MPP

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With my bench PSU, I have correct input voltages +-24v and Right channel is much better:

Output offset is now between .2 and .1 V oscilating

Input offset -1.8mV steady

The Left channel is almost as before
Output offset goes from 14V to -12 very fast
Input offset oscilates between 5 and 8 volts

When I connect the Left channel I can see flicker on all the leds... the oscilation extends to both channels.

If I leave only the Right channel on, everything is more stable.
 
1,8mV input offset is a bit much. Is that with only the loading resistors or the cartridge connected ? If you do not want to put that DC into your cartridge use a resistor parallel to the input load that is similar to your cartridge impedance. What cartridge do you use ?
Anyway, one channel works better. I would compare now all the voltages. First compare the voltages over the emitter resistors of the mirrors.
 
A few comments/suggestions regarding the prototype PCB layout:

Standoff mounting positions should be holes. (I noticed they are on the silk only on the beta tester boards)

I much prefer part designators rather than values on a PCB. The values might change, but the designators will stay constant. It also makes debugging the circuit much easier, if needed. Now which BC327 I am looking for again? ;)

Add a separate ground connected pad for experimental connection to chassis ground, ground post, etc.

I'm not sure about the location of the servo circuitry. Would it not be "better" to move the POS and NEG phases of the amplification circuit and RIAA components closer together and have the servo located closer to the output? Or is the current location better because of close proximity to the input?
 
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All my measurements are with external psu connected in the central point of the board... the inboard psu is still connected so the leds light up... I believe it should work better if I disabled the inboard shunts... but how ?

hi ricardo, sorry to hear you are having trouble....

to disconnect the shunts, just take out one of the LEDs from the strings, this disables the shunt. you should also desolder the power resistor from the current source just to be safe.

have you tried with a scope to see if this oscillates? you can connect the ground clip to the tip of the probe and see if you get a 10-20mhz signal. in that case, try the ground plane shunt. i have seen large output variations that looked like DC but were caused by the parasitic high frequency oscillations.

good luck
 
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Joined 2006
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hi ricardo, sorry to hear you are having trouble....

to disconnect the shunts, just take out one of the LEDs from the strings, this disables the shunt. you should also desolder the power resistor from the current source just to be safe.

have you tried with a scope to see if this oscillates? you can connect the ground clip to the tip of the probe and see if you get a 10-20mhz signal. in that case, try the ground plane shunt. i have seen large output variations that looked like DC but were caused by the parasitic high frequency oscillations.

good luck

I connected output to input GND and now I am reading input offset (Left) .6v instead of 9v

Maybe I should try the GND plane shunt.
 
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As I have one fully functional channel, I will focus on the other one only (Left)

With shunts disabled, there is no flicker on the opamp leds... good.

With 40r load I have 40mV offset in the input...

In the output I read 13.6v offset very stable now.

All test points read ok
tp1 24.1v
tp8 23.7v
tp7 23.7v
tp6 22.6v
tp5 22.6v
tp3 13.3v
tp4 -12.5v
tp9 -22.8v
tp10 -22.8v
tp11 -23.7v
tp12 -23.6v
tp2 -24v

I read 13.9v on the bases of Q35 Q38 (This is wrong)

So the riaa circuit reads also 13.9V

Replaced Q28 but the issue persists....

If Q15 is shorted, can it pass tp3 (13.3v) voltage to R47 and R51 (22ohm each) ?