Trinity 5e3 Build. Please Critique

[guycalleddave]

Originally Posted by EdMax

Is it me or is the output tube bypass cap reversed?

problem fixed.

[Cruisin Home]

you seem to be missing another wire coming off board. Ground wire from the big HV electrolytic filter caps. right where you have installed second jumper from cap to cap.

[Cruisin Home]

i sent you pic by email. please post it.

[guycalleddave]

My only question is that if you follow the chain of jumpers from his suggestion to the right of the eyelet board, they lead to a ground wire which is actually placed of the top of the board.

[Cruisin Home]

everyone I have ever seen build a successful 5e3 has a separate ground lead from that node I have pointed out. It doesent matter from which side of the board you run the lead from.

Now that I look at the board I believe you have another mistake in some of the jumpers that run from the next node. dont continue those brown jumpers down to the input side that all get grounded. You should have separate ground wires from each section of the circuit. As I said above that is the way Leo Fender did it, (not that he was always right) but also the way I have seen almost all DIY 5e3's. jumping these grounds on the board then also bringing some leads off to a chassis ground is creating a "ground loop" which will ultimately cause many unwanted audio problems. see pic that I emailed you as well as a Fender schematic.

[Cruisin Home]

I stand corrected by the OP thru a private mail he informed me that Trinity has a different grounding scheme. I cant comment that I have never seen the scheme but assume that they are selling good kit therefore he should follow their instruction.

there are certainly many different ground schemes. Your ear will tell you if you tamed the beast!!!

[guycalleddave]

So aside from the grounding debate, here is what I have done since last time.

1) Flipped cap so that the polarity matches
2) Installed PT and connected it to Jewel Light
3) Installed Heater Wires.


Let me know what you think.

[guycalleddave]

4) Also wired the inputs together.

[guycalleddave]

oops. just bought a nos rca 5y3. hate it when that happens!

[Cruisin Home]

looking pretty good Dave. I do like to lift the heater wires up off the chassis and run the signals close to chasiss but others have achieved success the opposite. Just plan to do one or the other.

fire that rectifier up and get it glowing!!!

[guycalleddave]

let me know

[guycalleddave]

man doesn't anyone have anything to say on how i wired the tube sockets?

[andyfromdenver]

Originally Posted by guycalleddave

So I populated the board finally. Here are some shots.

Please let me know if you see anything I should fix before I continue on.

Your comments are very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

Hi guycalleddave!
I'm a total newb, but I did notice something for your next build :)
I've started apprenticing for a local tech and he wants all the resistors to read the same way. Mostly for style points :)
He says that's how all the old fenders are and it's a sign of good work.
Color code to tolerance left to right.

[Cruisin Home]

white signal wires coming off V21 and 2 tube socket look like they are touching your heater wires. pull them apart as much as you can. other than that things look good.

[guycalleddave]

yeah i've been thinking about redoing the heater wiring a bit anyways. thanks

[Cruisin Home]

i dont think you have to undo. just leave heater wiring like it is against chassis and pull the signal wires up in the air a bit.

Electro magnetic coupling goes by the square law of distance meaning everytime you double the distance the coupling gos down by factor of 4. touching bad, what will happen is all the 60hz power line noise will make its way into your signal chain, particulalry at V1 where things are most susceptible prior to amplification. will result in humming sound. search the youtube, somebody has a good demonstration.

Your wiring and your soldering look good other than that point. shouldnt have to redo.

[guycalleddave]

So I just put everything together. I have what I believe to be 3 more solder joints to make till I'm done before the first power up.

The neutral wire that comes off the power cord is connected to the unused wires from the PT, soldered and heat shielded?

Also the NOS RCA 5Y3 GT came today. So that's fun.

[Cruisin Home]

Neutral usually only goes to one of the PT wires. Usually PY input is black and white, or black and black.

there may be additional wires, sometime bias taps. one normally puts them to chassis ground. But again your kit supposedly has a different grounding scheme, did they identify on their layout or schematic how to connect the PT?

[guycalleddave]

yep, but there is both a black and white and a black wire. it would appear that they get connected to the white neutral and taped off.

[guycalleddave]

I took the plunge, plugged her in, flipped the switch.....AND

I hear a mild hum, but the jewel light doesn't turn on. Nothing smoked, etc...

1) Do I need to discharge the caps now that I've plugged it in and flipped the on switch?
2) I ordered a new pre amp tube socket so I have a few days to trouble shoot anyway.