Toasted 400 still toast

[roccus]

Some of you may recall a situation I had with my WOPL 400 build. It had developed a problem where it would trip the protector. Joe said he had a fix for it by swapping out a couple of resistors to different values, he sent me the revised replacement resistors and told me where they go.... I swapped them out and when I powered it up sparks flew and components burned up on the back planes and the control board as well as blew out 1/2 my brand new power transistors. When I reported back to Joe what had happened all he said was ooooppps he said he gave me the wrong info on where the new resistors were supposed to go. So I laid out a bunch more money out of my pocket to buy new components including new power transistors again and started to repair it. I got the backplanes repaired to the point where I put the first row of new power transistors in powered it up all seemed ok at that stage and took all the bad resistors and components that I could see that were burned out on the control board. But I started getting real frustrated with all the money and time I had put into the amp to see it all go up in smoke and all I got from Joe was ooopps, no further support of offer to help make it right. So the amp has sat now for near 3 years covered up with a towel as it disgusted me to even look at it. Well winter is here and I have been thinking about getting back on it, I pulled the towel off it to take a look but again my stomach just turned inside out.

Here is how it is sitting today....

 

[roccus]

I found the old thread here on how it went down, at first I took it in stride but then got a bit pissed. Here is some copy and paste from the thread..

From Joe
"Ray just lift one end of D9 L/R and D10L/R for a while and give the amp a shake down for a while in a situation where it was tripping the DCP before. If it does not trip any more, then you know the effect is coming from the SOA protection circuit.

If this produces results that does not trip the DCP, then change out R24/25 with the 13K 1/2W SFF resistors I sent you and reattach D9/D10 and give it another shake down. "

From me
"OK so the replacement resistors got here this afternoon from Joe so I replaced them in R24 and R25 on left and right channel then I powered it up and saw smoke start to come out of D9 on the right side did not look to see if it was also coming out of D9 on the left side as I shut it down right away..... "

From Joe
"Sorry Ray, typo in earlier note below. 13K go in R25/26 not R24/25. "

As it turned out I had blown resistors, fuses, transistors, and I think even some caps blown all over the place......

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Building WOPL's is not for the feint of heart. What do you expect to accomplish by busting Joes balls?

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Some guys I recommend that they buy completed assemblies from White Oak. It's only a couple more dollars but can be worth it if you are not entirely schooled on how these beasts work.

 

[roccus]

Broke balls sniffer?? You must have me confused with someone else, I never broke any balls. And my build was initially successful before the problem crept up and it would seem it was not just my 400 it was happening with others as well which is why Joe spent the time to figure out was was going on and came up with an updated rev to address the issue. I only followed directions from the man

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

This is busting balls..... I don't have you confused with someone else.

When I reported back to Joe what had happened all he said was ooooppps he said he gave me the wrong info

and all I got from Joe was ooopps, no further support of offer to help make it right.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Hmmmm

 

[roccus]

Wow sniffer? So if someone hands you their hard earned money to buy one of your amps and something happens that is not the customers fault and you basically just blew them off and said something you would say the customer is breaking your balls?

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

My AMPS, have a Lifetime warranty. If somebody sticks their unqualified fingers into them thinking they can solder or wire... They are shit outta luck... Yep... And talking smack is talking smack... Just sayin

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

as a bystander, I think you were bustin balls..

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Put the towel back over that thing...

Now THAT.... Is bustin balls too

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

so deal with Joe off-line. John Q Public don't need to hear about this

 

[roccus]

Sniffer happy to hear you stand solid behind your product it is a great way to do business and you should be very successful with many happy customers and build a great reputation you deserve.... deal with this in private??? Isn't this the WOPL forum thread? Geez everybody was so friendly here when I started this build, and putting money out none of it was bought off ebay, everything for this build was bought from members here in this forum the chassis. wiring from here even the rack handles for it I got from you.... PM's can work both ways if Joe wanted to deal with this I am sure he knows how to PM a member here but I truly am not trying to break any balls just thinking of maybe going back on the 400 to get it up and running with all I have into it

 

[Billboard]

Roccus, I hate to say it but Sniffer is right, if you have a broken amp, and post your issue here, you will get it fixed. Joe is the father of the WOPL, he only posts here for free to be kind, this is not factory lifetime support site. I understand your frustration, but keep in mind Joe is probably very busy and made a mistake, if parts/money are an issue there is probably a few members here that can send excess or good used stock for cheap, remember more flies with honey??? or something like that. Be nice.

Try again, do exactly as the Joe, Lee or many others say and you will have your amp up and running.

PS good to heeir from you again, you werte absent from the PHX boards for a while, was wondering what happened.

 

[VSAT88]

Damn, all depends on perspective.....

 

[nakdoc]

I would recommend that anyone who wants to build or modify high power amplifiers invest in an AC variac. A 3 amp variac will prevent smoke and flames and heartbreak. I use my variac on every amplifier I repair.

 

[62vauxhall]

Yes, I borrowed one once after I learned the hard way how valuable one can be. Repetitively checking CL eventually turned up a 5 amp Aramaco from an old TV tech for $30. Not a lot of money, but even a more expensive one would have paid for itself on more than one occasion due to faux pas by yours truly.

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Yep, a variac is indispensable... Anybody need one?

 

[VSAT88]

Got a veriac and a DBT. DBT is cheap and awesome. Use one of those cheap ammeter/voltmeter led displays from e pay on em and the set up works great. My veriac was 30.00 used too.

 

[roccus]

I do have a veriac and a DBT set up I used them on jukebox rebuilds and I used it on this amp when first built... I guess I should have used them after putting the new resistors in but felt it was only 4 resistors and I did exactly what I was told to do so figured there would be no problem boy I was wrong. I did not come to bust balls or trash anyone. I am just thinking of getting back on it. I bought a bone stock PL400 off ebay when I found this site about WOPL amps and was really intrigued so I bought an empty chassis and all parts here through this forum to build one from scratch. when the WOPL was finished and running good I swapped the stock 400 out for the WOPL at first all seemed real good before the trouble began. But I do have this WOPL just sitting here and the stock 400 is getting very tired so this is why the new interest for me to get the WOPL back up. Joe has contacted me and he and I are into talks, it looks like he really wants to help out now. Again I did not start this to break balls or trash anyone sorry anyone got this impression. I was just thinking about going back on it and was planning on sending pics and notes on the repair as I went but first gave a background history of what went down to start the thread then keep things up to date I belive there were several peeps here following the whole deal back when. I think I got to use the WOPL for a total of only 2 or 3 months before she blew up. I do have a pretty good chunk of change into it and would rather get this going than hunt for another amp. This amp is used in my shop setup and very rarely am I out in the shop very much during the winter months so hope to have it ready to go for the spring.