First Act amp repair

[rjb]

It most certainly is a Power On/Off control ..... what else could it be?

I dunno. In post #13, jomama says the amp has "a separate power on switch". That's where the confusion lies.

[g1]

Ah yes. That is confusing.
The power switch is either separate, or the on/off volume switch. It can't be both.
Pictures of the front and rear panels would be a big help.

[J M Fahey]

I did admit I was new at this stuff but I'm a pretty fast learner. This amp has low voltage caps and a separate power on switch. I'm only replacing a pot on a disconnected circuit board so can you be a little more specific about where the danger is?

it spins past the On/Off click point

Ok, then,
* how do you turn that amplifier on?
* What happens when the volume control clicks?

Please answer those two questions.

Make those three:
* what is connected to the pot switch contacts?
Show a picture.

I am also intrigued by:

Does a separate power switch on the amp free me from ..... ?

notice the conditional/interrogative tense which strongly implies *today* there is not such a switch present.

And:

In post #13, jomama says the amp has "a separate power on switch"

4 posts, alternatively opposing each other.

[rjb]

Please answer those two questions.

Make those three:

Hell, let's make it four:
Does the amp have a 3-prong plug power cord, or does it run off an AC/DC adaptor (AKA wall wart) and/or batteries?

-rb

[Enzo]

I have seen some small tube amps with trem, and the trem pot has a click switch to turn trem off. There would be a separate power switch. I can see a novice calling the trem with switch a "volume control".

[jomama]

The safety concern was that if you have a bad AC power switch (which we assumed was built into the volume pot) you might get arcin' and sparkin' and udder bad tings when you plug the amp into a wall socket.

Let's clear some stuff up:
1. There is an on/off mains switch on the back of the amp.
2. There is a three pronged, IEC grounded plug in addition to that switch.
3. There was an on/off, B50K linear taper volume pot on the front which failed and I removed.
4. I ordered this pot value without an on/off feature and will be installing it today unless advised otherwise.

I hope I provided enough information now to eliminate any confusion. Thanks again to all helping.

[tboy]

Let's clear some stuff up

There's one last thing to clear up: The volume pot w/switch has three terminals for the pot and at least two for the switch. What, if anything, were those switch terminals connected to?

[rjb]

There's one last thing to clear up:

We're gettin' there. I can feel it.

[jomama]

Both the volume pot that was removed and the pots I ordered are three leg, single output. I have a bigger problem now, the pot leg spacing on the replacements ordered are too small (not wide enough)

Does anyone have a stash of cheap linear 50K pots with the right lead spacing to swap?

[J M Fahey]

Both the volume pot that was removed and the pots I ordered are three leg, single output. I have a bigger problem now, the pot leg spacing on the replacements ordered are too small (not wide enough)

Does anyone have a stash of cheap linear 50K pots with the right lead spacing to swap?

We *definitely* need pictures here, since we are on post#24 and still do not know what kind of pot you are talking about.
* 3 leg? ... check .
* "single output" ? ... what does that mean???
* you talked about ON-OFF and clicking. Standard 3 leg pots do not "click" nor turn anything ON-OFF
* "the right lead spacing" .... which would be? ....
* "the pots I ordered" .... I have no clue about what you ordered.

We need pictures showing old and new pots and pcb where it sits.
Also measure lead spacing on old and new.
And pot case diameter(s).

[rjb]

we are on post#24 and still do not know what kind of pot you are talking about.

Oh, that's nothing. Another thread is on post #262 and we still do not know what "immediacy" means.
-rb

[J M Fahey]

Well, "immediacy" can not be photographed, measured with a ruler or ordered at Mouser , while a pot can

Cīmon jomama, ease our anxiety with a couple pictures

[DrGonz78]

Does anyone have a stash of cheap linear 50K pots with the right lead spacing to swap?

I got a huge bag of old 50k pots. Right lead spacing??? Follow Juan Fahey's recommendation and take some pictures/measurements.

[jomama]

I'm sorry for the late response. I went out and got a replacement at a pawn shop so repair became low priority. Pictures are coming. It's always good to have a spare

[rjb]

So, what did you get as a replacement?