• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Aikido Crackle Hiss Noise Solved

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Earlier I posted this......

"....I had a crackle and hissing sound {sic in my Aikido preamp} from more than one set of 6N1P's, I rewired the heaters for 12AU7's in the first position and no more crackles

All is well, now..."

WELL< The crackles came back and even though I had searched the signal path with my oscilloscope, I could not identify the crackles as signal noise.

Upon very closer inspection I found the voltage divider I had added to bias the filament up to 60 volts DC had a bad solder joint and was intermittentantly making contact due to vibrations, heat and especially, me, pounding on the preamp out of frustration.

I found the faulty joint while using a voltmeter with the preamp powered up and in the fault mode (thank the tube gods because I had done this several times out of the fault mode) and found there was no elevation of the filament voltage, resoldered the joint and now,

ALL IS WELL.

But I do have 12AU7's in the input position now and leave well enough alone for now. Nothing wrong with the 6N1P's after all.

Live and learn, a very happy

dr._sleep

as we say in medicine "The enemy of good is better"
 
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