I checked my email and it looks like we had correspondence around 2020. My Valvulator had just seemingly stopped working. No power up, no power out on the 9 volts out and no life in general. The email suggested it may simply just be the fuse and to that you would send a couple to try and swap out before going through the process of sending the unit it. I think I replied but contact seemed to drop off. I may have missed something (I was busy coming out of grad school/home remodeling at that time so I was a bit distracted). I tried replying back to that email but didn’t get a response so I came by the site. It looks like the forum is the place to reach out now? I hope so! Sorry if this isn’t the case.
So, here’s to hoping I hear back from you all. Thank you very much for your time and help!
Fuses are easy to get, but I don’t know what type it needs. If you want to open up the unit and send a photo, we can figure it out. Sure, make sure it has been off for a few hours so that there are not high voltages inside. Don’t touch anything, and just let me know the value of the fuses.
Thanks a lot for getting back to me. I’ve kept it unplugged/off and safe in cabinet (because the cover was off from looking for that fuse) since 2020. I’m sure the caps have discharged by now, but I’ll be extra careful and get back to you here in a little bit about what that fuse is. It’s a brown circular/cylindrical type fuse that looks more like some sort of capacitor. It doesn’t sit like a typical amp fuse with connections on both ends but rather stands vertically like a through-hole mounted cap. I’m assuming it must be socketed though, since it’s a fuse. Anyways, thanks again and I’ll report back soon with a picture and/or a part number/value for you.
Thanks a lot!
When I emailed back in 2020, this was attached to the email from your support folks to help me find the fuse.
OK, here’s what I’m working with. I’ve included a shot of the fuse and also what may be the board revision in case that provides any sort of helpful insight for you. (that will be in a second reply as I’m a new forum user and can’t post two pictures in a single post)
Perfect, thanks for the help. I’ll order a couple in. If it’s not the fuse, do I Just reach back out here to initiate the whole sending it in process?
EDIT: Just had a derp moment. I pulled out my mulitmeter. While it doesn’t continuously sound out at me like (actually, it has no response at all) when I touch a patch cable end (on the same piece of metal) or the likes, it does read “OL” still… so I believe this means no continuity. Hopefully this means it’s just simply a little fuse issue after all.
SECOND EDIT: Yes, probably a blown fuse. Googling my multimeter confirms the lack of sound/behaviour as such.
So, I finally got around to installing my fuse. I got delayed because I had to remove the IEC jack on the back and accidentally removed a power wire from the spade connector. I had some crimpers and some extra spade connectors, so I rewired it. I didn’t know how to test and make sure I got a good seating/crimp so I just let it sit. Tonight, I got the courage to plug it in and it worked. It was passing signal. So, I powered it off and then unplugged the three IEC jack wires so I could clip the jack back in from the other side.
Well, I completely forgot to take note of the wire order. I’m aware the green wire that is connected to a screw, in front of the transformer, is the ground. That leaves me with two wires. One soldered to the pcb silk screen label “p4,” and the other soldered next to it at “p5.” Google told me p4 is the live and that p5 is the neutral but I’m not plugging this thing back in until I get a confirmation.
Oh heck, those are main lines — you really need to be careful this is lethal stuff. I recommend you let a professional finish this.
I don’t have that information, actually, so you need to check your phone if you took any photos. I will ask the factory but it might take a bit of time. Please poke me in a few days.
Oh definitely. I’ve been warned about the risk of poking around in my tube amps and such from an early age. I was careful. I did take pictures and found a lot of them online but those two wires tuck back behind the transformer, where they are soldered into the board. You can’t capture that in any picture really, unless you clipped the zip-ties and removed the transformer.
But yes, I’d love to send it in. I tried to many years ago and then reached back out when I started this thread. I would have much rather sent it in, but it WAS just a fuse when this started. I just had trouble maneuvering in there that first time and accidentally pulled that spade connector off. At that point however, it had been sitting unplugged, in a cabinet for about eight or more years so I think it was pretty discharged by then. That’s the state it was in last night when I tested it out after popping that fuse in. Anyways, yes, please, I’d like to work something out if you all could take a look at it. It’s not much to fix. I’ll send it right in though.
Thank you very much and let me know where to go from here.
this is lethal stuff. I recommend you let a professional finish this.