HELP Whammy IV not powering on!!!

[sjaltenb]

Ok guys i just bought a whammy4 off eBay and the guy said it was in perfect working order etc etc. He already said he would refund it so thats not an issue but i'd really like to get this thing working instead. I havent tried any other adaptors becuase they dont fit...

How do i use a multimeter to test the adaptor to see if that is the problem.... any other suggestions to what might be wrong with it? I tried to open it up but wasnt sure how to go about doing it  on the whammy...

any suggestions/input is appreciated!!!

[Alex C]

Did it come with a power supply?
Are you using a 9vAC supply?

The majority of the supplies used for guitar effects are 9VDC (Boss PSA type, etc.).  The Whammy 4 requires a 9VAC supply, and the one packaged with the unit has a current rating of 1300mA.

-Alex

[sjaltenb]

well thats a very good point, thanks. I have not used anything but the one supplied. I think im about to take it to radioshack to see what we can do

[sjaltenb]

ok well i took it to radioshack and we got a 1500ma 9v AC adaptor and it powered right on. so i bring it home and plug it up... sounds horrible!!!!

barely and signal is coming through and its all nasty distorted and awful. Could the fact that its 1500ma and the whammy takes 1300 be a problem??? Im suspect becuase the guy said this thing was working perfectly and first the adaptor was broken now this....

thanks

[sshrugg]

Was the adaptor he gave you dead, or was it the wrong type?  Pluging in the wrong kind of adaptor can be potentially harmful.

If I were you, I'd return the pedal.  The bad plug, and now this?  That's not acceptable for something listed as "fully working"

[Alex C]

The first adapter should work for you IF:
-The seller is being truthful that it was in "perfect working order."
-The seller sent you the same power supply that worked for him while testing.
-The power supply is not damaged, and is functioning properly.

To test the adapter with a multimeter, select the AC voltage setting (sometimes denoted by a squiggly line: ~ ), plug the adapter into the wall, and touch one probe to the inside of the cylinder of the plug, and the other to the outer surface.  The multimeter should show about 9 volts, maybe up to a volt or two higher.

The 1300mA current rating just says that the adapter is safe to use with a device drawing up to that much power- the adapter can supply that much current, but is not necessarily doing so all the time.  Using an adapter rated for 1500mA should cause no problems- it just means that this adapter is capable of delivering more current.

I don't know why this new adapter powers the unit but with poor results. 
You might want to double-check the AC voltage of this new one with your multimeter, just to ensure the voltage is close enough or slightly above 9V.

As a side note, for most things guitar-related, Radio Shack adapters are not a good choice- even the "regulated" AC-to-DC adapters can cause a lot of noise in a circuit- but in this case filtering should not be an issue, as we're talking about AC. 

I think I should bow out of the help session for now, as we have reached what is the low limit of my troubleshooting abilities.  Someone should be along shortly to further advise you.   

-Alex

For the curious,
The supply currently packaged with Whammy 4 units:

(click to enlarge and view details on package)