Professor smith needs help

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Hi Professor smith,
AKSA, can you tell me whether this is the case with the AKSA?
😕
Has Hugh seen a picture of your build yet?
Has anyone checked your build out with an oscilloscope yet?

If these things have not been done, no one can tell. That is why I specifically asked for these things. It seems as though you are still trying to talk this through. A total waste of time, you may as well see a fortune teller and look in her crystal ball with her.

How about trying something new here? Let's get some facts together before yakking any more. We are wasting time. There is no "who's right and who's wrong" here. There is only what is, or is not actually happening.
I knew that wires can 'couple' but I didnt know it was that significant.
Here is one example where experience would show you this. As I stated in my email to you, any circuit with gain may be made to oscillate if the wiring is not done correctly. The same for picking up any number of signals from noise sources.
None of these things can be proven.
Sure they can. Have a knowledgeable group test the amplifier.
The other thing with this amp is that if you look at my picture, the power wires and signal wires are next to each other and I dont see how I would be able to separate them further.
I have not seen you picture yet. Can you please point me to it?
Now, just because you can't see how to separate some wires will not keep them from interacting. Again, the circuit will respond per the rules of physics - regardless of your intentions.

To route your wires properly, you may have to rethink how and where the wires run. If you have not left yourself enough room for this, you may need to resort to copper tubing (for example) for shielding. Of course, I would also be worried about heat buildup in that case, assuming a small enclosure.
This is not a serious problem though because the offset and the bias are not extremely out of range. It plays music fine and it even does it very well at times so looking at it positively I doubt there is anything seriously wrong. Is this reasonable?
The term "reasonable" may be interpreted in different ways here. So let's just look at some possibilities and realities.

The reality is that you don't have any way to determine if there is a problem beyond listening to the amplifier running. Therefore, "plays music fine" is partially an assumption based on the fact that you get music out. You could have ultrasonic oscillations without being able to detect that state. Possibly then, if this was a problem and was repaired, your amplifiers would sound far better. The DC offset and bias currents can be in range while there are serious faults that occur. I have seen this more than once. Also, the defect may be intermittent. It works fine but may break into oscillation (as one example) without you knowing it.

You can not make that assumption. Understand that I am not saying that you have a serious fault either. What I am saying is that we just don't know. We do not have enough information to say anything at this point.

So, one more time. Let's stop talking about this until we have some hard facts to run on. Blank your mind, present the factual information as required and we will solve it.

You know, I've spent more time posting on this than it would have taken me to find out what is going on if the unit were on my bench. The thing about that fact that bothers me is that you, Professor smith, have not learned one darn thing at all! That means that the time and effort so far has been a complete and total waste so far! Do us all one favor. With an open mind, please read all these recent posts again. If you feel you want to challenge a statement made, research it yourself before questioning the author. Most of us (if not all) are trying to help you out and are posting in good faith. Truth does not require that you like what it is, so ignore your personal feelings and try to be objective. You do not have enough knowledge to reason this out, so stop talking and start taking pictures and lining up a session with an oscilloscope.

If you were close, we'd just throw it on the bench and see what's what.

-Chris
 
I my opinion those complaining about the wiring in the build shown here are very right.

High current cables carrying the very same current (for example speaker wires) should be close together. Inside any loop there will be a magnetic field, the smaller loop area the better.

In pictures shown of the build wires are everywhere, lots of possibilities for inductive (and capacitive coupling) between wires.
It could work as is but why not do it as good as possible from start?

The first thing I would do to get forward is: Group channel for channel, supply wires together, speaker wires together and place signal wires as far as possible from the high power wires. If one is forced to cross one low and one high current wire, do it at a 90 degrees angle in order to minimize coupling.
 
anatech said:
Hi Professor smith,
😕
Has Hugh seen a picture of your build yet?
Has anyone checked your build out with an oscilloscope yet?


Hi,

The answer to the first is yes and the second no.

