Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Hi, This is my first amp build. I'm following the instructions in the 1.01 version and on page 90, the steps call for the N terminal connection to be hooked up to the switch (that is connected to the brown wire (for North America) via the fuse holder) and for the L terminal to be connected to black transformer wire. This is confusing to me. Are the instructions wrong or backwards? I thought that the L terminal is the hot wire, and would be connected to the 120/240 Volt wiring choice. So, I would think the L terminal should go to the switch and N terminal to the black transformer wire.

To make the topic even more confusing, I think I was shipped a cross over power cable (the L and N are crossed from the plug to socket). This would have corrected for the deficiency. But I would think you would want to be consistent with the standard straight through IEC cables, especially if one wanted to replace the cable later on. The photo on page 91 actually has the power cord socket position inverted from earlier and later photos. But the wiring connections in the photo, I think, are correct for a standard IEC power cord. In that case, I would see the N Terminal on the left (which connects to black transformer wire) and the brown wire connects to L Terminal on the right (Which connects via fuse holder to brown or white transformer wire). This would mean the photo on page 91 is correct, but the text on page 90 is backwards regarding what is the L and N terminal.

Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated. I've been holding off completing my build until I had this right. I note the death caps for the power supply are electrolytic, which have a polarity. I don't want to connect to a power supply and fry something, or possibly worse have some physical danger.

Thanks so much!

#1 - if you reverse the hot and neutral wires on the iec socket, you will not fry anything. That is not how AC power works.

2 - if you can identify the hot connection on the socket, that is the wire that you want to run to the fuse and the switch, as an extra safety measure. However, there are many, many amps out there fused and switched on the neutral wire. It would still work, it would just be less safe.

Does that help?

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

Hi Morgan,

Thanks! This helps a lot. I think I will wire up the build per the photo drawing and use a standard straight through IEC power cord. I think this would put the live feed through the switch and fuse before it connects to the rest of the build. Which I think is consistent to the safest way to build as you pointed out.

Perhaps the text on page 90 should be changed to "

Quote:

connect the L terminal of the power chord socket to one solder terminal of the power toggle switch. Connect the black wire from the power transformer to the N terminal of the power cord socket",

instead of vice versa, as it was written (connecting the N term to the switch, etc). Do I have this right, or did I miss the boat here?

Sorry if I'm being a little anal retentive. I'm trying to not only make sure the build will work, but also understand electronics and schematics better. Most of the questions I've had, I've been able to answer with a little research on the internet. But this one really stumped me. I appreciate your help so much.

Best Regards,

Turtletracks