can I offer some vintage safety practices? When the military was teaching me to be an electronics tech, vacuum tubes were still being used. One piece of advice was "always keep one hand in your pocket". This prevented having one hand grounded and then other touching a high voltage, resulting in current flowing through your heart. Another recommended practice was to not wear metal jewelry (including our dogtags). These pieces of metal might contact exposed component terminals, possibly shocking you, or just shorting out the circuit and causing damage. Trust me, there are enough ways to get hurt without exposing yourself to easily preventable risks! :-) Thanks for the video!
While not military trained I was trained to do the same thing back in the 90s as it would lead a charge through one side of your body from your hand, typically, to a foot; when you use two hands a charge can go between both hands through your heart leading to death at her than just a painful shock. Also learned to do things in a manner that would cause a pull away rather than a grip or pull in motion as electricity can tense muscles and lead to you going deeper into the threat or gripping tighter; by planning on your position a shock would actually push you away from the electric.
My dad was military and Bell Labs trained. He has story about a guy losing (and cauterizing) a finger because he didn’t remove his ring. I don’t thing 350 VAC would do just that, but I wouldn’t wanna be the one to find out. For the sake of setting a good example to those new to this, please remove your rings!
Looking at it she is using Cat 3 test leads, I would recommend Cat 4 when working on valve gear. For the most part you should never encounter 1000V but I think the extra cover over the probes really helps. If you have 2 600V DC feeds close together then not so fun things can happen :\.
Diagnosing a tube amp is one of the greatest things in the world. So calming... I can just let my mind go and relax and dig through the amp and look for issues. Very meditative.
This was very helpful, and appreciated. As a guitar player (an old noodle) who has WAY too many tube amps, I wanted to learn more about them, so I took a class to build a tweed Princeton type amp recently here in Portland. Matt Dawson sourced the best components available, so its a better amp than Victoria sells, which helped me justify the cost of the class (was well worth it). Matt was helpful with teaching us good wiring techniques - the electronics stuff was difficult to understand though. I've gotten several amp tech books and trying to learn, but now that I'm beginning to learn I realize how much more complex electronics is than I had thought. My dad had a PhD in electronics and physics from the 1950's, wish I could have learned more from him when he was still here. Thank you for the helpful video - liked and sub...cheers!
Colleen, I am glad to see your new shop, and I hope 2023 brings you prosperity, and abundant health. Excellent presentation! It is worthwhile material that everyone has wondered about. I look forward to your next episode with great eagerness.
When you're working on 110 volts or higher you should remove all jewelry from both hands.. just a safety reminder.... But it is refreshing to see a young lady into restoring electronics and knowing so much about the hobby nice job 👏 👍 👌
Nice! You break it down very easy, and no nonsense. I recently got into FENDER amp repair. I own vintage ones. Like 9 of them. This helps tremendous . The video you have on discharging the filter caps was huge for me. I did have healthy fear, so i looked up multiple videos on it. Yours was the best, by far!
The old Fluke 114 is a workhorse of a multimeter. I'd say that and the 87V (which I have) are among the most versatile Fluke has produced. A nice feature of the 87V is that it has the ability to test capacitors (though sadly it's unable to measure ESR). Funny thing, I actually grew up right near the old Fluke plant in Everett, WA. Great work!
Great seeing you back!!!! I own a clone of your Fluke (which for someone that only uses a multimeter maybe once every 3 months at most and doesn't use a multimeter on a daily basis the way a professional like you does) that suits my purposes just fine. Thank you for making the time to make this video for your loyal followers! Please make more when you have the opportunity. We miss you! Your videos are always informative. Please keep them coming!!!
Good to see a new video. Brings back my early days as an electronics engineer at Megacorp, working test and evaluation. We had a mix of Fluke digital meters and Simpson analog ones. My boss didn't trust the digital ones and preferred the analog type.
You're baaaack! Like your clean workshop. Excellent video. Some tips: I put shink tubing on my probes (exept the tip). Prevents inter-circuit shorts. I always alligator clip frame grounds - better connectivity. Nice your meter reads .635(average); most only show .707 (RMS). Keep making these great vids!!
Where did you get that clock that’s on the wall? I have one just like it! It was on the wall in my grandparent’s kitchen in Kansas. I’m 61 and the clock is older than me.
It's really nice to see you back. I've missed you. I love the plain and simple way you explain things like the use of your meter. Love from Tennessee.😊
As an old tube amp repair guy myself, what a wonderful explanation for the laymen. I'm not good at teaching, but you certainly are. I used to love the smell of fried resistors in the morning. Cheers and subscribed.