The bottom line is this. You are making suggestions which are impractical. I do not have access to an oscilloscope nor do I have the money to buy one. Now you can see why I am reluctant to take your advice.

You said:

''1. If this was a kit sold with case, wires and a wiring guide I might agree with you more. It isn't, and Hugh has no control over what wire is used, or it's placement within the chassis.

2. If the kit was working properly, and the wiring was done properly, there would be no need to check further.''

The fact is Hugh sells kits and has no control over wiring etc as you say. But it's also true that the isntruction does not mention the need for an oscilloscope.

But then you say ''If the kit was working properly, and the wiring was done properly, there would be no need to check further.''

I can interpret these statements in many ways and what you say is ambiguous. One interpretation is that you insist on the use of an oscilloscope to build the AKSA and therefore Hugh is mistaken to not state this requirement and should take responsibility?

Another interpretation is that if the wiring is done ''properly'' then there is no need for an oscilloscope and Hugh is not to blame. But then you also say that ''You could have ultrasonic oscillations without being able to detect that state.'' and ''The reality is that you don't have any way to determine if there is a problem beyond listening to the amplifier running'' in which case how do we know the wiring is done ''properly''?

Please respond to and clarify these two points. I am not sure what you mean.

Thanks.
 
Hi tinitus, Stuey,
Thank you. The link wasn't working for me until I worked at getting the link a different way. I wasn't sure if that was the image we needed.

Okay, from what I can see I'd be surprised if there weren't any problems. I guess the very first thing that Professor smith should do is remove the wiring and plan how cables will run. One stage at a time.

All that mains cabling should be together as much as possible, and to the extreme left behind the transformers. This would be stage 1.

The cabling from the transformers to the power PCB should be twisted or braided together to minimize emission of supply noise. They should remain between the transformers and rectifier PCBs and tie wrapped together. Don't let these snake out around in the chassis. Stage 2.

What we now have is all the AC cabling confined to areas where other wires are not likely to be run. Dress them close to the chassis.

What I would do next is a personal thing. I like to run my grounds before anything else, then any DC supply wiring. All these will be heavier wire, especially the grounds. All the supply leads should be dressed together and neatly run. Do not use any longer wire than is required so you don't have extra forming loops. Stage 3.

Lastly, the speaker output leads and input leads are run. Speaker and returns are heavier gage cables, signal wiring has a good shield and low capacitance. Needless to say, your signal wiring should remain apart from all others. Where you must cross another wire, do so at right angles. Stage 4.

That's just how I would do it, I'm sure many other's out there have a way that works for them. The important thing is to keep some wires away from others. The fact that the wiring tends to look neatly done afterwards is not the goal, but merely a side benefit from doing the cabling properly.

If you are going to complain, at least you are not taught to lace your wiring anymore. Think about that for a minute. Mind you, that looks really neat and tidy!

Is this the worst I have seen? Not by a long shot, but why settle for sloppy work? This may not solve all your problems, but at least it will eliminate wiring as a source of your troubles. You may still have connection problems, or a problem with a module caused by shipping or knocking during installation. Always keep an open mind and fix what you know to be wrong.

-Chris
 
Professor smith said:


The thing is how can Magura say the soldering is poor when he hasnt seen it??

None of my pictures are that detailed to show it up close. But what I will do is take another picture and this time it will be more detailed showing the soldering.


Detailed enough to see the soldering is sub-standard, which means it's very sub-standard most likely.

But this is no longer an issue, as Chris just explained how to re-wire the whole amp, so next time you want to solder the whole thing, take a look at google first:

http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&q=how+to+solder+wires&meta=&aq=0&oq=how+to+solder


Magura 🙂
 
Hi Professor smith,
You are making suggestions which are impractical.
No, they are not impractical. This is what you need to do in order to troubleshoot a fault in electronic systems.
I do not have access to an oscilloscope nor do I have the money to buy one.
This has exactly zero to do with what should be done. Just because something is not easily done does not make that "something" impractical or incorrect. I can't help that you are having trouble with something you put together that has a problem. There are certain steps that need to be followed, and should be followed. You might have to spend a little more effort in accomplishing what you need to do.
Now you can see why I am reluctant to take your advice.
Well, I did tell you that you may not like the truth, but it is still the truth. Remember that we are trying to help you. Believe me when I tell you that I don't like wasting my time. Everything I have told you was for a reason. Please consider that before dismissing what I've had to say. Wrong attitude, so this post will be the last attempt to assist you unless you can make an effort to help yourself.

