Aion Refractor problem

Simmul8 · September 12, 2015, 07:56:49 PM

Quote from: Frank_NH on September 12, 2015, 07:54:03 PM
Try rigging up two separate pots 250K pots instead of the dual. It could be your dual pot is bad...

It's not the pot that is the problem. I tried the two seperate 100k and then went and bought a new dual gang 100k. What's shown in the photo is the third potentiometer replacement.

Simmul8 · September 12, 2015, 10:30:41 PM

Oh well. I've ordered the Aion Stratus. Let's hope I have more luck building that.
Thanks for all your help

aion · September 12, 2015, 10:38:44 PM

Have you tried swapping out the clipping diodes? 1N914 should be fine just for testing if you don't have any other germaniums on hand.

Next thing would be checking over the resistor values, especially making sure we don't have a multiplier issue (e.g. 150k instead of 15k)... I would especially look at R10, R11 and R12 in this case since it's almost certainly surrounding IC1B based on the video. The most recent time I did that was only a couple months ago, with a Refractor no less.

Frank_NH · September 12, 2015, 11:37:18 PM

Do you have an audio probe? If not make one as shown here:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html

What you want to do is to check the signal coming out of the gain stage. Something must be shorted and you may be able find out where is is. Also, check you 3PDT wiring. I did not use the Refractor daughterboard on my build. I note that there is a connection point for the switch labeled 2-1 near the clipping diodes which gets grounded when the circuit is in bypass. Maybe something is messed up with that connection in the offboard wiring.

Simmul8 · September 13, 2015, 01:54:17 AM

Hi Kevin. Yup checked all the resistors again and they're all good.
Have swapped the clipping diodes for some 1N914s
So I build myself the Audioprobe. Where do I start looking.
I know there is a component out of place or one that is damaged. How do I test for a faulty component. I am getting somewhat of an amplified signal. I feel a damaged capacitor might be causing the weird noises with the gain pot as it charges/discharges?? Yet I've replaced most of the capacitors around IC1-2.
Frank, where would you start looking?

Frank_NH · September 13, 2015, 04:42:15 PM

Check pin 7 of IC1. Max out your gain pot. If you don't hear a overdriven signal, then there is a problem with the op amp feedback network. Let me know what you find. Thanks.

Simmul8 · September 15, 2015, 06:37:25 AM

A faulty/broken capacitor replacement and a full rewiring with AWG24 and it works and sounds amazing.
Thank you all for your help and I apologise for overlooking the basics.
Look forward to someday building all your projects Kevin! Stratus is up next, stay tuned for more silly mistakes.

aion · September 15, 2015, 07:19:20 AM

Nothing silly about a faulty part. That is absolutely the most difficult type of failure to deal with because it's the last thing you suspect and everything looks fine visually!

There was another guy who had built a dozen Refractors that were all just fine, except for one of them that wouldn't work no matter what he did. He spent hours with it. He finally found out that the input capacitor had some corrosion on one of the legs, preventing it from making a solder connection - the solder would pool up around it and it looked like a good joint but there was no electrical connection.

It tested fine outside the circuit, since the dielectric itself was fine, but when it was in the circuit the solder wouldn't stick to it. Once he figured that out (I have no idea how), he sanded the surface of the legs and put it back in and it worked perfectly.

Frank_NH · September 15, 2015, 10:49:46 PM

Quote from: Simmul8 on September 15, 2015, 06:37:25 AM
A faulty/broken capacitor replacement and a full rewiring with AWG24 and it works and sounds amazing.
Thank you all for your help and I apologise for overlooking the basics.
Look forward to someday building all your projects Kevin! Stratus is up next, stay tuned for more silly mistakes.

So...which cap was the bad guy?? And how did you find it??

Well, good that you found it - that would have driven me bonkers too if it looked like everything was good and it still didn't work.

I'm also a big fan of the Aion Electronics PCBs. Built the Refractor (my favorite and the first on my pedaboard), Stratus (Landgraff version), Andromeda, Cerulean, and Nimbus. I have a Meteor to build yet. I'm trying to build them slowly so I can savor them like fine Cuban cigars...

News:

Aion Refractor problem