On Fri, 5 May 2017 17:06:22 +1000, Trevor Wilson
<
tre...@SPAMBLOCKrageaudio.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> (The identical chip and circuitry on the working channel is barely
>> warm).
>>
>> So, I am pretty sure at this point that this 5532A chip is bad.
>
>**Oh yeah. The 5532 was, in it's day, a very high performance audio OP
>amp. Nowadays, they're a dime a dozen. Still a decent OP a though. Well,
>dual OP amp. For test purposes, you could try almost anything. Such as:
>TL072, LF353, LM1458, LM833 (the closest equivalent to the 5532). Best
>to stick to the 5532 though, as it can source more current than most OP
>amps. One point: When you whack a new one in, check for DC offset and
>oscillation. A remote possibility, but a real one.
>
I am sticking with the 5532, but it will be a 5532P not 5532A. I cant
locate the 5532A anywhere.
Can you please explain what you mean and what I am supposed to do to
perform this test for DC offset and oscillation......
>> I guess before I can do much more, I have to find a place to order a
>> 5532A chip (or several of them so I have spares).
>
>**They should be very easy to locate. I keep a dozen or so in stock.
>
I have found many of the 5532P, but the 5532A is not showing up. I
though the "P" was an upgrade, but from what I read, the TI (Texas
Instruments) ones have the "P" suffix. I hope the "P" versions work as
replacements. I ordered 20 of them from ebay for about $4.50. Thats
surely cheap enough. They are TI brand.
>>
>> [I should note that I dont normally work on anything with IC chips. I
>> repair tube equipment and sometimes some real early transistor stuff.
>> But this is my own preamp, and if I dont fix it, no one will. Plus, this
>> is a fairly simple circuit..... if only I had a better schematic].
>>
>> I have to mention that my over 50 year old tube type Paco audio tracer
>> has been the most valuable means to test this unit, but with one
>> problem. The probe tip is too thick to get it on those tiny IC pins
>> without shorting across two pins. And with my poor eyesite and shaky
>> hands, it was near impossible. I finally used an alligator clip lead,
>> with a piece of a paperclip for a probe tip, wrapped that paperclip wire
>> in electrical tape, and clipped the other end to my probe.
>>
>> WHAT THE HECK DO YOU GUYS USE FOR PROBES ON THOSE TINY PINS? DO THEY
>> SELL SPECIAL PROBES OR PROBE TIPS FOR THIS PURPOSE?
>
>**Yep. They sure do.
Could you provide a URL link so I know what to look for.
I did do a search on ebay, Parts Express and Digikey. There are a
million probes and tips. Some look more usable on chips, simply because
they have thin pointy tips. One even had a coating on the whole tip
except the very tip, but without having them in hand, I am not sure what
will work best. So, a URL would help so I know what you and others use.
There are lots of those ones that have a hook on the end, which you push
the top and it opens. I have some of those, and they are handy to clip
on the leads of a part, but are not real useful for chips.
>
>>
>> The good thing is that all the ICs in this device are plug in socket
>> types. Thank God for that!!!
>
>**Your job is then dead easy.
>
As soon as I get my chips, I'll change that one that appears to be bad.
The fact that it's running very hot pretty much tells me it's bad. I an
not seeing any other bad parts around it, by doing a simple test with
the device OFF and using the ohm scale on my VOM.
I dont have anything to test chips, and I dont even know if they make
such a thing, because every chip has a different pinout.
Like I said before, I dont normally even tackle devices with IC Chips.
But this circuit is simple enough I am, and confident I can fix it.
What's nice about a preamp (or amp) is that I can just use my Paco and
listen for sound. I started at the beginning and moved ahead till there
was no sound (by this chip). I also worked backward from the output and
determined that there was no sound anywhere after this chip. I only
found that this chip was hot, when I was trying to move a cap so I could
read the part number on the board, and when I touched that chip, I
nearly burned my finger.
Incidentally, this is the same chip that powers the LED VU meter. So it
all ties together.
I think what happened was this chip was failing. I had audio on both
channels, but one was quieter than the other. (I am not sure which one
it was though). I compensated by adjusting the volume accordingly. Then
I lost the audio on that channel entirely. I assume that chip completely
failed at that point (after I had it powered up for a few hours). That
chip probably overheated and self destructed.
Thanks for your help!