Thanks so much! I’m about to breadboard my first circuit and it’s inspiring having knowledgeable passionate people explain things so practically. I hope to build an amp one day.
This came up on my feed. The examples you showed are very helpful, thank-you for producing this concise short video. Helps me in my DIY repair of my vintage home audio tube gear.
I don't believe I've seen any of your videos before, but I'm already impressed!!! Why, you may ask? Well, it's NOT because you're a pretty lady! I mean, you are, but at my age all that stuff is just so much flotsam and jetsam. It's not even that I'm a technocrat (coz I'm not - yes, I am an Amateur (Ham) and have been for a bit over 4 decades, but even if I wanted to be messing about with building and repairing, because my occupation is as (what we call) an Interstate Truckie (OTR Truck driver to you lot) I am always extremely time poor. Nah! What I liked about this, right from the start is that as a general rule, electronics as often as dry as the Kalahari Desert and boring as watching grass grow, but you have such a personable demeanour that it actually makes the viewer not want to just skip the hell ahead! I know this is hardly rocket science... simple stuff, but I am conscious that many new hams are largely in need is from the ground up deliveries. Thank you for presenting as you do! I've subscribed and I will watch as I can and when I can in the future! Kindest regards Indy VKXB
Something too many people do not appreciate is that professional quality tools, such as Fluke (my personal favourite) are very robustly built and meet the CAT II ratings. Many cheap multimeters do not have these certifications.. The test leads don't either. They may work properly when used properly but if you make a mistake no one knows how they will fail and how that failure will affect you. Buy once, cry once, use for many years.
You are very good with describing what you are doing and how to do the measurements! A couple things I would recommend is to not wear jewelry while working or measuring voltages or amps, or really any measurement. Plus, I know it’s not easy, but it is safer if someone else is around just in case you need help. This means they need to be able to see you. Also, keep one hand in your pocket so you don’t accidentally complete the circuit and get shocked or worse, electrocuted. If no one else is around, it is critical to be vigilant and stay safe.
Thank you for this video. I’ve had one for years and honestly only knew a few features. This helped me understand many more practical uses. Appreciate you!!
Thank You for your job. I started to learn soldering whith your help. I am from Ukrain. And I was about to learn english. When I see your videos and listen your voice I get very imortant information for me and improve my speacking skills. Thank You so much.
HUGE THANK YOU because YOUR demonstration and explanation was soooo useful to ME... and... now I know that THIS MODEL is the one that I have to look for / look after this MULTIMETER is very easy to use and straightforward / straight to the point... once again... CHEERS MATE / THANKS...
@@NiHaoMike64 I think that at high voltages this increases the risk of electric shock. And here is another reason: Do not use clothing containing metal zippers, buttons, or other metal fittings. Metal, passing current, can heat up and cause burns.
I remember my first multimeter. I bought it at a Radio Shack. It was a kit that I had to assemble myself. Super fun soldering it and doing other assembling. Recently, I bought a ready-made multimeter from a local hardware store. It has an LED display, which I prefer to analog.
1. 1000V probes are useful, you can get aftermarket 4mm probe sets that will give you 1kV with clips. 2. AC probing, careful of the capacitor in the multimeter storing charge from HV and then going to low voltage without discharging can be an issue (tube-solid state hybrid this can be an issue!) I got myself a Brymen 869s for tube amps (a bit cheaper than the Flukes) but for DIY tube amps it handles 1000V and has some good features for testing solid state too. (can detect frequency which is useful for a tone input and then trace the signal, it's TrueRMS and does capacitance). I have two from the store, one 300V, one 600V but not sure on the insulation at HV from those.
Great videos! Just found your channel and have been going through them. Documenting your work is invaluable and I really appreciate the time you take to do so.
Nice. A Fluke will never let you down. I personally use Klein tools, but even ones from Harbor Freight are great for beginners. Flukes are top notch. 👍🏽
I have a Fluke 75 which I bought new. A year or so after I got it for use occasionally at home, I turned it on and when I turned it to off position, it stayed on. I checked the manual and it was warranted for 3 years, so I sent it to Fluke and they repaired it, calibrated it and sent it back. I've used Fluke meters at work for decades and up until mine went bad, I believed as you do, that ""a Fluke will never let you down."" Well, I don't believe that any more. I have 4 or 5 five dollar DMMs from Harbor Freight and they're just as reliable as the Fluke meters.
