Crimson Elecktric Power Amp Wiring

[rhw4]

Hi All I have a Crison Elektric stereo powere am that was built for me over 20 years ago boards are numbered 35 - 01B
I tried to replace the mains input plug and have messed up the wiring and now the amp takes out all the electrics from the house!

I think I have soldered one of the blue wires in the wrong place does any one have any ideas.

On the 3 pins from the back of the mains socket I have Earth, Live going to the fuse Nutral to the Mains transformer then there is a thicker blue cable that comes from tone of the large capicitos and I think went to the neutral but this is where I am not certain and I think is the poblem

I know the above sounds very blond but would be grateful for any assistance.
Thanks

[burbeck]

hi
can you show a picture or a drawing, the wire from the capacitors to Neutral is not correct and could be very dangerous, do not connect it to the mains until you are very sure what you are doing.

[traderbam]

I know the above sounds very blond but would be grateful for any assistance.

If your house has an earth leakage circuit breaker in the fusebox then you have almost certainly connected neutral and earth together in the amp. Neutral has a few volts on it and if connected to earth a small current will flow in the earth and this will trip your fusebox.

If you are melting real fuses then you have got more serious problems and you should ignore anything I say.

In any case, its best to give Crimson a phone call, if they still exist.

As burbeck says you should not be connecting anything from the big caps to the neutral. N should go to the transformer only.

I'm guessing, but if the blue wire from the big caps originally connected at the IEC mains connector, then it was connected to earth, not to neutral. This is in spite of the wire being blue and causing obvious confusion.

[AndrewT]

build a light bulb tester.
plug it in between the mains and the amp.
The 40W bulb should flash briefly and go off.
If it doesn't then come back.

[rhw4]

All, thanks for the advice you have been very helpful.
Burbeck, please see pic
The offending wire is the one that comes from the capicitor on the right of the picture and is shown held between the pliers.
I did connect it to the neutral and it took the house electrics out.

My thoughts are that perhaps it was attached to the shield of the inputs if it has not come from the back of the mains socket, but I think it was attached to the mains socket.
Thanks once agai, I would love to get it working am having a memory trip as it sounded great.

[burbeck]

hi,
i do not see a pic ???

[rhw4]

Hi Bob sorry the original pic was too big hope you can see it now?
Kind Regards,
Rob.

PS connected the blue to the earth and i blew the fuses.
Am really grateful for the advice I have recieved I am at aloss to sort it.

[AndrewT]

that exposed mains fuse is a fatality waiting to happen.
Get a mains fuse holder, before you kill someone.

Blue is Neutral. If this blew the fuse when connected to Safety Earth then your socket outlet may have the N & L reversed.
Get professional help.

[traderbam]

That photo is helpful. But not helpful enough. A few more from different angles would be better, especially showing what is going on by the cap and rectifiers.

What were you messing with the IEC connector for, anyhow? What were you trying to do?

[burbeck]

hi,
as well as the area of the smoothing caps also the mains transformer connections and mains switch would help

the 70s eh everyone was carefree back then, Crimson's wiring diagrams were bad but not that bad.