Orange Bass Terror Repair

[waynepunkdude]

I think I put the wrong Spekon cable into my OBT, I heard a pop and a bit of smoke came out, I've just opened it up to find a capacitor has blown. See pic.

Is this an easy repair?

[Ou7shined]

As long as you can find it's value and as long as nothing else went, yes.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1381691470' post='2242469']
As long as you can find it's value and as long as nothing else went, yes.
[/quote]

I've got the cap and I've had a good look through, can't see any other problems. Was still working in the 3 seconds it took me to turn the plug off.

[bobbass4k]

Check the track on both sides, it's not always obvious when it goes, check it with a multimeter if you have one. Get rid of any carbon on the board (just scratch it off with a screwdriver), are you sure you've got the right value, it won't necessarily be the same as the one next to it.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1381695290' post='2242554']
Check the track on both sides, it's not always obvious when it goes, check it with a multimeter if you have one. Get rid of any carbon on the board (just scratch it off with a screwdriver), are you sure you've got the right value, it won't necessarily be the same as the one next to it.
[/quote]

Sure about the value as I have the wrap that was around it, I won't do it my self though, I'll take it to my tech.

[3below]

Pretty impressive effort. The pic is superb, I will use that with my students, just reminding them about polarised caps. Much good advice above, hopefully simple replacement will result in good to go amp. Hope all ends well. As an afterthought, you can get nonpolarised electrolytic capacitors. These will not be terminated by incorrect connection. Whether the values you want are available is another matter.

[Mr. Foxen]

Think a run of these used to do that, the pic is sort of familiar. With electrolytics, you can up the voltage valve if it will fit in to be more durable, you can also up capacitance a bit and it won't do harm, opens up replacement options some.

Same one went here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/orange-terror-bass-500-exploded-917680/

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1381690672' post='2242441']
I think I put the wrong Spekon cable into my OBT


[/quote]

Can't help with the cap, Wayne, but I'm curious ... how did using the "wrong" Speakon do this?

[waynepunkdude]

I'm not sure but it's the only thing I can think of.

[Mr. Foxen]

Think its the wrong cap in the amp, and you've been lucky until now.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1381753493' post='2243121']
Think its the wrong cap in the amp, and you've been lucky until now.
[/quote]

By the looks of it, the lead I used reversed the polarity.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1381755672' post='2243162']
By the looks of it, the lead I used reversed the polarity.
[/quote]
That would just make the speaker go in the other direction with regards to the voltage swing. Electrolytic capacitors aren't going to be very closely related to the output jack, going to be via a transistor at least, so killing the cap would require killing the transistor on the way. Looks much more like the known issue with a generation of Orange Terrors, the later ones with the gain control that works without valve swapping are supposed to have sorted it.

[RandomBass]

Depending where that cap is in the schematic, the only cable problem I could imagine would be a shorted one. A reversed polarity (?) cable would/should only make the speaker go in-then-out, instead of out-then-in. Or vice versa, depending on the weather.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1381756103' post='2243171']
Looks much more like the known issue with a generation of Orange Terrors, the later ones with the gain control that works without valve swapping are supposed to have sorted it.
[/quote]

Hmmmm ... that doesn't exactly fill me with joy!

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1381769893' post='2243470']
Hmmmm ... that doesn't exactly fill me with joy!
[/quote]

Been quoted £25 postage and £45 PH for labour from Orange.

[Mr. Foxen]

Hmm, Laney only quoted £30/hour labour, and sort of implied it was going to be Lyndon Laney himself that would do the work (I was asking regarding an older laney he probably made).

[BigRedX]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1381770868' post='2243500']
Been quoted £25 postage and £45 PH for labour from Orange.
[/quote]

That seems a bit steep, especially if it really is due to a design fault in the amp.

[3below]

Wayne - DIY (destroy it yourself) for that kind of money, should be a simple easy job. What do you think? Good advice from Mr Foxen, you can use higher voltage and capacitance values to good effect.

[waynepunkdude]

I'm dropping it at my tech tomorrow, he is an ex-Orange tech (retired) £30 plus he'll analyse to see if there are any other problems.

[Billy Apple]

At least these can be fixed. But what would happen if one of the bigger ones next to it went? Blow it apart completely?

[bobbass4k]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1381785648' post='2243868']
At least these can be fixed. But what would happen if one of the bigger ones next to it went? Blow it apart completely?
[/quote]

Nah, caps tend to be all flash, one of the big ones would produce a pretty impressive bang, but they wouldn't explode with enough force to really do much physical damage. The main damage would be to the board, it would probably take a lot of track with it and burn some big chunks out of the board.

[Mr. Foxen]

Modern ones are made to jsut eject a leg if they go. Old ones go really well, spewing foaming wax stuff and billows of white smoke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubw3cHM4YxU

[waynepunkdude]

Have sent Orange a strongly worded email after have a nice chat with my legal adviser.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1381827655' post='2244137']
Have sent Orange a strongly worded email after have a nice chat with my legal adviser.
[/quote]

Is this on the strength that the design of the old ones make them 'not fit for purpose' under the Sale of Goods Act?

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1381796131' post='2243990']
Modern ones are made to jsut eject a leg if they go. Old ones go really well, spewing foaming wax stuff and billows of white smoke.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubw3cHM4YxU[/media]
[/quote]

Loving those Blake's Seven SFX ...