Glad to see you are making videos again I was wondering how you was doing. I been watching a lot of different videos of yours and others for info on amps because I just built an amp kit from Stew Mac 62 Brit-JTM45 and It works great and sounds awesome. I'm going to build a MoJo Tone JCM 800 kit when it gets here. I'm trying to learn how all the parts of the amps work. I was a Master auto and diesel tech for 30 years and now it is time to learn something new that I like to do build guitars and amps and play them of course. I have Fluke 88 & Fluke 88V from when I was working. I also have some old test equipment from a closed out TV repair shop 2 oscilloscopes are some of it. Thanks for the knowledge you share very much appreciated here! Keep up the great work and as always be safe!
Just found your channel and i love it! Ive love amps for a long time as a hobby, and learned things as i repaired each amp for friends or myself. A Fluke multimeter is the best and worth the price. There is nothing worst than measuring a cap or transister with a cheap meter and getting a false reading. Some parts are expensive now, and so is a misdiagnosis. Keep up the awesome job. I subbed and cant wait for more tube goodness, as that will be my future project. A 1974 West Avalon reverb ❤️
Hey Fazio long time no see, can't wait for you to take us thru some great repairs again in 2023, hope you had a good holiday season and happy new year,your looking beautiful as always,keep those tubes a glowin, and your channel a growing, we want more more !!🤣👍
Hey Coleen I just purchased a quartet of EL34 tubes as spares. I’d like to test them just to make sure they are in new working order. I don’t want to install them yet as my amps don’t need them yet and I’m not sure if the amp would require rebiasing in order to test these tubes. What is the best way to test them? Thank you and keep the videos coming! TC!!
Yeah! It's pretty amazing what you can do with just a basic, bare bones, VOM. Personally, I prefer to have one that includes the diode test feature, just because it makes life a little easier. 🙂
You use the mV set to DC to test speaker outputs. You don't want any of that, as it throws the T.H.D. (total harmonic distortion) into race, which means it gets massively crazier and worse the higher the DC voltage gets. If it is high enough, it can and will fry speakers which is why it is always recommended to test this out when receiving or buying a new "used" amp. Last I did my vintage 1970s Sony STR-7045, family original owner and daily beater since its inception, I got it down to about 1 or 2 mV which is excellent. 20 is not much to worry about. 30 the same, more or less. You get the idea. Higher than that, it should be brought down. Rock on!
I like tools that I can trust and I also like nice things, which brings me to the idea of buying a used Fluke. My original 77 purchased 20 years ago for maybe $75 is still working like new and highly recommended if you want to spend very little today. I picked up a 79 Series III to have capacitance and True RMS, but mostly because I like shiny toys. (Metaphorically shiny in this case!) I could actually get by with rubbish but not if it fails to work when I need it.
That ground probe thing is actually a good idea, it annoys me having to balance my black pin onto things to keep a connection. I was using a crocadile clip sometimes to just keep it in place but I think your method is better because it uses less force than a crocodile clip.
These are great videos! Can your next one be on how you find the bad tube? I’m currently searching my vintage Deluxe Reverb and I can’t seem to pin it down.
Great content + straight-forward awesome presentation as always. My Fluke 26 is probably my most used piece of diagnostic gear (aside from my brain and maybe a metered Variac), and being completely comfortable with it and understanding what it's telling me is critical to nearly everything else that gets done. Testing known-good components outside the amp is helpful in this regard. The only time I've gotten questionable readings is when the battery was low. Ha! Thanks for the safety demo and tips, too. (:
Very valuable information, knowing how to use a multimeter. Just a fun comment, my old Radio Shack circa 1991 multimeter that I bought new for electronics classes still works. I do have a newer one but I don't know that it would last 30 years. Oh well, I probably won't either. 😂 I do miss the old Radio Shack when you could go get what you needed to fix a radio, TV, whatever. Or an old amp of course!
Can I test the power output of my amp with a volt meter? I trying to figure out the RMS power output so I can determine what speakers are safe to swap with the combo amp. Thanks!
Most voltages are measured relative to circuit ground and in a typical amp (or anything else with a power transformer) the chassis is connected to circuit ground.
Because the metal chassis is grounded. Those old techs were nuts. And yeah people got electrocuted because of it. It only takes a couple screw ups and the whole chassis is live.
Hello I have a request for a video if you would please consider An overview and reasoning/philosophy of the components you replace and also why the brands/types for decide to use. For example I notice you routinely replace all the high voltage stuff capacitors and resistors. You also seem to leave in a lot of the old carbon film resistors why? Do you use new carbon film to replace the old ones? Or metal film? How about capacitors the skies the limit on those where do you draw the line? Why no oil and paper caps? They seem to be popular with the guitar crowd. I'm in the process of restoring a vintage tube audio amp and after watching your videos I'm rethinking my plan to replace all the capacitors and carbon resistors. Love your videos I find them very informative Thank you, Bob from Sarasota, FL
I don’t understand where it turns from AC to DC?(LOL) I guess I could search the web. Also, when you’re connected to ground on the chassis will the paint affect the reading going to it? I’m a complete novice but it’s interesting and I’d like to learn. I find amp repair videos very interesting. Thank you.
