A 16 suddenly dead - please help (finally solved- just the

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rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

F**ck, my A16 just died (tdat analog blue, not the "ultra", the one just before) : it doesn't want to switch on again, and I don't have anymore sound (I just have adat i/o, no analog).

Anybody knows if i can test another transformator, or if it's the fuse ? it just happened like that, i don't know why, it could the trasfo, the fuse or simply the A16 that is dead....

Thanks in advance for ideas...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rrominet4 on 2003-06-29 11:19 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rrominet4 on 2003-07-05 15:28 ]</font>
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astroman
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Post by astroman »

sorry for your misfortune, rrominet4, but does 'I just have adat i/o, no analog' mean that a part of the unit is still working ?
Than it's rather unlikely that the powersupply is the reason.
Did you run it without the fan ?
It's out of warranty anyway, so this information might be useful for others like possibly 2nd hand buyers etc.

cheers, Tom
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

>>>does 'I just have adat i/o, no analog' mean that a part of the unit is still working ?

No it means that my board (a scope) only has ADAT i/o, no analog : i'm obliged to use adat but the a16 is dead.... :sad:
It could be the powersupply or transformator, the transfo has been plugged in for years now.... (a16 bought in 1998)
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astroman
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Post by astroman »

well, have someone at an electronics or TV shop measure the output.
I can't think of any other procedure that is safe enough to test it, if you're unexperienced with electronics.

good luck, Tom

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2003-06-30 05:58 ]</font>
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

an external ps?no problem.you can test it with a multimeter and get another one(same voltage,same or more amperage,same polarity,same style ac or dc output,same connector are the important considerations)if it's bad.

if you're really an adventurer,it may just be a fuse.replacing a fuse is something that is safe if the power is off and the fuse is the same rating as the one it replaces.if a fuse blows repeatedly,the unit has a bigger problem.

i'm sure it's fixable.....
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

Thanks for the advices, i'll try that (with caution not to destroy everything inside, :smile:. I'm sure it can be fixed too...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rrominet4 on 2003-06-30 15:16 ]</font>
MCCY
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Post by MCCY »

Hi!
I had the same problem as you - just a few weeks ago. My power supply still gave voltage, but it was jumping around and after some testing I found the power supply cable to be defect. Now A16 works more stable than ever. In my opinion it's a rather cheap power-supply which is used - so it's likely defect.

Martin
j9k
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Post by j9k »

does the a16 smell like a component may have burned up. if not it may be the power supply

my a16 power supply crapped out after 1 year of use. not completely dead but after a few minutes of being on i would hear this noise fade in and out. i couldn't tell where it was coming from.

to test the power supply it must be plugged into the a16. now if you are brave enough to open the a16 test the voltage where it comes in on the jack. if it fluctuates too much or drops in voltage too much it's bad. i have an oscilliscope and was able to actually see the noise as the voltage dropped. i was also lucky enough to find a switching power supply that delivers 18v at 2.2 amps and is much lighter than the non regulated transformer version(the voltage regulation is actually in the a16).

i can't help you if you open the box and don't know what you're doing.

the power supply is always the first place to start when trouble shooting electronics.
j9k
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

On 2003-07-01 15:02, j 9 k wrote:
does the a16 smell like a component may have burned up. if not it may be the power supply
nope it didn't smell anything. it just stopped working. since one or two days, i had this behaviour : it stopped working : then i unplug it (from electrical supply), then plug back, and it was working.
The third time it happened , it didn't want to swich on again.
This is why i dont think it's the fuse (a fuse blows once for all, not progressively if i'm not wrong).
Howver, for me this shows a good percentage of electrical problem : power switch, or simply the wire of the transfo that are broken.
to test the power supply it must be plugged into the a16. now if you are brave enough to open the a16 test the voltage where it comes in on the jack. if it fluctuates too much or drops in voltage too much it's bad. i have an oscilliscope and was able to actually see the noise as the voltage dropped. i was also lucky enough to find a switching power supply that delivers 18v at 2.2 amps and is much lighter than the non regulated transformer version(the voltage regulation is actually in the a16).
i hope it's not something inside the a16 that is difficult to change. I'm waiting to get a new transfo with the right voltage output...

The current one shows "19 v = /2 A" .... i hope i'll fine something equivalent (you must have the A16 ultra ? )
i can't help you if you open the box and don't know what you're doing.
When i was 15 i repaired my walkman with a staples :smile:
I won't do this on the a16 of course. I'll open it, but i don't like to touch anything when i'm not sure that it will solve the problem....
My only problem is that i don't have the equipment to measure/test power on the a16 or transfo.
the power supply is always the first place to start when trouble shooting electronics.
j9k
Yes, i'm not worried at all for the moment, it just that i can't listen to music for while....

Fortunately, it happened at the moment i was finishing a production, so there's no catastrophy, and i'm trying to enjoy the obligatory hollydays....

I'll let everyone know what it was when it is solved.

More experiences/advices etc are welcome.
j9k
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Post by j9k »

also i just remembered. is the jack itself loose? the power connector in the a16 is soldered dirrectly to the circuit board. i have found this with lots of other equipment. the solder may have cracked around the pins of the power jack. really easy to fix. just resolder but scrape away the green stuff on the trace leading to the pin and solder the wire from the pin to the trace. even if the solder cracks again the wire will still conduct. this is how i fix any component that is soldered dirrctly to a circuit board. most of the time the people that design the hardware provide no mechanical support for these parts(rca jacks 14", power jacks, some pots and rotary encoders).

j9k
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

yeah,that's often the problem.
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

i would like that it is the problem ! :smile:
i will open it it soon (this week end)
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

ah, it was just the fuse, 60 cents to replace... :smile: 250 V T 3.15 A
aMo
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Post by aMo »

Exellent! :grin:
j9k
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Post by j9k »

that's great. easy fix. :smile:

j9k
rrominet4
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Post by rrominet4 »

yes easy.
But i also totally unmounted the A16 (this is unecessary to change the fuse, which is in the transformator/power supply, not inside the a16).
To unmount it totally I "had" to unsold the BNC connectors :smile: it's very easy to sold back, much easier than making jacks for a guitar :grin:. just pay attention to the direction they are plugged (copper right, silver left, hen you look at the a16 from the face).
There's an awful lot of transistor in there, and i was very surprised that there was no dust (primary purpose for opening the a16, i'm not that crazy in doing useless things).
It was also easy to put back in it's original states (screw the bottom plate first, and only then, replug the wire betweeen plates, and put them back on place.
Screw a few of the jack input rings, before putting the face cover in place, taking particular attention not to displace the leds (they move easily on their metal pins). so don't force when putting the face back on, it means a led is twisted and has to be put back in place to fit the hole.
Well you'll do fine
peace :wink:
nb ; now that i tested it for you, you can be sure that it is unecessary to open the a16 for dust cleaning. there was no dust in 5 years, contrary to my computer for ex.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: rrominet4 on 2003-07-07 14:29 ]</font>
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