| K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7918] |
Mon, 11 December 2006 13:52  |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Hi All,
I am new to the clan so excuse my ignorance of all things 'K'.
I have just got a K150-2 T&R (1971 from serial number) which has been modded for the 3 core mains lead (I live in the UK so essential over here) but is a bit noisy with hum building up and discharging. I don't mean normal hiss, this is a real hum and as it builds up the volume decreases, then it pops and goes clean again for a while. Is this likely to be one of the big caps dying? Other problems are that the outside is very tatty with cigarette burns and tears and the push switch/light units are FUBAR. The questions here are can I get replacement switches and would anyone shoot me if I took off the T&R cover and just covered it in Tolex?
Assuming anyone is still friends with me after that last Q, my other Kustom purchase is a PA/mixer...The III BC PA. I know little about this other than it seems to work OK, but I need some info about how to get the best from it, what are the all the controls supposed to do, what is the output and what speakers should I be using? Lots of Qs...sorry. I am currently running it through a pair of Celestion G12-80 (80 watts RMS a piece)and piezo tweeters, connecting one to each of the two output jacks. I've not been abe to really crank it up yet so I don't know if these speakers are up to the job. I think the output of this baby is 130watts but I don't know if that is per channel or total.
If anyone can give me some tech info on I'd be most grateful.
Cheers,
Bikerboy
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7921 is a reply to message #7918] |
Tue, 12 December 2006 07:23  |
stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
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Senior Member |
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Hi, so this K150 has a tag on the back that identifies it as being made for 220 volts?I need a reply before I get into anythings to check circuit wise.
The front panel switches have no replacements, but if you open the amp up and remove its lid to get into it you will see that the black round shank of the switch is what has broken letting it be pushed back from its mounting section, what I do with all mine that have busted and even the ones that have not, is to take some nylon small size cable ties(not too small, but small enough to work) and tie one around each side of each switch to keep it pulled up to its mount,I fixed my first K250 this way back in 78 and have yet to have it fail!
As far as the covering goes,sure recover it in what ever you want, but save the old tuck-n-roll for a pattern in case you ever want to get it recoverd as the shop who does the work will need it.
If you gig and move the amp alot and do not have a cover for it, I have found that the gray type carpet covering shows the results of abuse far less than tolex covering.
I can not find any info on your mixer but, if its stereo than its output would be 130 watts RMS a side, not per channel which will be more than your speakers can take,in this case I would not turn up the master volume more than 3/4. If the output tag on the back of the mixer says 8 ohms and your speakers say 8 ohms you will be ok. If the mixer is not stereo and is rated for a 8 ohm load and you plug both your speakers in which would be a 4 ohm load I would back off to a little more than 50% of that master volume setting.
each channel may have a gain control and a clip light,the proper way to set each mic is to bring each channel volume to the zero DB line(I think this mixer has sliders for channel volumes)set all the EQ or tone controls to the middle position and then open up the gain control while singing or taking as loud as the level that will ever be used and look for the clip light to come on, when it does back down on the gain control untill the clip light just goes out.This should all be done with the master volume OFF.
Than you can turn up the master volume and set your tone controls.If their is no clip light than you have to have the master volume up to mormal and set the gain control by listening for distortion, hitting the mic(s) as hard as they ever will be sung into when in use.
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7922 is a reply to message #7921] |
Tue, 12 December 2006 13:07 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Thanks for getting back to me.
The K150-2 has dual voltage with a selector on the back. Serial number is 94695 if that helps any. The switches are badly damaged. Yes, they are broken where they attach to the little bracket as you say but also the blue bit is gone from the front and there is only a little piece of the white sleeve left. I can poke a screwdriver in there to get the microswitch to go on/off but that wouldn't be the smartest thing I ever did. The little lamps are still there and light up OK.
The mixer is still a mystery then. I think it is probably mono (no pan controls) no clip lights, no ohm marking on speaker outputs which are on top of the unit, no sliders.
Each channel has:
XLR LoZ & jack HiZ inputs with selector switch
PAD 0 - 10 - 20 (whatever the hell that is)
Rotary controls for Level, Lo Eq, Hi Eq, Reverb, monitor
then there is master for volume, reverb and monitor.
It also has two 'power amp in' jacks, and jacks for Expander main,monitor,echo, Echo send/receive, Main out, Monitor out. Serial number is K200456 if that helpsanyone to ID it.
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7924 is a reply to message #7918] |
Wed, 13 December 2006 07:13 |
stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
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Senior Member |
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I would check the screws on the top of the 2 powersupply filter in your k150 and make sure they are tight, they also have little round circles out lined on the top of them, if these circles are swolen up, than the filter is bad and could be the source of the hum you have.
