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I Killed my Kay 720, I'm mortified. Help, please.

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  • I Killed my Kay 720, I'm mortified. Help, please.

    Guys, I blew up my Kay 720. It's my own damn fault too, I was playing it one night and when I finished up, I got distracted somehow. I went upstairs and left the damn thing on. I'm a dumbass.

    When I went back down there a few days later I realized what I had done when I saw the fuse was blown. When I replaced the fuse it wouldn't power up, it popped the fuse as soon as I hit the power switch. Something had fried during all that time; don't know how long it ran before failing.

    I pulled the power tubes and it still blew the fuse. I pulled the rectifier tube and it still blew the fuse.

    I took it apart and there were no obvious issues. Nothing burnt or cooked. I checked the screen resistors and they were good. I checked the 50r, 47k, and 22k around the filter caps and they were good. The 180k resisters were good.

    I checked the speaker and it is good.

    The filter caps are original. I know, I know, but when I refurbished this thing I was getting no hum and it sounded fine, so I thought I would wait. Dumb.

    I looked at R.G's tube amp debugging pages and did some checks on the filter caps but I'm not sure about the results. The .47 read open. I will replace them but I sure would like to know if that is the issue rather than blindly changing parts. I can get a cap can from Antique electronics, I can't find a .47uf but Mouser has a 450v 1uf with the proper voltage rating, I guess that will work?

    I didn't disconnect anything for the checks, I'm not sure if that was necessary or not. The cathode resistor on the power tubes measured 25 instead of 250R, but the 25uf cap was on it and I don't know if that throws the reading off.

    R.G. has instructions for checking the transformers but I admit it was a bit bewildering. Maybe a little simpler explanation there would help me.

    I'm really not very good at problem determination, pretty bad in fact. If you guys would give me a few pointers before I give up and take it to my amp tech Jeff I'd appreciate it. I love this amp and want to get it working again.

    I've attached the schematic. The stuff in red are my mods.

    Thanks,

    Regis
    Attached Files
    Stop by my web page!

  • #2
    Geez, I really hope it didn't blow the transformer, but if you pulled the rectifier out and it still blew the fuse then it's not the capacitors. Well at least they're not the first faulty thing in the chain.

    Is there a MOV on your transformer primary or somewhere before it, like straight at the mains entrance? Maybe that's shorted... Well I hope it's not your transformer, surely folks here will nail it down in no time.
    Valvulados

    Comment


    • #3
      Check to make sure the filament winding and wiring is intact.
      I've seen this circuit fail in amps inadvertently left on for prolonged periods.

      Comment


      • #4
        Agree on it probably being the transformer, but, as Enzo says, to further isolate it leave *all* secondary wires "in the air" , meaning 6.3V and 5V filament ones and the H.V. and center tap ones .
        Tape the free ends for safety.
        If it still blows fuses .....
        *Hope* not.
        Juan Manuel Fahey

        Comment


        • #5
          It is probably the transformer. Could have been worse, could have burnt your house down!
          "Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"

          Comment


          • #6
            Why would the PT cook by just leaving the amp on?

            Comment


            • #7
              Transformer insulation doesn't get any better with age, line voltages are higher than they used to be causing the transformer to run hotter, and Kay wasn't a particularly high quality brand to start with.

              I switch my tube gear off at the wall every night.
              "Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by leadfootdriver View Post
                Why would the PT cook by just leaving the amp on?
                At idle the amp was pulling anywhere from 60 to 80 watts from the wall.
                Roughly speaking.
                Doesn't sound like much.
                Try grabbing a 60 watt incandecent lamp with your hand (Kid's, don't do this at home)
                Bet you let go real quick.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jazz P Bass View Post
                  At idle the amp was pulling anywhere from 60 to 80 watts from the wall.
                  Roughly speaking.
                  Doesn't sound like much.
                  Try grabbing a 60 watt incandecent lamp with your hand (Kid's, don't do this at home)
                  Bet you let go real quick.
                  I don't get it. Do you mean it's just old and the PT insulation finally signed off?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Probably.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Not to be unsympathetic to the situation... But I'm new to this stuff, and need to be led by the hand.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Guys, thanks for the replies. So, to be sure it's the PT I should disconnect it completely and try it free of the circuit? any other tests I can do?

                        No idea where I'm going to get a replacement for this. No idea what the secondaries are like. The code on the transformer is 32A0006, not sure of the make.
                        Attached Files
                        Stop by my web page!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Everything is so old on this amp. and those 5879 and 7199 pre tubes are hard to find. You could contact this guy to get some reading to help with replacement iron, if needed,
                          Regis's Kay 720
                          and Edcor can make anything you'd need.

                          think this guy is similar to Kay 520 and 820

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by tedmich View Post
                            You could contact this guy to get some reading to help with replacement iron, if needed,
                            Regis's Kay 720
                            Surely you jest Ted, or are there 2 Regis Coyne's out there?
                            Originally posted by Enzo
                            I have a sign in my shop that says, "Never think up reasons not to check something."


                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by g-one View Post
                              Surely you jest Ted, or are there 2 Regis Coyne's out there?
                              oooooooops! time machine needed BEFORE he fried it!

                              sure aren't many (surviving) Kay 720s either......

                              Comment

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