Odd normal vol channel..

[Steve Conner]

It should only take about 10 minutes to make. Here is the UK version of the instructions:

All you need is a so-called suicide lead (13 amp plug to three bare wires) plus two 13 amp sockets (either the wall kind or the trailing socket kind) some spare wire and a table lamp. If you're using wall sockets, highly recommended is some kind of housing for them, so you don't have exposed live terminals. The lamp should have an ordinary 60 or 100 watt light bulb, as recommended by other posters, and nothing fancy like a dimmer switch or touch switch.

Connect the earth of your suicide lead to the earths of both 13 amp sockets.
Connect the live of the suicide lead to the live of socket no.1.
Connect the neutral of socket no.1. to the live of socket no.2.
Connect the neutral of socket no.2. to the neutral of the suicide lead.
Plug table lamp into socket no.1. and faulty amp into socket no.2.
Turn table lamp on if it has a switch.
If you used sockets with switches, don't forget to turn them both on.
Plug the suicide lead into the mains and turn it on.
You can now try turning the amp on and following the troubleshooting instructions that Stokes and others have given.

Remember to treat 240V UK mains with twice as much respect as Americans have for their weedy 120V. This device will stop your components from frying, but it does not give any extra protection against electric shock compared to plugging the amp straight into the mains.

[Steve Conner]

I just noticed your modified 4 way extension, that looks like it will do the trick fine

[The Captain]

Ah great thanks Steve: I just need to 2x check my mains leads are ok to the outlets -both joining at the 1st outlet as it were- or should one join here and t'other at 2nd outlet? ( the L and N both interchanging causing slight gnashing of teeth here admittedly).. don't wish to cock this up.

[The Captain]

Im still a bit reticent so it makes sense to double-check my limiter/ application; its just the N from lead, should it join as so in my pic or at the '2nd' (left one in my pic) outlet's previously L now N, or does it matter not? But assuming ok, if I were to then..

Plug both amp and lit lamp in, am I turning amp on with all tubes in and not applying the standby switch?

To rule out the PT, am I looking for either the lamp staying lit and therefore the pilot light going off/ 2A fuse popping again, or the lamp not lighting at all..? I guess I'll have to stock up on 2A fuses for this, or am I missing a trick..

Cheers Captain.

[stokes]

Cap'n,when using the current limiter you wont blow the fuse,even with a dead short in the amp somewhere.When you turn the amp on,still in standby if the bulb glows full bright you have a short in the heater supply.Once you flip the amp out of standby,the bulb will glow bright for a few seconds till the caps charge up,then it will dim significantly,if it doesnt,you have a short.So you see,with the limiter,if you have a short the fuse doesnt blow,the bulb stays lit bright.Do you have a known to be good amp?If so plug this in in your limiter so you can see how much the bulb will dim in a properly working amp.To check your PT,you must disconnect all the secondaries,as I explained earlier,now with nothing in the circuit but the PT if the fuse blows or the bulb stays lit bright you have a problem in your PT.Earlier you said the mains fuse didnt blow,but the fuse in the B+ rail was blowing,no?I believe you said it blows with no tubes,that leads me to believe the problem is in your filter caps and not your PT.To use the limiter,you would start with all the tubes in,if the light indicates a short,while the amp is on,you start pulling your power tubes one at a time and see if the bulb dims,if it dims when you pull,lets say the second power tube,the problem is associated with that tube or its related circuit.If the bulb doesnt dim then the short is somewhere else,so the next step would be to disconnect the filter caps one at a time till you find a short.If it is not the filter caps your next step would be the rectifier,when you pull the rectifier if the bulb stays bright then the PT is your likely culprit.I am trying to make these explanations as simple as I can,but I realize trying to simplify things can have the opposite effect,as well as the fact that I am probably throwing a lot of stuff at you all at one time,so if you have questions just keep asking.

