Forming new 700B power supply caps?

Gepetto

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#21
Here are some pictures of how the caps are connected for forming. Both are reading below 50mV now and have been forming for ~27 hours. The red jumper is connected to the B+ side of the bridge rectifier, the black jumper to the B- side. The other end of the red jumper is connected to two 470 ohm 3 watt resistors in series. The green jumper is connected to the other end of these resistors and then to the positive terminal of the top capacitor. The black jumper from the B- is connected to two more 470 resistors in series. The other end of these resistors is connected to the negative terminal of the lower capacitor.

View attachment 13431

View attachment 13432

View attachment 13433

This last picture shows the two black wires that are normally connected to the cap negative terminal in routine operation. One of these wires was touching the metal amp chassis when the spark/smoke event occurred. It is not touching the chassis now. There are two white wires connected to the positive terminal of the bottom cap. One of these is the ground for the WO board, the other is the ground for the Watts Abundant DC protect board.

View attachment 13434

I am not going to do any trouble shooting until these caps are done forming. Then will let them discharge. After that will reconnect the amp wiring to the caps and start troubleshooting. First thing I plan to do is power it up on a DBT and see if the bulb dims or not. If it doesn't, will then start checking for burned up components.
What you have is all correct Scott, unless like you said, one of the loose wires hit something you weren't planning on.
 

BMWR75

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#22
Joe,

I was poking around my VOM probe at those two black wires that are normally connected to the lower cap negative terminal. When I separate the two black wire terminal connectors, the relays click in the DC protection board. At least one of these two connectors was touching the amp chassis when the spark/smoke event occurred. Does this mean anything?

Scott
 

Gepetto

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#23
Joe,

I was poking around my VOM probe at those two black wires that are normally connected to the lower cap negative terminal. When I separate the two black wire terminal connectors, the relays click in the DC protection board. At least one of these two connectors was touching the amp chassis when the spark/smoke event occurred. Does this mean anything?

Scott
Not sure how that is possible Scott.

The DCP relays run off the B+ voltage and you disconnected that (didn't you?). The only power connection to the DCP board is the 2 AC wires and the ground once you have disconnected the other wires to the B+ caps.
 

BMWR75

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#24
The second photo in the post below shows the B+ terminal only has the green jumper wire connected to it. The two red wire B+ connections are hanging out in open space.

As I was bringing the new caps up on the variac, the spark/smoke event occurred at I am guessing 20-30 volts AC. When I finally brought it up to full VAC, do remember the DC protect relays clicking cause it made me jump (wasn't expecting that).

EDIT -- just wanted to add that whatever weirdness went on with the WO board while forming the new caps was a freaky thing. I appreciate all the help you guys, especially Lee and Joe, offer up to knuckleheads like me. :rabbit:
 
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BMWR75

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#25
New PS caps are hooked up to amp. Got a good dim bulb. Whew!! So far, so good.

Plugged the amp into a 120V outlet. Bias is 383 on left and 381 on right, maybe a few millivolts higher than when I checked months ago. DC offset is -10.1 mV on left and -11.3 mV on right.

I'm amazed so far. Was not expecting to get good results after I heard a spark and saw a whiff of smoke near the WO board while forming the new caps.

Guess it is time to hook up the bench speakers and a source and see what happens.

EDIT -- amp is playing beautifully!! I swear I heard and arc and saw smoke a few days ago. Must have been a bug getting zapped by flying in too close proximity to a WO board that is not supposed to even have power on it. :mrgreen:
 
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NavLinear

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#26
Congrats Scott. I'm glad it all worked out for you - it sounded a little iffy with the escaping smoke problem. Any noticable improvement with the sound?
 

BMWR75

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Have only tried it on my small work bench speakers, which are nothing to write home about, Klipsch KSB 1.1s I think. So, will reserve judgement on it sounding any better until moving it into a real Hi-Fi system.
 

Gepetto

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Have only tried it on my small work bench speakers, which are nothing to write home about, Klipsch KSB 1.1s I think. So, will reserve judgement on it sounding any better until moving it into a real Hi-Fi system.
Looks like the important smoke stayed in Scott :)

Happy you are up and running.
 

premiumplus

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#29
Glad to hear that your amp lives!!!
I put in the new PS caps in my WOPL 1000's yesterday and they sound punchier, generally healthier. Both my amps are delivering over 216 vdc when measured at the filter caps...There is a wider soundstage, and drums sound amazing. Everything really pops; cymbals are crisper and vocals are silky smooth. Nice. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. A power amplifier has one basic job; to regulate a power supply and drive loudspeakers with an output current proportional to the input. Sooo, the first requirement is to build a power supply for the amp to control, and those caps provide the source for instantaneous current. The better the source, the better the output...
 

BMWR75

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#30
I moved the WO 700 B into a nicer system today. AudioSmile modded DEQ2496 DAC, Rogue Audio Perseus preamp and KEF LS50 speakers. I really couldn't tell any difference before and after the PS recap. However, LS50s are not bass strong, they are small bookshelf size speakers. I mainly changed out the PS caps for long-term reliability and any improved bass response is a plus on full range speakers. Have some new 14" stands coming to use with a pair of JBL Synthesis Array 800s, will give the WO 700 B a road test when these are rotated into this system.
TEC-JBL-800ARRAY.jpg
 

jbeckva

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Threw a pair into my 700B WOPL Full Comp this evening. Hmmm.. yeah sounds pretty good. Might romp on it some more now that we have the proper overhead in WVDC established! :evil4:
 

laatsch55

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#32
I romp on those 22K 100 volters like I stole em and aint popped one yet. I'll still use em for my own projects and some local work...I first started using those 22K 100 volters in 400's years ago, depending on the vintage I would have to make spacers for the faceplate to chassis connection....ah...those were the days...
 
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