The only thing you can do to repair your amps switches would be to get 2 doulble pole double throw(dpdh) type push button switches that have a light, and will be small enough to fit in the original switches hole and silicone glue them in.They would have to be rated for 5 amps at 120 volts if I recall right.
The pad settings on your mixer are like the gain controls I taked about the other day.So the settings are wide open,a 10Db cut in level and then a 20Db cut in level to keeep the mic from clipping the first preamp stage of that channel.
The power amp in jacks could for example, be feed the output signal from your k150s tape out jack which will drive the mixers poweramp
The expander jacks will let you feed that signal to another poweramp other than the mixers internal one.
The ehco send and recive jacks are for patching in a high impeadance(guitar) level effect.
Since its a mono mixer its 130 watt output will most likly be rated at 8 ohms so your speakers (celestions) will be ok, your piezo`s may be a different story depending on the crossover in the cabinet feeding them, if they do not have a in line 20 ohm 10 watt resistor they can be poped real fast, but since they are cheap to replace I would not be too concerned.
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7926 is a reply to message #7918] |
Mon, 18 December 2006 15:20 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Hi all,
Screws on caps are tight and there is no visible swelling of the little grey rubber dots. That doesn't necessarily mean that caps are OK of course and I will need to get someone to check it out.
I've tried looking for a pair of Licon 01-740122 switches, hahahaha, but if they exist they will cost a bundle. I'm trying to find a good equivelent to put in there. Shouldn't be too hard as the polarity switch (on mine) does nothing except light up and the power switch only uses two tags. If I find something good, and blue, I'll let y'all know.
Managed to run the PA up last week. It seems to do the job and worked well enough on vocals using a Beyerdynamic TG X-58. The speakers appeared to handle the load OK although one of the tweeters was dead, probably dead before and I hadn't noticed. I'd still like to know the full spec if anyone can help.
Later.
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #7948 is a reply to message #7947] |
Tue, 26 December 2006 17:23 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Hey BC,
I haven't skinned it yet so there is still hope. I agree it makes a statement 'I am from 1972!' is what it says. But then that was a good year....I was 14 and thought I was the next Hendrix, Page, Blackmore, etc. Oh how foolish it all seems now. lol
I hope your boy is finding time to play and show us Brits how you guys do it. There is a strong music scene over here but it is a little difficult to break into unless you are really thick-skinned, or exremely talented. Too many wannabees, not enough players. I gave up trying to make it on guitar some time ago and now only play for my own pleasure. These days I play drums and my band is just starting to get out there, amazing what a few paying gigs can do for your confidence (www.atomikgerbil.co.uk).
If he is looking for a band tell him to try www.musofinder.com. Self explanatory.
Enjoy 2007!
Bikerboy
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #8344 is a reply to message #7918] |
Thu, 01 March 2007 03:45 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Hi All,
Just checking in to see if anyone can help me with info on my BCIII PA. I would love to get hold of a copy (even just a photo/scan copy) of the owners handbook for this great piece of kit. It is doing everything I ask of it so no problems there, just I like to make sure I'm getting the best out of my PA/Speaker setup.
Regarding my K150..... I got it fixed up (there was a nasty capacitor discharge from one of the pre-amps) and it was singing like a bird. In fact it sounded so good that I was made an offer I couldn't refuse, even in its rough visual state. So I reluctantly agreed to sell and it has moved on to a new owner who will probably take it to the next stage of restoration. I'm a bit sad as my modern combo doesn't have the warmth and that lovely gentle hiss of the K150... but money is money and it's hard to resist someone waving the stuff at you.
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #8345 is a reply to message #8344] |
Fri, 02 March 2007 05:43 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Hi Again,
Another Q for you tech types.... I want to use a condenser mic with my BC III PA. Each channel has a LOz XLR and HIz 1/4 jack input but I can't get any phantom power out of the XLR. I tried flipping the HIz/LOz switch but that made no difference. I opened the case and checked the wiring as far as I am able and I can't see any problem there. There are four pins on the XLR sockets and three of them are wired together with just the 'middle' pin being separate. Does this mean there is no phantom power on this mixer? Again anyone with a manual or knowledge of this piece of kit please let me know.
Thanks.
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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| Re: K150 and BC PA Qs [message #8347 is a reply to message #8346] |
Fri, 02 March 2007 13:45 |
Bikerboy
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2006
Location: South Coast, England
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Junior Member |
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Yes, Steve, you are right as usual. XLR = 3 pins on the front but mine has four solder lugs on the back, number 4 presumably ground as you say. With 3 of the four connected as one I guess I answered my own question as there would need to be at least 3 separate connections to supply phantom power. Effectively I only have two connections same as jack input, the only difference is that XLR goes to a different part of the preamp board. So I'll just have to use condensers with their own internal battery. And you are also right about a separate switch but I just thought maybe they were continually powered....ho hum.....
Bikerboy
Half Man, Half Vegetable, Half Wit
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