Life for DC begins out of the rectifier. AC goes into the rectifier and DC comes out. You got tube rectifiers, diode rectifiers, Selenium rectifiers, etc. Paint only affects the reading when its so thick you cant get to bare metal for a proper ground. And then it's no reading.
@@lifelongfan07 I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I replied. I know you would rather have Colleen reply. I would too. And good luck learning this stuff. Everything you need is to know is easy to find. I only knew basic electricity 7 yrs ago myself, now I build and repair amps and guitars. You can check out a few of my guits on my channel. Kinda crappy video, sounds samples coming, still pretty cool IMO. But anyway, you're very welcome.
Love the vid! I often use my ohms setting for continuity testing in amps with pcb traces as I've been led astray by the continuity setting . If a trace is broken but has even a tiny stray wire or solder bit it will beep , but when checked with the ohms reading it's all over the place (bad) or like .2 (good)
I love my fluke meters. I have a 115 on my bench at all times and a 117 for my tool bag. Love my fluke clamp meters too. Rugged and reliable. My daily drivers.
Great video. Having the right setting on your multimeter really helps. Measuring HT voltage at the pilot light for example .. 🤣 I got lucky and just the artificial center tap resistors assploded that time ..
Glad to see you back!! Happy New Year. Have you ever done a tutorial on checking for noisey components such as resistors or caps with a signal tracer?? Also usint a an ESR for caps?? A lot of times values may not be bad but a cap component can be very noisy too. Also testing Electrolytics with an ESR meter to check to see whether caps are actually bad too. I usually replace all parts but don't restore (Amps) very often.
Great and very concise video. Congratulations! I only wish I could be that succint... :) Just one remark that I suspect you already know by working on high voltage amplifiers for so long: when using the ohmeter, power down the amplifier and make sure the capacitors are fully discharged. Although the Fluke wouldn't be destroyed by this, cheaper models would be close to a death sentence to the equipment.
Great videos keep them coming. May I suggest you try your skills at repairing gaming consoles. The market could use someone like you to provide a much needed service. Good luck and thank you for what you do.
can I offer some vintage safety practices? When the military was teaching me to be an electronics tech, vacuum tubes were still being used. One piece of advice was "always keep one hand in your pocket". This prevented having one hand grounded and then other touching a high voltage, resulting in current flowing through your heart. Another recommended practice was to not wear metal jewelry (including our dogtags). These pieces of metal might contact exposed component terminals, possibly shocking you, or just shorting out the circuit and causing damage. Trust me, there are enough ways to get hurt without exposing yourself to easily preventable risks! :-) Thanks for the video!
I just added something similar to your comment! Sounds like we both had military training in electronic components 👍
While not military trained I was trained to do the same thing back in the 90s as it would lead a charge through one side of your body from your hand, typically, to a foot; when you use two hands a charge can go between both hands through your heart leading to death at her than just a painful shock. Also learned to do things in a manner that would cause a pull away rather than a grip or pull in motion as electricity can tense muscles and lead to you going deeper into the threat or gripping tighter; by planning on your position a shock would actually push you away from the electric.
My dad was military and Bell Labs trained. He has story about a guy losing (and cauterizing) a finger because he didn’t remove his ring. I don’t thing 350 VAC would do just that, but I wouldn’t wanna be the one to find out. For the sake of setting a good example to those new to this, please remove your rings!
She shows and explain this hand in the pocket safety technique in her previous discharging caps video. It’s a good tip, thanks.
Looking at it she is using Cat 3 test leads, I would recommend Cat 4 when working on valve gear. For the most part you should never encounter 1000V but I think the extra cover over the probes really helps. If you have 2 600V DC feeds close together then not so fun things can happen :\.
Diagnosing a tube amp is one of the greatest things in the world. So calming... I can just let my mind go and relax and dig through the amp and look for issues. Very meditative.
I found this channel by a Fluke.
Good video. Having not watched your other vids, but I hope the jewery comes off when working with live circuits
This was very helpful, and appreciated. As a guitar player (an old noodle) who has WAY too many tube amps, I wanted to learn more about them, so I took a class to build a tweed Princeton type amp recently here in Portland. Matt Dawson sourced the best components available, so its a better amp than Victoria sells, which helped me justify the cost of the class (was well worth it). Matt was helpful with teaching us good wiring techniques - the electronics stuff was difficult to understand though. I've gotten several amp tech books and trying to learn, but now that I'm beginning to learn I realize how much more complex electronics is than I had thought. My dad had a PhD in electronics and physics from the 1950's, wish I could have learned more from him when he was still here. Thank you for the helpful video - liked and sub...cheers!