But it's also true that the isntruction does not mention the need for an oscilloscope.
😱
Oh, come on now! The instructions also didn't say your kit might not work either. By your own reasoning then, no matter how you put the kit together, it works fine. You have nothing to complain about in that case.

Don't be silly with me. This is an example of you attempting to debate something that is factual in order to ... what? Not fix your amp? Magically fix it by debating the situation with an inanimate object (your amp)? Debating why you don't agree with something you know little about, or why you don't want to do something will never change the reality of the situation. Stop doing this.

One interpretation is that you insist on the use of an oscilloscope to build the AKSA and therefore Hugh is mistaken to not state this requirement and should take responsibility?
Anything to make this someone else's fault I guess. Debating again.

Look, don't make silly comments. But I will respond to your statement.

In fact, whenever you build anything, you should have some means with which to check your work that is the accepted norm for that industry. If you make a ruler, you compare it to another to check marking accuracy and possibly a stone bed to check for true on the edges. For an amplifier, that usually means good meters, an oscilloscope, an oscillator and a THD analyzer. That would be the accepted minimum for this industry. That's also a fact, don't bother debating it.

These things are common sense and generally accepted in this industry. I'm sure the ruler industry has standards to check against. Actually, they do and so does everyone who makes rulers. If you do not have these things, that is your fault, not Hugh's, not mine. Your own fault. You also should have training in the field. Also not Hugh's fault. It is assumed that a person of average intelligence will research what they are not sure of. Accept these things as true, the way the world works.

If you have a drivers license and run up against a situation that wasn't covered, and as a result you have a collision, who is to blame? The driver training course? No. It's you, the driver who is at fault. You are expected to advance your driving skills over time, and to anticipate trouble and make intelligent decisions. Some times, you can't win and it's still your fault. So enough of who's fault this is. 🙄

As for that last bit you posted, I was pointing out why you require an oscilloscope to check that your creation is in fact running properly. You should never assume anything, although some assumptions are safer than others. Just because you think something sounds okay does not mean it is okay. Get the difference?

So you can not bring your amp to an oscilloscope? Are you in school? If so, do they have an electronics program? There's your answer. Failing that, many repair shops will assist a young experimenter. If you are older, then you must know someone who has access to this equipment. That is unless you are an unlikeable chap who has burned all their bridges behind them. The point is, most everyone can get access to an oscilloscope if they just try to use their head. Think man!

Finally, there may be a member close to your location who is willing to help you out. Be nice. Accept what he says. Buy him a coffee and donut to be civil and thank him when you are finished.

Fix your wiring as posted here and there. Try it again, and take a picture to show what you have done. If you get your amp working, thank the fine members who have tried to assist you. Apologize to Hugh. I will try to help you as long as I feel you are putting in an effort. Debate over silly things and I'm gone. Questions are fine.

-Chris
 
Hi Morten,
Thank you.

It looks like Professor smith tried to do a good job, but there are connection problems too. There is a lot of exposed wire near the terminals too. One wonders if the terminals wet properly. The wire would carry solder, but the terminal may only be in physical contact. That would explain a lot, wouldn't it?

Professor smith, Morten assists enthusiasts in his area. He spends time teaching the skills and methods involved in audio electronics. I suggest you listen to what he has to say as well. He could be your best friend in this situation.

-Chris
 
Thank you Chris, Rabbitz, 4fun, AndrewT, Magura, and Tinitus.

