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first diy build, channel 15 would not work. now nothing works. help


tweak04

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so I built my first controller; all went well except ch 15 would not work. searched the forum found some threads that said to check my resistor placement direction and re-tap all solder points to get a good contact. re-tapped points and found 4 resistor's backwards. turned them around and now nothing works. led just flashes and wont connect. tried another unit and it worked so I know the cable is good. so I turned the resistors back around to see if it would go back to how it was and still nothing works. except for my led. light show might not be to great with just a blinky led. lol

any help would be great, thanks.

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Go to the very top of this page, click User Manuals, find the model you have, d//l the Troubleshooting manual. follow the steps, measure the voltages.. get back to us.. Good luck, we're all counting on you..

Edited by TJ Hvasta
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Been doing this for a long time. And I just cant understand what someone might mean by have a resistor in backwards. Now if you said this about a diode then I could understand. What component number are these resistors? I really hope it didnt start with a "D". If so, you just blew the board.

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A resistor network with one common lead can be backwards. You wind up with the common pins where you expect one of the individual resistor ends. I believe the network tha runs sideways by the RS485 chip is this type. The ones that run vertical though are just 4 individual resistors in a common package, and can't be backwards. But they can get swapped with the one that goes sideways.

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klb,

Right, but that is a resistor pak, not a resistor. As I have said many a time. This hobby is one that has a lot of technical things about it. Would still like to hear what component it was. Also please note, he said (4) four resistors. If he has indexed that one pak it would have been reversed one resistor (pak) or if he had put that one pak in the wrong position, then it would have been two resistors (paks) he would have reversed.

So Tweak, inquiring minds would like to know the components that you reversed.

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ok so i got it working again but still no channel 15. the resistors that i was told were soldered in back words were r3, r5, r6 and r17. im happy with what is working but still if anyone has any tips on getting 15 working it would be greatly appreciated. oh and by back words, it was explained to me that the color coding on the resistors had to be in a certain direction. i dont know. still learning.

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Tweak, what specific board (kit) do you have? No one can make any statements re: parts orientation unless you list the exact model you are having trouble with.

If ch15 is the only triac not working, then if you already reheated the pads (all three) for it, AND UC18, then it may be a bad triac or UC18, opto-isolator (small white, 6-leg chip) ..it's happened, not often, but it has..submit a Trouble ticket to LOR and they'll send you a new one. But dont fret over orientation. the only things that MUST be oriented right are the plug in chips.. dot/notch matched to the notch in the socket. But make sure the socket is oriented correctly!

Edited by TJ Hvasta
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Tweak:

For future reference, an individual resistor has no directionality. It may be soldered into a circuit in either direction, and will function the same. The color code can run in either direction.

As mentioned above, a resistor pak is different because it has multiple resistors using a common lead for one leg. Similarly, a ceramic capacitor can be placed in either diection. Compnents to watch out for include diodes and electrolytic capacitors. These devices are "polarized" -- that is to say they have a positive lead and a negative lead, and they MUST be placed correctly.

In your case, as TJ suggested, I suspect the issue is a problematic triac on Channel 15. Follow his advice.

And, welcome to the insanity.

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Let me tweak my friends statement a bit. I.C. that is both the black ones and those little white ones must be put on the board the right way. Did you check the orientation of the little white Opto next to #15 Triac? Make sure that little depression in the corner is the same position as the one for #14 or #15. The diodes, Electrolytic Caps, the transformer, and the two voltage regulators.

As long as you have the right resistor in the right pair of holes, then there is nothing else has to be done. Now I will take a second more and orientate it so that I can read all of them left to right and top to bottom. But that is just me being OCD about it.

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I have to observe something fishy here. If the op just swapped leads per resistor, then what the heck happened here? But if he swapped whole resistors around like R3 punt into R5 holes and R5 put into R17 holes. Then yes I understand how this might cause everything to quit working. But not just end for end. Strange, very strange..

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I was tweak cursed. First time I have installed an Opto backwards. I just built 3 more boards and I am trying them out to make sure that I have no troubles. Seems that Ch 13 will not light. So, checked my new SPT to vampire socket and have continuity. So looked at my board and well sure enough Ch 13 Opto is backwards. It appears that it will be simple case to desolder and reinstall.

Just a little tongue in cheek fun here Tweak. I very rarely miss orientation of chips. And the timing was around the time of your misfortune.

Edited by Max-Paul
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ok found out what an opto is. I will double check on mine but I believe I have already. this is a very annoying but addicting hobby. and thanks to everyone that is trying to work with me.

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I like this guy!! Good job getting out the manual and looking up with an Opto is. As you now know the full name is, if I can spell it, that is. Opto-isolator. One one side inside of that little white chip is a LED that shines its light on a photo transistor. This allows a D.C. voltage to control an A.C. device like a Triac.

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  • 2 months later...

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