" Things connected together act differently when things are in isolation ". An old adage from one of my EE professors.
Look! (listen!)- an educational (or any) TH-cam video _without_ any "-ay"s or "thee"s! Almost unheard of! Thank you miss Fazio!
Nice to see you again Colleen. Thanks for the info.
Colleen, I am glad to see your new shop, and I hope 2023 brings you prosperity, and abundant health. Excellent presentation! It is worthwhile material that everyone has wondered about. I look forward to your next episode with great eagerness.
Great to see you back ! (From Korean tube amplifier DIY hobbyist)
When you're working on 110 volts or higher you should remove all jewelry from both hands.. just a safety reminder.... But it is refreshing to see a young lady into restoring electronics and knowing so much about the hobby nice job 👏 👍 👌
Nice! You break it down very easy, and no nonsense. I recently got into FENDER amp repair. I own vintage ones. Like 9 of them. This helps tremendous . The video you have on discharging the filter caps was huge for me. I did have healthy fear, so i looked up multiple videos on it. Yours was the best, by far!
The old Fluke 114 is a workhorse of a multimeter. I'd say that and the 87V (which I have) are among the most versatile Fluke has produced. A nice feature of the 87V is that it has the ability to test capacitors (though sadly it's unable to measure ESR). Funny thing, I actually grew up right near the old Fluke plant in Everett, WA.
Great work!
Nice to see you again, Colleen!
Great seeing you back!!!! I own a clone of your Fluke (which for someone that only uses a multimeter maybe once every 3 months at most and doesn't use a multimeter on a daily basis the way a professional like you does) that suits my purposes just fine. Thank you for making the time to make this video for your loyal followers! Please make more when you have the opportunity. We miss you! Your videos are always informative. Please keep them coming!!!
Good to see a new video. Brings back my early days as an electronics engineer at Megacorp, working test and evaluation. We had a mix of Fluke digital meters and Simpson analog ones. My boss didn't trust the digital ones and preferred the analog type.
As a bass player and retired electronics tech, I enjoy your vids and your sound and proper approach to troubleshooting and repair. Thanks Colleen!
Ms Fazio is back!!! We missed you!
You're baaaack! Like your clean workshop. Excellent video. Some tips: I put shink tubing on my probes (exept the tip). Prevents inter-circuit shorts. I always alligator clip frame grounds - better connectivity. Nice your meter reads .635(average); most only show .707 (RMS). Keep making these great vids!!
Where did you get that clock that’s on the wall? I have one just like it! It was on the wall in my grandparent’s kitchen in Kansas. I’m 61 and the clock is older than me.
Nice easy to follow examples there. Good to see a video again and I hope the new place is awesome.
Glad you found a new/better/good spot for the shop... Looking forward to Great amp repair content in Your likable easygoing Way..
It's really nice to see you back. I've missed you. I love the plain and simple way you explain things like the use of your meter. Love from Tennessee.😊
As an old tube amp repair guy myself, what a wonderful explanation for the laymen. I'm not good at teaching, but you certainly are. I used to love the smell of fried resistors in the morning. Cheers and subscribed.
haha fried resistors for breakfast
Thanks so much! I’m about to breadboard my first circuit and it’s inspiring having knowledgeable passionate people explain things so practically. I hope to build an amp one day.
Happy new year! Looking forward to more amps this year
Glad to see you've been busy, and thanks for the walkthrough on multimeter use. All great intel for those of us non-pros!
This came up on my feed. The examples you showed are very helpful, thank-you for producing this concise short video. Helps me in my DIY repair of my vintage home audio tube gear.
I don't believe I've seen any of your videos before, but I'm already impressed!!! Why, you may ask?
Well, it's NOT because you're a pretty lady! I mean, you are, but at my age all that stuff is just so much flotsam and jetsam. It's not even that I'm a technocrat (coz I'm not - yes, I am an Amateur (Ham) and have been for a bit over 4 decades, but even if I wanted to be messing about with building and repairing, because my occupation is as (what we call) an Interstate Truckie (OTR Truck driver to you lot) I am always extremely time poor.
Nah! What I liked about this, right from the start is that as a general rule, electronics as often as dry as the Kalahari Desert and boring as watching grass grow, but you have such a personable demeanour that it actually makes the viewer not want to just skip the hell ahead! I know this is hardly rocket science... simple stuff, but I am conscious that many new hams are largely in need is from the ground up deliveries.