[The Captain]

Thanks there again; I think I get the basics, ie idea behind the system, and realise such a simple thing can be very benneficial.. Im a bit bombarded at the mo with applying (I know it possibly can't be explained any more simply).. but 'page 1' bits Im not clear still. You say amp on standby.. Im still unsure as to which amp switch starts the test as it were, and also whether if as I do, wish to just check the PT for now if I start with PT wires as is (all connected as per finished amp) or disconnect the 2ndaries as you suggest above.. surely I cant tube check once 2ndaries disconnected-? If I am disconnecting them, should I seal ends for safety too..
Having a Twin yonks ago I had to be reminded re. start-up switch routine again, and was told thus: Switch next to pilot lamp on first, allow to warm up, then apply standby to on. Ive just read on at least 2 tube amp general sites that the complete opposite is correct.. I think im going barking mad! and your help above re standby has caused slight confusion too, as I'd assumed as my fuses blew with standby not even applied yet that these tests were done similarly without standby mode innitiated yet.. Im gettin me knickers in a twist Mr. Stokes!

[stokes]

When powering the amp up,regardless of when testing or for normal use the power switch gets turned on first,the pilot light will come on,after a couple of minutes turn the standby switch on.To do it in reverse is pointless.I'll run thru the test procedure again,for now,lets forget about disconnecting the PT secondaries.With the amp and the lamp plugged in,turn the mains power switch on,pilot light will light as well as the 100watt bulb,the bulb should be dim,if the bulb is full brightness,there is a short in the heater supply or the PT.Next turn the standby switch to the play position,if the bulb is bright there is a short somewhere.Remove one power tube,if the bulb dims,the short is in the tube or the related circuit,if the bulb stays bright remove the second power tube,if it is still bright go to the preamp tubes,if after all the tubes are pulled the bulb is still bright pull the rectifier,if the bulb is still bright,you will disconnect the PT secondaries,and if the bulb is still bright now the problem is your PT.If you strongly suspect the PT you can just jump to the last step and disconnect the PT and test.

[The Captain]

Aha- now Im back on board: total confusion with standby switch's ON=open contacts & OFF=closed.. contrary to every other **ng switch it seems.. so I'll refer to it now as open and closed (play).

Ok that makes more sense, Im seeing if an obvious prob lies along any other paths before the PT so leaving it hooked up for now, got that. So assuming the heaters are ok with the lamp dim, & I close standby and lamp is bright.. I pull the first 6v6 -but it'll be too hot to handle no? (its difficult to tug out even cold) -and WTF if it breaks?! surely that's lethal, or do you turn amp off before and between tube pulls?

[The Captain]

Ok 1st test done am- with lamp on and new fuse in amp I turned on- no dimming of light and the fuse blew/ pilot light off immediately..?

[stokes]

The fuse blew with the current limiter in series with the amp?Is the limiter bulb lit up before you switch the amp on?Sounds like something in the limiter is not right,the fuse should not blow with the current limiter hooked up correctly.

[The Captain]

Seems so..? another pic of my limiter to 2x check: http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...Picture275.jpg Capt.

[TD_Madden]

sounds like the lightbulb is in parallel instead of in series with the power cord....

[The Captain]

Maybe that link not work here it is..

[stokes]

From the picture it looks like you have it wired wrong.Look at the diagram I sent you again.The yellow wire from the mains plug should connect to the outlet lug it is connected to ONLY,disconnect the long wire you have to the outlet on the far left.The blue wire from the plug shhould be connected to the outlet lug at the far left ONLY,then the two middle outlet lugs are connected together.

[The Captain]

Trouble is my pic suggests my wiring is not as is, as wires are tucked away, or go past terminals not connected: The yellow wire from mains must be gnd you refer to? and so must connect both outlets gnd pins.. confused now again. I have joining terminal block far Rhs..

Green gnd from mains lead to top terminal
Live brown to the middle terminal
Neutral to the bttm terminal.

The brass links Ive rebent to rejig it.