I have consistently tried to help. 60 emails has taken some perseverance. QC on the amp is a given; it was properly tested before despatch. It performed identically to any other N+ I have built. I am convinced the problem lies with either source, or wiring, or power (mains), or speakers.

Kenji won't actually do anything. A CRO is not required here. He wants to talk about the problem as long as possible. This leads me to believe his intentions are not honourable, and his complaints are insincere.

Regrettable.

Hugh
 
I'd be interested to see an image of the soldering that has lead to the conclusion it may be the root cause for the problem. I'm not doubting it, just interested to see with my own eyes - or is it in one of the posts that I missed ?

I will play Devil's Advocate a bit with the responses I read above...

I don't agree that Kenji is being unreasonable in questioning the advice given when it asks for the application of equipment he doesn't have and is relatively expensive. An oscilloscope is not a reqd. piece of equipment to assemble AKSA and do basic debugging. It may be usual to have such things in the industry, but Kenji is not in the industry. It takes some skill to use an oscilloscope properly and even more skill to diagnose an intermittent problem based on the data from an oscilloscope. This is very likely beyond the skill that Kenji has, so not much use in suggesting this approach. It maybe that this limits the kind of problems that he can solve and he will only feel badgered by some of the language we are using.

If we have all the 'smarts' on this forum, can we figure out how to help Kenji within the constraints we have ?
 
Bigun said:
I'd be interested to see an image of the soldering that has lead to the conclusion it may be the root cause for the problem. I'm not doubting it, just interested to see with my own eyes - or is it in one of the posts that I missed ?

I will play Devil's Advocate a bit with the responses I read above...


If we have all the 'smarts' on this forum, can we figure out how to help Kenji within the constraints we have ?


http://www.sendspace.com/file/man8b3

Try to do a little zooming, and you'll see what I mean.

There is a limit to what you can lay over on Hugh.
He has shipped 2 tested modules, if one module had gone bad, ok, this could happen, but not 2.

The AKSA modules are AFAIK fairly well proven, but a mess like you see in the above link, could make any piece of electronics malfunction.

I have helped newbee's with more audio projects, than I have count of, and while messy wiring sure can be an issue, especially regarding grounding, I have found that 95% of the cases of proven concepts malfunctioning, is related to sub-standard soldering.

Add to that, that Kenji so far has done zip, but making it practically impossible to help trouble shooting, by changing other factors in the audio chain and positioning of the speakers, I think it's safe to assume that Hugh has no chance of helping him, neither do we, and that Hugh is in no way to blame for this.

Conclusion:

Kenji has some work to do, and it has been explained in detail how to do, several times.


Until that happens, this is just a long and unjustified rant.


Magura 🙂
 
I did look at your image Magura.
My thinking:
- Looks like pretty good dimensions cables.
- Should be twisted in pairs on a number of places.
- Could be shorter internal wires. The rule is to make as short as practically possible. (A certain slack is needed for temperature reasons)
By re-arranging your pcbs and stuff you can make them shorter some times.
- Keep primary 230 VAC far from secondary transformer wires and of course from the wires with DC (after rectifier)
- The cooling looks very good.
- The box could be smaller. But otherwise it looks to be a good enclosure.
- Quite allright with some space between Transformer and the PCBs.

- The Grounding Scheme I suppose is good and proper. But can not tell from picture.
 
Bigun said:
I will play Devil's Advocate a bit with the responses I read above...

I don't agree that Kenji is being unreasonable in questioning the advice given when it asks for the application of equipment he doesn't have and is relatively expensive. An oscilloscope is not a reqd. piece of equipment to assemble AKSA and do basic debugging. It may be usual to have such things in the industry, but Kenji is not in the industry. It takes some skill to use an oscilloscope properly and even more skill to diagnose an intermittent problem based on the data from an oscilloscope. This is very likely beyond the skill that Kenji has, so not much use in suggesting this approach. It maybe that this limits the kind of problems that he can solve and he will only feel badgered by some of the language we are using.

