.

 

Did you read everything covered before you got here?

Yeah, I've been keeping up. I guess my "Old-Timers Disease" is catching up with me.

Also, two of us have mentioned jumpers. The TS 's only response was to the effect of what's a jumper. He needs to review that part of the manual and check his construction. Connecting all 4 jumpers could result in smoke.

Wired (jumpered) for 120 VAC. Jumpers 1 & 2 make for 120 VAC. 3 & 4 make for 240 VAC. Since the transformer in question is not the board mounted TXFR, if it were wired for 240 and plugged into 120 it wouldn't hurt it. No smoke.

No, the TS is asking about smoking another transformer, the one that is connected (oddly) to pos and neg.

 

I have removed the board from the heat sink and am now thoroughly inspecting the board

 

jumper 3 has a broken solder

 

Thank you for the help everyone. I am really unhappy with this kit. Cost $350

Caution in your thinking- your perspective right now is altered because of frustration and lack of knowledge. One of the reasons we all came to learn and know electronics as we do is for the same reasons- we could not rely on a schematic or drawing we found to be accurate- we needed to be able to determine it's accuracy for ourselves, or modify to suit our needs.

Save your kit, when you come back with more knowledge, what is frustrating now, may seem simple, and your money won't be lost. In the meantime, learn and read. study tesla coils- lots of information exists. Study induction, capacitance, and learn DC first, then learn AC. The book I suggested will give you enough to possibly do this project if careful.

 

Caution in your thinking- your perspective right now is altered because of frustration and lack of knowledge. One of the reasons we all came to learn and know electronics as we do is for the same reasons- we could not rely on a schematic or drawing we found to be accurate- we needed to be able to determine it's accuracy for ourselves, or modify to suit our needs.

Save your kit, when you come back with more knowledge, what is frustrating now, may seem simple, and your money won't be lost. In the meantime, learn and read. study tesla coils- lots of information exists. Study induction, capacitance, and learn DC first, then learn AC. The book I suggested will give you enough to possibly do this project if careful.

while I am inexperienced, I am not quite as inexperienced as you seem to think. I have built plenty of dc boards. Ac is new to me though. This kit has been riddled with mistakes and typos which has led to much of my confusion and uncertainty. the - +at the ac input really confused the heck out of me. I will not be electrocuting my self in ignorance though. I appreciate the concern.

 

Can you post a picture of the etch side of the board ?

Les.

 

Can you post a picture of the etch side of the board ?

Les.

 

Yeah, I've been keeping up. I guess my "Old-Timers Disease" is catching up with me.

Wired (jumpered) for 120 VAC. Jumpers 1 & 2 make for 120 VAC. 3 & 4 make for 240 VAC. Since the transformer in question is not the board mounted TXFR, if it were wired for 240 and plugged into 120 it wouldn't hurt it. No smoke.

No, the TS is asking about smoking another transformer, the one that is connected (oddly) to pos and neg.

1) I read the schematic differently than you :



My point was that connecting the jumpers another way, e.g., all four was mentioned specifically, you will get a short and smoke. Call the fused supply L1 and common L2 . If jumper 1 and jumper 4 are both connected, they short primary 1-2. That is probably not good. But to make it worse, jumper 2 then shorts L1 to L2, and so forth.

 

@DesertCrawler

Get some flush side cutters like this and trim all of those long tails off.

 

@DesertCrawler

Get some flush side cutters like this and trim all of those long tails off.

View attachment 201411

lol I know it is messy, but I checked and non of them are touching each other. Do you think it is possible they are creating an arc somewhere on the board?

 

No arcs are likely at low voltage. That may not be true for a couple of hundred volts. It is also possible that laying on surfaces you may get an intermittent sort. Good cutters are relatively cheap. I get Plato (often used). If not badly misused, a small stone will fix the edges.

 

Meant Jumpers 1, 2 and 3 make for 120 VAC. My mistake.

 

So there are no shorts in the soldering that I can find, the bridge rectifier is on right, I have the proper jumpers installed. What else could it be?

 

Your soldering doesn't look good. Have you examined each joint with a high power magnifying glass?

And another shot in the dark: is the transformer (the one you connected to IN- and IN+) connected with its primary and secondary round the right way?

 

Your soldering doesn't look good. Have you examined each joint with a high power magnifying glass?

Yes, I have triple checked my soldering with a digital microscope. I am pretty sure there are no shorts in the soldering. it is just ugly

 

actually, is flux conductive? I have some pools of flux that if conductive I could see where there would be issues.

 

Flux residues should be non conductive (unless you are talking about some kind of plumbers flux!). But what might be hiding underneath them?

 

Ah shucks. This is making me sad. I was so pumped for this project and was almost complete. I have a friend who is an electrical engineer I am going to ask for help. But by all means if you have any ideas please share.

 

The bridge rectifier and capacitor C45 look like they are the correct way round so that is one potential cause eliminated. I agree with the other comments about your soldering in particular shorts between some of the soldered joints and the ground plane.

Les.