HOW TO FIND THOSE HIDDEN BUGS
Troubleshoot your projects, rather than probe around and try to guess
Follow these steps and accomplish repairs with less headaches.
1. Do a visual check for burned and damaged components and find out the cause.
2. List the cause of trouble if available (costumer complaints of Weak reception, excessive hum etc.)
The first and most common error is wiring , and most certainly in kit building
3. You need the Schematic and a red pencil
4. Pick a starting point, usually the cathode of the rectifier, then trace out each wire, and compare it with the schematic. If it is correct cover the trace with a red pencil line.
5. When you come to a component, in the line being traced, check it for proper rating and value.
If the value and rating are correct the place a small check mark next to it.
6. As you trace each wire also check for a good clean solder joint, sometimes flux covers a bad solder joints
7. Make the needed repairs and fixes.
Do not plug in the repaired radio or test equipment at this time.
8. Now you need to look for shorts, so turn on your ohmmeter and check resistance values against the manufacturer’s spec's (allow 20% in readings).
9. Setup a Variac and isolation transformer, or dim bulb tester.
10. Make sure and add a fuse inline if the project doesn't have one first.
11. Plug in and turn on the equipment and see if it operates.
12. If it doesn't Tubes and transistors, need to be tested next.
13. Voltage checks are then needed if it still doesn't work. Again 20% variance is acceptable.
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