Thank you for presenting as you do! I've subscribed and I will watch as I can and when I can in the future!
Kindest regards
Indy VKXB
Good to see you back again!
Something too many people do not appreciate is that professional quality tools, such as Fluke (my personal favourite) are very robustly built and meet the CAT II ratings. Many cheap multimeters do not have these certifications.. The test leads don't either. They may work properly when used properly but if you make a mistake no one knows how they will fail and how that failure will affect you. Buy once, cry once, use for many years.
You are very good with describing what you are doing and how to do the measurements! A couple things I would recommend is to not wear jewelry while working or measuring voltages or amps, or really any measurement. Plus, I know it’s not easy, but it is safer if someone else is around just in case you need help. This means they need to be able to see you. Also, keep one hand in your pocket so you don’t accidentally complete the circuit and get shocked or worse, electrocuted. If no one else is around, it is critical to be vigilant and stay safe.
Thank you for this video. I’ve had one for years and honestly only knew a few features. This helped me understand many more practical uses. Appreciate you!!
Thank You for your job. I started to learn soldering whith your help. I am from Ukrain. And I was about to learn english. When I see your videos and listen your voice I get very imortant information for me and improve my speacking skills. Thank You so much.
Happy new year Ms Fazio ! Glad to see you back.
Welcome back, and all the best!
I used to sell Fluke meters for years for a major international electronics distributor. They make great stuff!
Glad to see you're back.
HUGE THANK YOU because YOUR demonstration and explanation was soooo useful to ME... and... now I know that THIS MODEL is the one that I have to look for / look after this MULTIMETER is very easy to use and straightforward / straight to the point... once again... CHEERS MATE / THANKS...
Safety precautions:
Remove all rings, wristwatches, bracelets, chains, and similar metal items.
Best regards from Odessa, Ukarina
That's an official rule in Intel labs when I worked there in 2012. Came about after someone broke a prototype board by shorting it with a ring.
@@NiHaoMike64
I think that at high voltages this increases the risk of electric shock.
And here is another reason:
Do not use clothing containing metal zippers, buttons, or other metal fittings. Metal, passing current, can heat up and cause burns.
I remember my first multimeter. I bought it at a Radio Shack. It was a kit that I had to assemble myself. Super fun soldering it and doing other assembling. Recently, I bought a ready-made multimeter from a local hardware store. It has an LED display, which I prefer to analog.
Welcome back! Haven't seen you since your Tone Talk appearance! Looking forward to more content from you.
1. 1000V probes are useful, you can get aftermarket 4mm probe sets that will give you 1kV with clips.
2. AC probing, careful of the capacitor in the multimeter storing charge from HV and then going to low voltage without discharging can be an issue (tube-solid state hybrid this can be an issue!)
I got myself a Brymen 869s for tube amps (a bit cheaper than the Flukes) but for DIY tube amps it handles 1000V and has some good features for testing solid state too. (can detect frequency which is useful for a tone input and then trace the signal, it's TrueRMS and does capacitance). I have two from the store, one 300V, one 600V but not sure on the insulation at HV from those.
Very nice way to explain the multimeter functions and very beautiful personality as well bless you.
Congrats on your new shop ... I wear my Fazio hat all the time ... Thx for sharing ...
Great videos! Just found your channel and have been going through them. Documenting your work is invaluable and I really appreciate the time you take to do so.
Хоть и не понимаю а чем ты рассказываешь , просто приятно смотреть. Молодец.
Согласен
The good side of TH-cam ✨
Nice. A Fluke will never let you down. I personally use Klein tools, but even ones from Harbor Freight are great for beginners. Flukes are top notch. 👍🏽
I have a Fluke 75 which I bought new. A year or so after I got it for use occasionally at home, I turned it on and when I turned it to off position, it stayed on. I checked the manual and it was warranted for 3 years, so I sent it to Fluke and they repaired it, calibrated it and sent it back. I've used Fluke meters at work for decades and up until mine went bad, I believed as you do, that ""a Fluke will never let you down."" Well, I don't believe that any more. I have 4 or 5 five dollar DMMs from Harbor Freight and they're just as reliable as the Fluke meters.
Good to see you back
Glad to see you are making videos again I was wondering how you was doing. I been watching a lot of different videos of yours and others for info on amps because I just built an amp kit from Stew Mac 62 Brit-JTM45 and It works great and sounds awesome. I'm going to build a MoJo Tone JCM 800 kit when it gets here. I'm trying to learn how all the parts of the amps work. I was a Master auto and diesel tech for 30 years and now it is time to learn something new that I like to do build guitars and amps and play them of course. I have Fluke 88 & Fluke 88V from when I was working. I also have some old test equipment from a closed out TV repair shop 2 oscilloscopes are some of it. Thanks for the knowledge you share very much appreciated here! Keep up the great work and as always be safe!
