[shto]

Hi - I'm new to this forum, and don't have much experience with building circuits - I bought the Tube Town Reverb Kit, and, while its easy to follow the layout for building the main circuit board and tube sockets, I cant figure out how to wire the transformer - it's the TT T30 toroidal transformer - the project page clearly shows where the green and red wires go, but I dont know where to connect the purple, yellow, black and red wires that are wrapped together. I also need help to connect the switch. Does anyone have a layout diagram, or even some photos of a completed unit (or similar?)
Thanks

[Dirk]

Hi,

That's not good because it is the easiest part of the build.
Do you know someone with more knowledge in electrical engineering than you who can support you ? I highly recommend this.

Best regards, Dirk

[shto]

No, im afraid I dont. I dont have the money to bring it to a tech, and I've put most of it together, but I'm not sure where to put the last few connections. Honestly, I didn't realise it would come without any information. I'd rather not try to just guess, but I've already paid for it, so I can't just abandon it.

[Dirk]

Please see page 2 of the datasheet: https://www.tube-town.net/info/datenblaetter/kits/psu-mini.pdf

Regards, Dirk

[shto]

Thanks for the reply - I already downloaded the data sheet, unfortunately, it doesn't tell me what I need to know. Is there any way to access a layout diagram to build this kit?

[Dirk]

what else do you need ? all infos are given in the documents which you have already.

Regards, Dirk

[shto]

The 4 wires - purple,yellow, black & red - coming from the transformer, I can't see where they go. The datasheet shows where the red & green wires go, I can figure out the rest from the PDF and photos, but I can't see anything about the switch and the 4 wires.

[sev]

Hi,
have a look at the product page of the transformer:
https://www.tube-town.net/ttstore/product_info.php/language/en/info/p2192_Ringkern-Netztrafo-30VA.html
Knowing where the switch should be and which of the 4 wires are to be used for your local voltage is basic electrical engineering knowledge. Be aware that you handle high voltages capable of killing you instantly if you fail to meet security rules included in this basics.
greetings,
Sev

[sjhusting]

Here's the thing, Shto. The questions you are asking demonstrate a significant lack of basic knowledge. If you were building a dirt box, this wouldn't be an issue, the worst that could happen would be you would blow a transistor or something. But this is a tube device, with several hundred volts DC running around in the amp. A mistake could seriously injure you, even kill you.  If you can't figure out how to hook up the mains side of the transformer, we all have to ask what you have done on the secondary side. It's not even a PCB, so there are countless spots where you could have made a bad mistake (say, HV on the chassis). So Dirk is giving you the information you need - it is quite clear, really - and giving you a chance to figure it out. If you can't figure it out from the information you have, then you should get help - someone who knows more, and can not only help you hook up the mains, but also go through the reverb for you and check your work.

Nobody is willing to tell you step-by-step because nobody believes you are really ready to build this kit. Don't take it personally, but these aren't Lego sets, and if you are starting from zero (like I did) you should do a lot of reading before you pick up the soldering iron the first time (I read everything I could, and practiced my soldering, for 2 years before I built my first amp). You need to have a healthy respect for mains and B+ voltage - fear, really - and you should be aware of the safety precautions you have to take.

Now, to figure out how to hook up the mains, think about this -

What is your wall voltage? If you look at the spec for the tranformer, you have these choices:
Pri: 0 - 220 - 230 - 240 V (black-yellow-purple-red)

"Pri" means primary (mains side)
"0" - what could that mean? Figure it out.
What is your wall voltage? Which wire do you think is the right one?
Where do you hook up the fuse?
How do you hook up the mains switch? Hmm - it is a double-pole switch, so you will be switching two things at once.
How do you hook up the PE? What the heck is the PE? The PE is the single most important connection in your amp.
What do you do with the unused wires?

Once you have done all that - how are you going to test the unit? I'll give you a hint - this is the WRONG way -

put all the tubes in it, hook it up to a guitar and amp, and wail away.

Good luck. Find a friend.

steven

[shto]

Thanks guys. Obviously, im not an electrical engineer. If I'd realised that was a requirement, I never would have bought the kit. I'm aware of the dangers of working with high voltages, and im obviously not going to take any risks. But, I've bought tube amp kits online from 2 other companies in the last few years, and completed them safely and successfully. They both supplied schematics, layouts and detailed instructions, both companies recommended certain kits as suitable or not suitable for novices, and - guess what - they even offered customer support. Clearly I should have thought this purchase through a little more carefully.

[Dirk]

they even offered customer support.

There is a big difference between Customer Support and schooling. In you case basic skills are not given.

Regards, Dirk

[sjhusting]

Look at it this way: for the first two kits, you were given fish to eat. We want you to learn to fish.

[earnst]

Hi,

this helpful and important paragraph from the german offer of the Reverb Kit

"Zum Nachbau des Verstärkers sind elektrotechnische Kentnisse notwendig, Erfahung mit Hochspannungen, sowie das Lesen und Verstehen von Schaltplänen und der Umgang mit Meßgeräten.
Eine Schritt-Für-Schritt Anleitung für Anfänger gibt es nicht. Der Schalt und Layoutplan beinhaltet alle relevanten Informationen."

should be added to the English offer in the shop to avoid misunderstanding in the future.

my 2 ct.

mfg ernst

[kugelblitz]

Hi to all,

+1 for the suggestion of improvment of Ernst. Although it is hard to imagine,  at least from my point of view, that someone, who has no knowledge how to connect a switch would try to build an amp.

I have taken a short look on the engish project pages, just at Lumex and Reverb. The Lumex site has a note on the bottom on warnings but not the Reverb. Maybe the notes should be placed on a more prominent location and on all project sites to avoid such situations in the future.

In order solve this particular problem, Steven already listed the required hints.

Regards and good luck,
Sepp

[kugelblitz]

The note might include something like the next sentences to avoid such situations:

"The kit includes, apart from the listed parts, just the information a service technican would need to service or recreate the amp. This information includes schematics and layouts but there are no step-by-step instructions included in the kit. In other words the kit is not aimed at beginners. Knowledge in reading schematics and knowledge in dealing with exposure to high voltages are mandatory."

BR,
Sepp