mdw3332 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 I have a small Crate amp that appears to have a loose connection in the jack socket. Should I take it apart and check the soldering /replace it? I am OK with soldering but have heard horror stories about what amps can do to you. Any thoughts? Thanks. Quote
truerussian558 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 well if its as simple as a jack socket id recomenmd to do it yourself, just because a "qualified" amp tech might just charge you uip to 50 bucks for an fairly easy job. and replacing it should be cheap to, just check your local radioshack for the jack Quote
ansil Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 no offense please dotn' use a radioshack jack they are made in china and suck major butt. i have had to replace them twice as quick as any other jack on the market.. for a dollar or less you can get a switchcraft. is you amp solidstate.. then yes i would jump in there in a heart beat. tube i would be alittle more leary. but then again i do this all the time. keep one hand in your pocket to keep voltage off your heart Quote
lovekraft Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 So long as you keep one hand out of/off of the amp, and you're not standing barefoot on a wet floor, the worst you're likely to get is a nasty shock - put the other hand in your back pocket. Actually, the input jack should be as far away from the power supply as possible, so you probably won't have any problems. If you have to replace the jack, be sure to use a good one, and make sure it's the same circuit as the original (ie, input shorting switch, isolated from the chassis, etc.). Being cautious is a good idea, but if you're reasonably careful, you're not likely to injure yourself - on the other hand, people kill themselves with lawnmowers all the time; go figure! <edit>Hey, Ansil - sorry, looks like great minds think alike, or something like that... Quote
truerussian558 Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 im just saying radioshack because its the most instantly thoguht about, but he shouldnt beworying about shocks in any amp, just let the caps decharge before doing anything. and unplug the chord. then just go in and replace/resolder the jack. Quote
lovekraft Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 Yes, but as any tube amp hobbyist can tell ya, it can take a long time for the caps to discharge, especially if there's no bleeder resistor in the power supply - I've gotten bitten several hours after the amp was unplugged. Quote
ansil Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 hey LK man check this out parrallel a few neons together and put a nice little clip on both ends to discharge your tube amp caps Quote
lovekraft Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 Yeah, that works - I found a little LED driver made from a Zetex voltage regulator that shuts the LED off at 15 volts (like a "hot" indicator light) that I'm gonna build into the power supplies on my amps. It's cheap, and pretty failsafe, and I can take 15 volts , no problem - I still always use a bleeder resistor, and only one hand unless I know for a fact that the caps are discharged. No reason to give myself another excuse to throw a chassis out the window, that's what hum and squeal are for. Quote
JohnnyG Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 i would have thought that a small solid state amp wouldnt be so bad voltage wise as a tube amp. granted they still run off 100 volts maybe butthats nicer than 400. easiest way of discharging caps is two leads attatched tothe ends of a highish power 10K resistor. you can even work out how long it would take the caps to discharge fully through the resistor lol, 5 * Resistance * Capacitance Quote
lovekraft Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 Oh, is it solid state? No worries then, just give it a few minutes and go for it. Sorry, I completely missed the solid state part. Quote
jefm Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 Well from working with tv's Caps can hold a pretty good charge weeks after diconnecting from power.... I'd imagine if there's nothing to drain the current amps would be the same... actually...it's a little mean but the small ones are good to charge up a few and then dump them down somebody's shirt Quote
lovekraft Posted May 30, 2004 Report Posted May 30, 2004 Or just leave 'em lying around on the bench - it does wonders for those wandering fingers types. Quote
mdw3332 Posted May 31, 2004 Author Report Posted May 31, 2004 Guys, thanks for the advice. "...and you're not standing barefoot on a wet floor..." So I guess doing it in a bathtub full of water wouldn't be recommended either? Quote
jefm Posted May 31, 2004 Report Posted May 31, 2004 Well...... It's not to say that it's impossible to do it up to your knees in water....it just makes it a little more difficult....I mean you can probably make toast and blow dry your hair while fixing the amp in your bathtub....the odds would defiantely be against you though Speaking of high voltage....anyone ever tried those high voltage gloves...the ones that are about a half inch of rubber....you thought soldering irons were cumbersome enough Quote
ansil Posted June 1, 2004 Report Posted June 1, 2004 i have seen these and they inspired me to make a new device for my soldering iron. so i could get closer to the base and make more accurate joints.. i configured a little piece of sheet metal that mounts on the insulated handle and has insulated material around it.. now i can get right around where the little set screw is at the end of the iron. Quote
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