Great video. I remove jewelry when working with electricity. Metal jewelry is conductive and can result in shock or burns.
That LoZ setting on the multimeter comes in handy for discharging caps.
Nice. Would you benefit from baking able to measure capacitance too?
Glad you are back!
Get out of LA #1 . Do you use LCR for caps ?
Just found your channel and i love it! Ive love amps for a long time as a hobby, and learned things as i repaired each amp for friends or myself. A Fluke multimeter is the best and worth the price. There is nothing worst than measuring a cap or transister with a cheap meter and getting a false reading. Some parts are expensive now, and so is a misdiagnosis. Keep up the awesome job. I subbed and cant wait for more tube goodness, as that will be my future project. A 1974 West Avalon reverb ❤️
Wow! With an opening smile like that, I'm an instant subscribe :)
this is amazing!
Hey Fazio long time no see, can't wait for you to take us thru some great repairs again in 2023, hope you had a good holiday season and happy new year,your looking beautiful as always,keep those tubes a glowin, and your channel a growing, we want more more !!🤣👍
Welcome back !! even if you never left !!
Hey Coleen I just purchased a quartet of EL34 tubes as spares. I’d like to test them just to make sure they are in new working order. I don’t want to install them yet as my amps don’t need them yet and I’m not sure if the amp would require rebiasing in order to test these tubes. What is the best way to test them? Thank you and keep the videos coming! TC!!
Yeah! It's pretty amazing what you can do with just a basic, bare bones, VOM. Personally, I prefer to have one that includes the diode test feature, just because it makes life a little easier. 🙂
You use the mV set to DC to test speaker outputs. You don't want any of that, as it throws the T.H.D. (total harmonic distortion) into race, which means it gets massively crazier and worse the higher the DC voltage gets. If it is high enough, it can and will fry speakers which is why it is always recommended to test this out when receiving or buying a new "used" amp. Last I did my vintage 1970s Sony STR-7045, family original owner and daily beater since its inception, I got it down to about 1 or 2 mV which is excellent. 20 is not much to worry about. 30 the same, more or less. You get the idea. Higher than that, it should be brought down. Rock on!
I like tools that I can trust and I also like nice things, which brings me to the idea of buying a used Fluke. My original 77 purchased 20 years ago for maybe $75 is still working like new and highly recommended if you want to spend very little today. I picked up a 79 Series III to have capacitance and True RMS, but mostly because I like shiny toys. (Metaphorically shiny in this case!) I could actually get by with rubbish but not if it fails to work when I need it.
That ground probe thing is actually a good idea, it annoys me having to balance my black pin onto things to keep a connection. I was using a crocadile clip sometimes to just keep it in place but I think your method is better because it uses less force than a crocodile clip.
@5:08 you also need to discharge the high voltage filter capacitor before measuring resistors.
Great to see you back,,, Hi from Syd Australiaxx
Thanks so much. Love your breakdown and delivery style. Keep the vids coming.
Interesting voltage from the PT, which amp are you testing? I can see that it's a Fender, but not sure which model. Thanks Colleen!!
These are great videos! Can your next one be on how you find the bad tube? I’m currently searching my vintage Deluxe Reverb and I can’t seem to pin it down.
Those Brown Concerts are pretty dang sweet amps!
Great content + straight-forward awesome presentation as always. My Fluke 26 is probably my most used piece of diagnostic gear (aside from my brain and maybe a metered Variac), and being completely comfortable with it and understanding what it's telling me is critical to nearly everything else that gets done. Testing known-good components outside the amp is helpful in this regard. The only time I've gotten questionable readings is when the battery was low. Ha! Thanks for the safety demo and tips, too. (:
Wow I didn't think there were any knowledgeable humble ladies left ! You are a breath of fresh air.
I like the new space!
Very valuable information, knowing how to use a multimeter. Just a fun comment, my old Radio Shack circa 1991 multimeter that I bought new for electronics classes still works. I do have a newer one but I don't know that it would last 30 years. Oh well, I probably won't either. 😂
I do miss the old Radio Shack when you could go get what you needed to fix a radio, TV, whatever. Or an old amp of course!
What no chipped nail polish? 😀Good to see you back and good presentation.
Can I test the power output of my amp with a volt meter? I trying to figure out the RMS power output so I can determine what speakers are safe to swap with the combo amp. Thanks!
