Crack Interference Issues

[Avenos]

Hello all, just finished my crack kit, and I am experiencing some strange interference issues.  One of which is a very loud crackling/popping in the left channel, the volume of which is independent of the pot.  It happens on startup, but also occurs to a lesser degree at random times.  It also happens whenever I touch the chassis/pot.

Another less annoying issue is a slight high-pitched whine that increases in volume with the pot.

My final interference issue is a buzzing when using the internet, especially prevalent in video games.  I assume this has to do with the amp because I did not hear it with my previous setup.

Any insight as to what the cause of at least the crackling/popping might be?  Any help is appreciated.

-Henry

 

[ffivaz]

For your first problem, I had a similar issue. My problem was solved by replacing the 6080 tube. Do you have another one at hand to test? It could also be a bad solder joint. Try the wooden stick test : take a wooden chop stick and tap the tube first. If it cracks, could be a bad one, and you could try cleaning the tube pins with some sanding paper. Then you can tap around the inside connections with the stick to find the one that is loose.

For the interference, I would say that it could be RFI. Tubes are far more sensitive to interference from wifi or cell phones than solid state gear. Try moving the Crack around your desk to find a place where the interference isn't an issue anymore.

Fabien

 

[Grainger49]

There are a hundred posts on noises in Cracks.  I just posted here:

http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,5185.msg52934.html#new

There are all sorts of things that can cause noise in tubes, not just Crack amps.  Loose grounds, bad solder joints, RFI, EMI and sources like cell phones, music servers and computers. 

You just have to patiently go through the steps and sort it out.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

Hello all, just finished my crack kit, and I am experiencing some strange interference issues.  One of which is a very loud crackling/popping in the left channel, the volume of which is independent of the pot.  It happens on startup, but also occurs to a lesser degree at random times.  It also happens whenever I touch the chassis/pot.

That sure sounds a lot like a loose solder joint.