Solid State Guitar Amp Forum | DIY Guitar Amplifiers

Solid State Amplifiers => The Newcomer's Forum => Topic started by: saturated on September 02, 2025, 06:35:03 PM

Title: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 02, 2025, 06:35:03 PM
I've had this old Amprobe AMC 4 for a while
IMG_20250902_121806657_HDR (1).jpg
I noticed on the low setting I can get some voltage readings either with leads and multimeter or multimeter leads across inserted resistor.
But at the two next higher settings I don't get anything  :grr

Maybe I'm using or testing it wrong.

Anyhow I opened it up to have a look.

Testing at the what I presume is the secondary of a transformer I get about 400V AC  :tu:

IMG_20250902_113409659.jpg

Beyond that I'm not coming up with much.

Thinking out loud here I thought maybe some generators are straight DC but I guess this one is AC and still has to be rectified?  xP

Anyhow I started eyeballing this (diode ?) and get some DC on the other side of it but not much. 
IMG_20250902_115337212 (1).jpg

Maybe it's not a diode because it has a band in each end idk.

Also I get like a 17v voltage drop across it.

 :loco

Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 02, 2025, 07:07:09 PM
I'm thinking now the suspected diode is just one of those resistors without stripes (color coded bands) on it.

I'm in deep reflection pondering the likelihood that the AC is not rectified at all.  Like...dude there is no dc the megger uses ac for everything why are you looking for that which is not there.   :grr

This would be a great time to meditate on the beaches of Tasmania  :trouble

Edit: nope it is supposed to generate DC
Get back to work
Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: g1 on September 03, 2025, 02:40:16 PM
What is the full number(s) on that diode-looking part?  What is the voltage rating on that cap?
Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 04, 2025, 04:27:15 PM
Yes sir thanks

Unfortunately I can't see much on the diode thingy

Best I can do is maybe 80400  xP

And a pic of the capacitater

IMG_20250904_151839353_HDR.jpg

 :loco
Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 04, 2025, 04:35:24 PM
Also I was gonna point out these guys

IMG_20250904_153239452 (1).jpg

And that's when I found some diodes cleverly stashed  :grr


IMG_20250904_153245711 (1).jpg

Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: Tassieviking on September 10, 2025, 01:05:30 PM
You would not like the beaches of Tasmania at this time of year, it snowed like crazy some time in the last week I was told.
I don't know myself since I had my first ulcer, I should say ulcers last week and ended up in hospital after the ulcers dumped over half my blood into my stomach, take it from me its hard to think, breathe and you get very woozie when you loose that much blood. 5 days in hospital getting blood pumped back in and the ulcers stapled up and all is good now, sort of.(I'm up to 75% of my normal blood level).

Just check the diodes with a multimeter, those 0.1uF 630V capacitors don't look bad but you never know.

 
Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 10, 2025, 08:51:25 PM
Yes sir thanks

Hope you get to feeling better  :dbtu:
Title: Re: Why attend a kegger (when you can play with a megger)
Post by: saturated on September 16, 2025, 01:03:24 AM
Yes sir I did put the multimeter on each diode and cranked

Three of four showed about 0.5-0.8 voltage drop

But one consistently showed 2 volts or better

IMG_20250915_235245576 (1).jpg

However all showed good diode check

IMG_20250915_235829830 (1).jpg

I know it's not much to go on maybe the diode is not to blame but something up or downstream of it.

 xP