

mocked it up with my jams

still need a set of shelves on the bottom

them wood blocks got to go

in the middle where those speakers are will be scope, ps, sg etc

all 100% roadside acquisition...obviously 

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maybe it will evolve from here

finally unpacked some of this stuff

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sawtooth

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square

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dc offset moves but doesnt hold

anyhow feelin pretty good even though i feel like i parachuted into another planet

have no idea whatsoever about these controls or adjustments

should be fun

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cant believe that hickock works...awesome the dc offset moves the trace but falls back

I wanted to fix my heathkit scope and i (we) will in time but i ordered another one so i could get on with my journey here which is happening at a snails pace


gonna have to do a lot of reading and watching videos

Im happy to report that i took a major step in my learning journey.  Having finally procured a few items to start using breadboards and actually DOING AND SEEING THINGS rather than reading about them and trying to visualise mentally. 

here is the first ever experiment directions

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and here is my assembled circuit

measuring voltage drop across the resistor

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and voltage drop across the diode

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in the grand scheme of things i have a long way to go ha ha

but every journey begins with a single step

thanks for being a part of it

(because i hope you can be part of it when i start hooking up transistors and capacitors and signals and scopes.....and start crying out for help      

im gonna see if the small shop will take it back (let me donate it, not sell it back)
if not I will try to get a lowball offer from GC

it is like new, bought it in 2020....nice amp i enjoyed it but I have too much stuff and it has been on CL for a while at ridiculously low price...with not one inquiry.

its easy to have scorn for this new stuff but i did play the heck out of it

I know one thing though some people are really good at dialing i  different presets...and some arent....(raises hand)

nevertheless...i had some cool presets with corny names...

Blizzard Lead

Faces Losing You

Pretenders

Enthralled  (named for Pat Thrall)

and some others i cant recall atm

it had a nice built in tuner though

 

I just started another book and it is really good but they immediately had me doing Thevenin and Norton exercises.

I was like "oh no not again plugging and chugging exercises.."

but I guess i will work through it and get to the good stuff...lots of circuits...yeah 

I reckon knowing it will help me somehow down the line

 

the guys at SSGuitar fixed my Peavey amp.  I bought it from a place where it had been collecting dust for probably decades.  I brought it home and it worked good but would cut out (go silent) sometimes coming back on and sometimes not.  I figured it was a sketchy input jack or some crusty old connection having problems.
It was frustrating but the sound was so killer \m/ i loved using it and putting up with it.
eventually it went silent and remained silent.  I read and watched lots of stuff about the effects loop and headphone jack etc to no avail.
I joined this place and the guys jumped right in to help.  they asked me different questions and asked me to check different things.
eventually they focused on a voltage measurement that didnt make sense and upon their recommendation I ordered the inexpensive component and replaced it.
and the amp now works...and sounds awesome.
no high tech tools were used.  just a multimeter, soldering iron, solder, desoldering wick and some hand tools.
it was kinda tricky getting the board out and inverted to work on it...and honestly when I soldered the new part in I was more nervous than someone doing brain surgery.
 
but it was a success and I want to shout out to the members here thanks for all of your help.

 

I have read that yellow and red are pos
and blue and black are neg...
but i can not find any markings on the speakers or terminal

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thanks

meanwhile I will keep looking...it sounds good to me as is idk

THANKS AGAIN FOR FIXING MY AMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

picked this stuff up today...a decade resistance box, box of nos components, and a plastic tool box for $30
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this def needs some cleaning and a binding post...I wonder how accurate it will be
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lots of ic? and sockets
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I hope these 4040BE are useful...whatever they are

and the rest of the lot
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time to figure out if any of this is useful

  

I have some older solder (among various types and ages)

seems like it would be awesome due to the diameter

but maybe it is so old the rosin stuff inside has degraded?

the reason I ask is everytime I try to use it I get awful crumbly crap. it will every so often behave and melt nicely but then mess up again.

I thought maybe it was just the end of it exposed to air amd moisture maybe it would get better but it hasnt.

hate to toss it but I cant get it to work.  I have other stuff that works good.

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thanks for your help

did not power on
found an open fuse
replaced fuse
put on dbt looked good
powered on but has no trace

crt is glowing a little but not much

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the slide switches are extremely stubborn

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you practically need a hammer and chisel to move them

 

I am aware there are crazy high voltages in these things so I havent fooled with it   

hello ssguitar enthusiasts

I am ordering some components as listed in an old lab book for experiments.
Listed are transistors, scr, diodes, resistors and capacitors

I am familiar with electrolytic capacitors as most are polar and marked as such..seems like for a breadboard I would want capacitors that can be installed either way?
maybe film or ceramic?  maybe price will be a consideration idk

I am assuming the diodes and resistors will not need to be anything special or unusual.

thanks for your help I have some Jameco breadboards.

regards
Wesley

hello all
I have a realistic power supply 13.8v 3A
I want to hook up and test an old 7808CT removed from my amp.  I dont know much but I am thinking 3 amps is gonna blow this thing up or melt it....
(I dont want to reuse it this is just me trying to learn some stuff...)
I also have a topwon 6303A that I havent unpacked yet maybe I can dial current down..
also I read the data sheet on some of the semiconductors...about a I could find was the output current.
I did some preliminary diode type tests per youtube...it seems to be good idk....if its good its good I will replace it regardless that dag blasted glue had to come off anyway.  Anyhow mucho beer and pizza to all I really appreciate it all the help I have gotten here.
regards
Wesley

I have an amp (Peavey Audition Chorus) that used to play and intermittently cut out (silence) and a while back it cut out for good.

I was thinking about checking continuity on each volume, tone etc pot

 

thanks for letting me join!!!  I usually am a long time lurker before joining a forum but this place I wanted to start right away!  I was extremely impressed to say the least...just the old archived info threads are valuable and killer. Trust me I have been poring over them.
about me if anybody cares...Im old!  born in the 60s, love cats, metal, lawnmowers, and history.  im one lucky SOB and dont take the gift of every day lightly.  I wish I knew then what I know now.
but im not complaining.
anyhow I love the old Peavey amps..I have a rage 108 that probably nobody else would ever be able to bear to listen to but the old Peavey tone really hits home for me. 

I am really interested in electronics and have made it through about 3 1/2 books working all of the problems and everything.  Unfortunately I still cant fix anything and decided I would have to do some actual HANDS ON and bought some breadboards and exp electronic books for actual doing stuff.  So I can solve circuits for Kirchoffs law, talk about hole current and minority carriers and find resonant frequencies etc but cant make my silent Peavey Audition Chorus make a sound!

so I will make a thread about my quiet Peavey but meanwhile thanks for having me!!!

regards
Wesley