Why does hooking the black probe to the chasis of the amp work as a reference point for measuring voltage for every component in the amp?
Most voltages are measured relative to circuit ground and in a typical amp (or anything else with a power transformer) the chassis is connected to circuit ground.
Because the metal chassis is grounded. Those old techs were nuts. And yeah people got electrocuted because of it. It only takes a couple screw ups and the whole chassis is live.
Nice to see back with a video.
HOTTIE. Music-related technical knowledge too? Never thought possible. 😮
Best wishes for 2023
the perfect combination: beautifull eyes and handy with multimeter😍😍😍
Hello
I have a request for a video if you would please consider
An overview and reasoning/philosophy of the components you replace and also why the brands/types for decide to use.
For example I notice you routinely replace all the high voltage stuff capacitors and resistors. You also seem to leave in a lot of the old carbon film resistors why? Do you use new carbon film to replace the old ones? Or metal film? How about capacitors the skies the limit on those where do you draw the line? Why no oil and paper caps? They seem to be popular with the guitar crowd. I'm in the process of restoring a vintage tube audio amp and after watching your videos I'm rethinking my plan to replace all the capacitors and carbon resistors. Love your videos I find them very informative
Thank you, Bob from Sarasota, FL
Not sure if you answered it before but did you ever got shocked by mains voltage? These old amps seem to have a lot of open connections.
I made a probe “disappear” when I accidentally touched 170vdc to ground with 22,000uF behind it... poof... just gone!
I don’t understand where it turns from AC to DC?(LOL) I guess I could search the web. Also, when you’re connected to ground on the chassis will the paint affect the reading going to it?
I’m a complete novice but it’s interesting and I’d like to learn.
I find amp repair videos very interesting.
Thank you.
Life for DC begins out of the rectifier. AC goes into the rectifier and DC comes out. You got tube rectifiers, diode rectifiers, Selenium rectifiers, etc.
Paint only affects the reading when its so thick you cant get to bare metal for a proper ground. And then it's no reading.
@@michaelmoore7975 thank you for replying!
@@lifelongfan07 I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I replied. I know you would rather have Colleen reply. I would too.
And good luck learning this stuff. Everything you need is to know is easy to find. I only knew basic electricity 7 yrs ago myself, now I build and repair amps and guitars. You can check out a few of my guits on my channel. Kinda crappy video, sounds samples coming, still pretty cool IMO.
But anyway, you're very welcome.
@@michaelmoore7975 no worries man. learning is fun and hopefully rewarding in one way or another.
i have a box of a few Humbucker Pickups. Do you know what type of meter and setting would be used to test their output ? thank you :)
Love the vid! I often use my ohms setting for continuity testing in amps with pcb traces as I've been led astray by the continuity setting . If a trace is broken but has even a tiny stray wire or solder bit it will beep , but when checked with the ohms reading it's all over the place (bad) or like .2 (good)
I love my fluke meters. I have a 115 on my bench at all times and a 117 for my tool bag. Love my fluke clamp meters too. Rugged and reliable. My daily drivers.
Great video. Having the right setting on your multimeter really helps. Measuring HT voltage at the pilot light for example .. 🤣
I got lucky and just the artificial center tap resistors assploded that time ..
Where did you learn electronics? And how many years did you study?
Very informative and entertaining.
Thank you
Happy New Year!
Nice informative straight forward explanation. More please 👍🏻
Glad to see you back!! Happy New Year. Have you ever done a tutorial on checking for noisey components such as resistors or caps with a signal tracer?? Also usint a an ESR for caps?? A lot of times values may not be bad but a cap component can be very noisy too. Also testing Electrolytics with an ESR meter to check to see whether caps are actually bad too. I usually replace all parts but don't restore (Amps) very often.
Great and very concise video. Congratulations! I only wish I could be that succint... :)
Just one remark that I suspect you already know by working on high voltage amplifiers for so long: when using the ohmeter, power down the amplifier and make sure the capacitors are fully discharged. Although the Fluke wouldn't be destroyed by this, cheaper models would be close to a death sentence to the equipment.
Do you work with alot of stuff with capacitors? Curious if you work on newer stuff ?
Ola , muito bom seus vídeos, gosto muito da maneira que trabalha, adoro amps, e que 2023 , venha com grandes realizações. Congratulations fron Brasil.
Great videos keep them coming. May I suggest you try your skills at repairing gaming consoles. The market could use someone like you to provide a much needed service. Good luck and thank you for what you do.
Happy New Year Colleen and thanks for the information. Always appreciated
So rad. Thanks!
Great to see you again. We missed you. ✌️❤️🙏🇦🇺