Circuitbenders Forum

Circuitbenders Forum => Circuitbending discussion => Topic started by: rbino on July 03, 2009, 08:26:41 AM

Title: Lost volume
Post by: rbino on July 03, 2009, 08:26:41 AM
Hi! I'm from Italy and I'm new to Circuit Bending.
I'm modifying a little thing that plays 8 different noises from GBC and on that thing everything is going right, but while I was modifying it I opened another toy to test it, and while touching around with the probes it crashed. Now it turns on but it outputs its music at a very low volume, you have to stick you ear to the speaker to ear it.
Yesterday evening I opened another device, the kind of device that beeps when you enter in a shop, I don't know its name in English, and while I was testing connections it crashed and now it behaves the same way!
Can you suggest me some solution or, at least, the errors that I could have made so the next time I will pay more attention?
Thank you in advance!
Title: Re: Lost volume
Post by: Gordonjcp on July 03, 2009, 12:27:15 PM
You may have damaged the audio amplifier.  Trace out the circuit from the loudspeaker back, and see what components there are.
Title: Re: Lost volume
Post by: rbino on July 03, 2009, 09:30:02 PM
Do I have to trace both the positive and negative wires going to the speaker? And, the positive wire it's not at the and of a track, it's in the middle, do I have to trace in both directions?
Thanks for the help
Title: Re: Lost volume
Post by: Gordonjcp on July 04, 2009, 03:14:14 AM
Yup, the whole thing.  You may find that it disappears into some anonymous black blob, in which case you're stuffed.
Title: Re: Lost volume
Post by: rbino on July 05, 2009, 10:39:41 AM
One wire goes to a track with only two solder points on it and it connects directly to the Power/Low volume/High volume switch, the other connects to the switch, to the positive leg of an electrolytic capacitor and to 4 resistors' legs.
What can I do to check these components?
Title: Re: Lost volume
Post by: Gordonjcp on July 05, 2009, 11:23:23 AM
Okay, the power/low volume/high volume switch sounds interesting.  Trace the volume pins back from there.

Don't worry about testing the resistors or capacitors, it probably won't be them.