Welcome To the Hoffman Amplifiers Forum

September 07, 2025, 05:39:17 am
guest image
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
-User Name
-Password



Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?  (Read 2427 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« on: June 05, 2020, 07:12:41 pm »
Hi All,

So I'm building a Soldano SLO 50 watt clone and I'm following this guide and I'm at this point measuring voltages.

http://c3amps.com/images/SLOHeadBuild/Wiring2%20Power%20Section/Wiring2Pages/116Test%20Voltages.html

I'm using a variac and while slowly bringing up the voltages I noticed my AC Bias In is around 100 vac and it should be around 60.

I have the O'Netics PT & OT and the wire color I'm using is red/yellow.



Here is my powerboard;



Here are the schematics.



Can someone help?

dinky

Offline sluckey

  • Level 5
  • *******
  • Posts: 5075
    • Sluckey Amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2020, 07:46:22 pm »
Do you have 60VAC ***BETWEEN*** the red/yellow and red/white wires.
A schematic, layout, and hi-rez pics are very useful for troubleshooting your amp. Don't wait to be asked. JUST DO IT!

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2020, 08:43:21 pm »
So I have a star ground setup and one of the wires in that star ground is the red/white wire.

This is where I clip my negative when taking voltages.

So when I put my neg. clip on the star ground and pos. on the red/yellow wire which is soldered on the turret of the powerboard I still get 100vac.

I'm doing same thing as in the 6th pic down on this site.
http://c3amps.com/images/SLOHeadBuild/Wiring2%20Power%20Section/Wiring2Pages/116Test%20Voltages.html
« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 08:47:21 pm by dinkyguitar »

Offline sluckey

  • Level 5
  • *******
  • Posts: 5075
    • Sluckey Amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2020, 08:54:55 pm »
Are all the other voltages reading as expected?
A schematic, layout, and hi-rez pics are very useful for troubleshooting your amp. Don't wait to be asked. JUST DO IT!

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2020, 09:19:03 pm »
So as far as voltages:
My line voltage was 117vac same as the C3 link.

From the PT schematic in my first post: (BTW wires 5 & 6 should be 360v each, 720v is combined)

Wires 5 & 6 I get 346vac - In the C3 link I posted he got 358vac
DC voltage after rectifier I got 474dc - he got 520
Power on lamp I got 3vac - he got 3.18vac (each side)


Offline sluckey

  • Level 5
  • *******
  • Posts: 5075
    • Sluckey Amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2020, 09:38:55 pm »
OK, so the bias winding is putting out more voltage than advertised. It's very easy to compensate for that. Just use a larger resistor for R67 on your schematic.
A schematic, layout, and hi-rez pics are very useful for troubleshooting your amp. Don't wait to be asked. JUST DO IT!

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2020, 09:51:23 pm »
Here is what the note for that says in the schematic:



This is the board I'm using...problem is that there is no R67.

http://c3amps.com/images/SLOHeadBuild/PCB/BoardPages/03PowerboardStockTop.html

Not sure if it's clear, but the diode on the left next to the bias in turret is D5, and the resistor next to it is R52.

My R52 is 10k, the schematic lists 15k.

The green resistor up top is R56 10k.

Could R52 be increase to lower the ac bias in? The notes don't say anything about it...but then again they used 15k.

Not sure if 15k is enough though.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 10:15:00 pm by dinkyguitar »

Offline tubeswell

  • Level 4
  • *****
  • Posts: 4202
  • He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2020, 10:18:47 pm »
Here is what the note for that says in the schematic:




This is the board I'm using...problem is that there is no R67.

http://c3amps.com/images/SLOHeadBuild/PCB/BoardPages/03PowerboardStockTop.html

Not sure if it's clear, but the diode on the left next to the bias in turret is D5, and the resistor next to it is R52.

My R52 is 10k, the schematic lists 15k.

The green resistor up top is R56 10k.


So that says "R67 varies", so whoever drew that schematic knew you might have to change R67- depending on what VAC you get from the bias supply winding/tap. Try a few different resistances 27k, 47k, 100k see where you land
A bus stops at a bus station. A train stops at a train station. On my desk, I have a work station.

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2020, 10:46:16 pm »
So this is interesting....The datasheet that came with my PT is different than what I just found in many documents.



You'll notice is has 700v combined between wires 5-8 I measure 346v each...so pretty close.

And between wires 6-7 - 100vac.....which is what I get.

I bet my spec's sheet is wrong....seems like it, considering my voltages match up with this new datasheet I found....not sure where i got it from though...

Now the question is...does the 100vac need to be lowered?

Offline 2deaf

  • Level 3
  • ***
  • Posts: 1667
  • Now too deaf for 100 watts
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2020, 10:57:11 pm »
If your capacitors are really rated for 100V, the 100Vac will lead to an over-voltage for your capacitors.  Increasing R52 could get your required bias voltage, but it would still leave C25 with an over-voltage problem.

You need R67 somehow and 10K would be a good first try with 15K for R52.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 11:06:25 pm by 2deaf »

Offline dinkyguitar

  • Level 1
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Trying to figure out why my ac bias in voltage is high?
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2020, 11:12:05 pm »
And they are rated at 100v....33uf...I just checked.

 


Choose a link from the
Hoffman Amplifiers parts catalog
Mobile Device
Catalog Link
Yard Sale
Discontinued
Misc. Hardware
What's New Board Building
 Parts
Amp trim
Handles
Lamps
Diodes
Hoffman Turret
 Boards
Channel
Switching
Resistors Fender Eyelet
 Boards
Screws/Nuts
Washers
Jacks/Plugs
Connectors
Misc Eyelet
Boards
Tools
Capacitors Custom Boards
Tubes
Valves
Pots
Knobs
Fuses/Cords Chassis
Tube
Sockets
Switches Wire
Cable


Handy Links
Tube Amp Library
Tube Amp
Schematics library
Design a custom Eyelet or
Turret Board
DIY Layout Creator
File analyzer program
DIY Layout Creator
File library
Transformer Wiring
Diagrams
Hoffmanamps
Facebook page
Hoffman Amplifiers
Discount Program