PINT Problem

[FallenAngel]

Wow! I just installed C6 in my Mini^3fied PINT and it stabalized a huge amount more. Now I'm getting around 50mA current drawn, but unfortunatly it still goes up

, but much slower now. After 2 minutes it went up to 52mA, but every 10 seconds or so, it goes up another 0.1mA! Bah!

 

[Filburt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel Wow! I just installed C6 in my Mini^3fied PINT and it stabalized a huge amount more. Now I'm getting around 50mA current drawn, but unfortunatly it still goes up , but much slower now. After 2 minutes it went up to 52mA, but every 10 seconds or so, it goes up another 0.1mA! Bah!

If it sounds OK, it's probably fine at this point.

 

[MisterX]

FallenAngel:
How are you obtaining these results?
Is the amp loaded at all or just sitting there with no load on it?

 

[FallenAngel]

MisterX: I plugged in my cheap $40 mp3 player as source, but didn't turn it on. Then I connected my DMM between the positive lead of my battery to the positive lead of the board (B+) and turned on the amp to almost max volume. The DMM is set to DC Amps "< 200mA", and i see the little .1's go up up up.

 

[jl123]

Don't know if you already posted one but a pic could help. Also what are you running on your L1s?

 

[MisterX]

My bad.....I assumed that load on the implies something connected to the output of the amplifier.

Like say for instance a dummy load.
IIRC Tangent has a tutorial for how to make a dummy load on his site somewhere.


What is your DC-offset doing as the current draw increases?
Is it also increasing?

 

[SubRosa]

Hello, back again.

Though Mister X's help seems to have fixed the problems I've had, any time I try to add C6 the capacitor smokes, now, the suggested C6 in Tangent's guide is rated for 10V and I read the full voltage of two 9Vs across its pads, which is what I should be seeing correct? (C6 is before the resistor divider); but when I put in a 25V tant it got incredibly hot and then smoked too. What's the problem here, this is only the power section, before the bulk of the "complicated stuff", simple bypassing. So, ideas?

Also, anyone have any idea why I can't measure current draw with my DMM?

 

[MisterX]

Quote:

Also, anyone have any idea why I can't measure current draw with my DMM?

Is the fuse blown?

 

[jl123]

Are you orienting them correctly? The stripe indicates positive.

MisterX put up a nice graphic on the first page to show how to measure current draw.

 

[cetoole]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SubRosa Also, anyone have any idea why I can't measure current draw with my DMM?

Are the test probes in the correct jacks on the meter? I havnt seen any DMMs that use the same jacks for current measurement as voltage.

 

[SubRosa]

Yes, C6 is oriented correctly.

I know the procedure to measure current draw, it just doesn't read anything and the amp doesn't turn on.

EDIT: It's a cheapy, the probes are hardwired. Could that be the problem?

 

[jl123]

Also remember to change it back. Don't want to go shorting anything out when trying to measure voltage.

If the amp won't power on with the meter inline then it's the meter. The biggest issue I think is try and figure out why the amp is smoking the c6.

 

[NeilR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SubRosa Hello, back again. Though Mister X's help seems to have fixed the problems I've had, any time I try to add C6 the capacitor smokes, now, the suggested C6 in Tangent's guide is rated for 10V and I read the full voltage of two 9Vs across its pads, which is what I should be seeing correct? (C6 is before the resistor divider); but when I put in a 25V tant it got incredibly hot and then smoked too. What's the problem here, this is only the power section, before the bulk of the "complicated stuff", simple bypassing. So, ideas? Also, anyone have any idea why I can't measure current draw with my DMM?

The Mouser part specified in the parts list is a 25V part. The Digikey part is a 10V part. Seems to me that the part should be a 25V part for a 2x9V amp and that is probably why it fails.

If you want to test that that is the problem, bypass one of the battery clips and run the amp at 9V with a fresh C6 10V part.

 

[SubRosa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilR The Digikey part is a 10V part. Seems to me that the part should be a 25V part for a 2x9V amp and that is probably why it fails. If you want to test that that is the problem, bypass one of the battery clips and run the amp at 9V with a fresh C6 10V part.

Yes, I ordered from Digikey. (Not being rude) In my post I stated I'd tried 25V tants in C6 and they've smoked too.

EDIT: Sometimes I wonder...

I cut down to one 9V because the only fresh tant I had left was a 10V and...it didn't smoke, didn't get hot, everything is fine...

Before it had smoked with either one or two 9Vs, I'm not complaining, just...ugh.

 

[SubRosa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cire depends on the voltage: ~4.5 to 24v = ~50ma ~3.2 to ~4.4v = ~180ma ~2.5 to ~3.1v = ~20ma

Sorry to double post but is this consistent with what other people are seeing? Could others with PINTs test this for me. As I stated, my DMM won't measure current draw and it looks like I'll be using one 9V now, so that would put me in the 180ma range if this info is universal, unless I buy a 9.6V NiMH.

Thanks.