If we have all the 'smarts' on this forum, can we figure out how to help Kenji within the constraints we have ? [/B]

I agree. But in response Chris said:''Believe me when I tell you that I don't like wasting my time. Wrong attitude, so this post will be the last attempt to assist you unless you can make an effort to help yourself.''

do you see what I mean?
 
AKSA said:
Thank you Chris, Rabbitz, 4fun, AndrewT, Magura, and Tinitus.

I have consistently tried to help. 60 emails has taken some perseverance. QC on the amp is a given; it was properly tested before despatch. It performed identically to any other N+ I have built. I am convinced the problem lies with either source, or wiring, or power (mains), or speakers.

Regrettable.

Hugh

Hugh

The instruction states that it includes a document on design philosophy but I did not get it with the kit. Can this be sent to me by email? I'd be interested to see it.

You have said that a CRO is unnecessary yet Chris insists that it is. Again I am faced with a precarious situation where I do not know who to believe. It's frustrating. You say you're convinced that its to do with the above factors so is it no longer a burning in issue?


Kenji won't actually do anything. A CRO is not required here. He wants to talk about the problem as long as possible. This leads me to believe his intentions are not honourable, and his complaints are insincere.

I do want to talk about the various issues which have arisen. Such as whether oscillation can be caused by improper wiring positioning in the aksa?

Its not true that im not doing anything. I am going to rewire it more neatly at some point but your suggestion of trying a mains filter or someone else of using a CRO are not possible. They are not within my reach.
 
Professor smith said:


I do want to talk about the various issues which have arisen. Such as whether oscillation can be caused by improper wiring positioning in the aksa?

Its not true that im not doing anything. I am going to rewire it more neatly at some point but your suggestion of trying a mains filter or someone else of using a CRO are not possible.

They are not within my reach.


It have been suggested several times that you should have it measured by someone else with knowledge
I have tried that only once, and it took less than half an hour
You never commented on that advice, but continues to say that you cant afford a scope etc
Why?

We have pointed in the direction of maybe some other parts of your setup could be the cause of this
Your B1 was rightfully questioned, whether you at all have enough skills to hardwire a preamp
That one still puzzles me a bit 🙄
Then suddenly, many posts later you claim that its not even in use

With other members we would long ago have been carefully informed about the rest of your setup
There would have been communication
But you just continue to argue

About oscillation :bawling:
No, I dont think your wiring would do that
Not with a stable curcuit
What it can do is make the difference between ok and better

But please, Im not sure you should be messing too much with your amp
Not without proper instructions
Do you know how to discharge a power supply and output

Btw, you have several times mentioned that DC and bias was a bit high, but you thought it was within limit
How would you know by the way
Its a long time now since I asked you about bias stability, and DC on output
Measured voltage would be nice too, and not just whats said on transformer
Maybe voltage fluctuates
To get some proper figures, so that we, and not you, could be the judge of whats high and not
But you simply ignored and never gave us anything
Seems like everytime we get close to something, you suddenly steps in, and say "no, nothings wrong there"

I wonder how much you have been messing with the inside of your amp, after it has been powered up, or with power on

It has been said before that your problem may relate to such small details like worn or faulty switches, cables, connectors, crossover, housing mains, and lots more

You dont seem interested though
I asked about your age
No answer to that either
Others would have been more informative
You just seem to go round the bushes
 
Hi Bigun,
We are close. If you are ever in Georgetown, I'll show you why an oscilloscope should be used.
If we have all the 'smarts' on this forum, can we figure out how to help Kenji within the constraints we have ?
No.
Basic information is required. It must be determined what is working properly and what is not. I expect the use of a CRO would prove to Kenji that rewiring is required, or point to another interesting fault.
It takes some skill to use an oscilloscope properly and even more skill to diagnose an intermittent problem based on the data from an oscilloscope.
Yes, and that is why I assumed a human comes with the 'scope. From what I have read so far, no way would I allow Kenji to use mine. Besides, many 'scopes have an "autoset" feature these days. Connect the probe and push the button. Take a picture or save the file.

-Chris
 
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