Welcome To the Hoffman Amplifiers Forum

September 07, 2025, 03:42:03 pm
guest image
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
-User Name
-Password



Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: Jet City Picovalve - No sound, No filaments.  (Read 2167 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline spunko

  • Level 2
  • **
  • Posts: 128
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Jet City Picovalve - No sound, No filaments.
« on: March 29, 2021, 04:34:02 pm »
Hola amigos.

I got this JetCity picovalve 6L6 / 5 watts amp, which has a bad preamp socket (V2). The amp worked fine, but if the second 12Ax7 moves a bit, the sound stops and it mutes completely. Move it again and the sound comes back.

I took off that particular tube and inspected the socket. There were some terminals wide open, so I tightened the terminals using a needle and a lot of care, inserted the tube again and it was a good fit.

Then I tried the amp, power on and no glow on the tubes, hit the stand by and no sound at all.

It is weird because the amp was just fine when I tested it, I just tightened that socket terminals. I didn't even touch the PCB so I really don't know what the problem is.

I haven't found an original schematic, just one that some nice person draw, but it lacks of voltages (attm).

I checked were I think the filament voltage should be (orange wires) and both gives 7 VAC.
It also has +B, 368VDC on PIN3 - 365VDC on PIN4, and it doesn't have negative -V on PIN 5 on the power tube socket (no tubes installed).

What should I check?

« Last Edit: March 29, 2021, 04:38:53 pm by spunko »

Offline shooter

  • Level 5
  • *******
  • Posts: 11015
  • Karma Loves haters
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Jet City Picovalve - No sound, No filaments.
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2021, 06:55:15 pm »
Quote
PCB so I really don't know what the problem is.
the PCB part  :icon_biggrin:
spend quality time re-soldering bad solder joints
Went Class C for efficiency

Offline spunko

  • Level 2
  • **
  • Posts: 128
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Jet City Picovalve - No sound, No filaments.
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2021, 07:22:32 pm »
Quote
PCB so I really don't know what the problem is.
the PCB part  :icon_biggrin:
spend quality time re-soldering bad solder joints

I thought about that, because the solder work looks so bad. I have to unsolder all the wires from the transformers to take out the pcb  :BangHead:

I noticed I have 7.0 VAC on the orange wires, but 0.0 VDC from diodes below them (D5,D6,D7,D8)

Offline spunko

  • Level 2
  • **
  • Posts: 128
  • I love Tube amps
Hoffman Amps Forum image
Re: Jet City Picovalve - No sound, No filaments.
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2021, 06:07:02 pm »
Quote
PCB so I really don't know what the problem is.
the PCB part  :icon_biggrin:
spend quality time re-soldering bad solder joints

It was that, resoldering some suspicious spots and the amp works great again

 


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