5f1 Troubleshooting

Well, first power up did not go well. Turned on for the first time with no tubes. Light did not come on. Nothing much of anything happened at first. Fuse did not blow. No smoke or anything like that but as I was about to test voltages, I started to hear a crackle (almost like boiling) and that is when I touch the power transformer and noticed it was getting very hot. So I shut it down. I checked all connections and I don't notice anything obvious. Of course, I don't really now what the heck I am doing. Below are some quick pictures.

Any suggestions on where to start?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7532572346_a7709b9d5d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532572346/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532572346/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7532575184_e33f7ec115.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532575184/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532575184/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7532578286_13ee6787e4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532578286/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532578286/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7532581496_edf3444143.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532581496/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532581496/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7532584644_4a1ac5af47.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532584644/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532584644/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7532592330_bcb1621560.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532592330/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532592330/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

Is your 220K power tube grid resistor and your big cathode resistor going to ground? I can't see if they are in the photo. looks like not.

Has your small 22K resistor going to the output jack burned up?

Getting late here. Let's sort it out in the morning.

I believe they are grounded. We're talking about the third capacitor from the left? It is grounded to the grounding bus at the top. I tried to get a better picture of that. I ran it where it picks up another ground point on the far right and connected it to the input jack.

It doesn't look like the resistor is burnt.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7533403548_597bbe0149.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533403548/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533403548/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7533399140_d0ed8fce30.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533399140/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533399140/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7533401478_a7c07cc965.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533401478/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7533401478/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/haircuttingcowboy/Missinggroundconnection.jpg

The missing ground connection is here. Under the crossbar of the H.

This may not be your only problem.

But remove your switch/pot and move it out of the way. It may be possible to leave its connections intact.

You will need to take a file or a dremel and remove some insulation from the bar.

Then solder a bare wire jumper from the turret top to the bar.

This is major - that is to say that - there is no way this amp will run with that ground connection missing.

I am assuming that you have not made this connection under the board.

I will email you with further info.

The wires to the lamp is wrong I think

Here is mine

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/246523_10151839717280066_970551749_n.jpg

Good eyes, icy.

It looks like guitb's got two and two on the outside solder tabs. The outboard solder tabs are connected to the same contact on the bulb.

The way you have yours is correct, of course.

Just a noob, but I think that ground connection that Dave is talking about is already under the board.

Oops, looks like the problem is solved. Gee, I sure type slow. :roll:

Mark

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af283/haircuttingcowboy/Missinggroundconnection.jpg

The missing ground connection is here. Under the crossbar of the H.

This may not be your only problem.

But remove your switch/pot and move it out of the way. It may be possible to leave its connections intact.

You will need to take a file or a dremel and remove some insulation from the bar.

Then solder a bare wire jumper from the turret top to the bar.

This is major - that is to say that - there is no way this amp will run with that ground connection missing.

I am assuming that you have not made this connection under the board.

I will email you with further info.

This connection is made under the board. I think it is correct.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/7532592330_bcb1621560.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532592330/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7532592330/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

The wires to the lamp is wrong I think

Here is mine

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/246523_10151839717280066_970551749_n.jpg

Thanks. I'll make this change. I assumed it would have been the same as my last one. It is a different style lamp though.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8287/7535554198_5ff53b9453.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7535554198/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7535554198/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

I made the swap per Icy's suggestion. Lamp comes on and all seems fine. I'll continue the power up procedure now. I am confident the rest is in good shape. Just didn't know enough about the different style of lamp.

Thank for the fast replies guys.

Hope that does it for you. Good luck.

All is well. We are making sweet music.

Sorry for the crappy photos. I am a musician, not a photographer (nor a very good amp builder :shock:)

Forgive the intrusion of the strat in a tele forum. But, that is my '57 AVRI and she gets first crack at all new equipment that finds it's way in the house.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7536142524_03f540a298.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7536142524/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7536142524/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8166/7536138948_bfa7e8cb3d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7536138948/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53737058@N05/7536138948/) by stewartlabs (http://www.flickr.com/people/53737058@N05/), on Flickr

Yay!!!!

I like Strats. Congrats on a successful build. Thanks for the finding the problem, icy wind500.

Yea !! Congraz on the build !
I'm so itching to build another !!