My Q-Tron Scorched!

andvari7 · #1 06-27-2008, 06:34 PM

I plugged in my Q-Tron this evening - the first chance I've had to do so in a few weeks - and poof: the effect does not work. It operates in bypass - quite nicely, I might add - but not when the effect is engaged. I tried swapping cables, swapping power supplies (with that of my BMS, as they are identical), and ran it by itself (without the other effects in my loop), and no dice.

To say the effect is fried, at this point in the post, is premature. However, when I opened up the bottom, to see if it had indeed scorched, lo and behold: at three points on the board, there were slight discolorations - trace amounts of a dark brown (the PCB is green). And when I smelled it - burnt circuit boards emit an odor - my worst fears came true. I took it to a more knowledgeable man in the field of electronics and electrical equipment, and he confirmed my suspicions.

What could I have done wrong? And how can I be sure that this doesn't happen again?

OptimusPrime · #2 06-27-2008, 06:39 PM

That sucks man. Anyone else screwed with your stuff lately?

andvari7 · #3 06-27-2008, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime

That sucks man. Anyone else screwed with your stuff lately?

Nobody else touches my pedals. They're out of the way, so there's no real need to.

whoatherechunk · #4 06-27-2008, 09:09 PM

Did you plug it into the right power supply? If the BMS has the same voltage-power supply then it wouldn't be a problem but maybe you mismatched the power supplies by accident.

bongomania · #5 06-27-2008, 09:38 PM

Yeah, sounds like the wrong power got to it.

varunkapahi · #6 06-28-2008, 12:21 AM

i think the power supply fried it

andvari7 · #7 06-28-2008, 12:37 AM

How on earth can two identical power supplies, with precisely the same voltage, cause a pedal to fry?

bongomania · #8 06-28-2008, 12:41 AM

They may have reverse polarity, or one of them may be faulty, or one of them may be unregulated (which by itself is not liable to fry things, but which would not correct/protect against a too-high incoming voltage), or one may be AC rather than DC.

andvari7 · #9 07-09-2008, 04:00 PM

I have sent my Q-Tron, along with my never-functioning Russian Bassballs, to EHX. I should either receive some information about the state of my pedals, or, if I'm lucky, the pedals in working condition, within the next two weeks. There will be a solution to this, I promise.

JanusZarate · #10 07-09-2008, 04:04 PM

They'll fix it. I once fried my BMS due to a failed attempt at modification (there's an old thread about this if you're curious... it involves a cat and tweezers), and I sent it to them for repair. Fairly cheap under warranty ($15 money order + shipping to them), and they fixed it, no questions asked. It came back in less than two weeks. They even took out my modded blue LED and installed an original red one.

Power-wise... the BMS and Q-Tron use the exact same adapter and have the same power requirements. So I doubt that swapping them would be a problem. BUT anything else could have happened... freak accident... power surge... adapter failure... curious cats carrying tweezers...

You don't have any cats, do you?

andvari7 · #11 07-09-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

They'll fix it. I once fried my BMS due to a failed attempt at modification (there's an old thread about this if you're curious... it involves a cat and tweezers), and I sent it to them for repair. Fairly cheap, and they fixed it. They even took out my modded blue LED and installed an original red one.

Power-wise... the BMS and Q-Tron use the exact same adapter and have the same power requirements. So I doubt that swapping them would be a problem. BUT anything else could have happened... freak accident... power surge... adapter failure... curious cats carrying tweezers...

You don't have any cats, do you?

There is one possible explanation: A couple of weeks prior to the post, Wisconsin and Iowa were obliterated by floods and thunderstorms. While my house and my stuff were relatively unaffected by the floods, the thunderstorms might have done something. My BMS was unplugged at the time, because I was going to get it modded (I've since decided against it). But, my Q-Tron was plugged in, and that was plugged into the surge suppressor, into a GROUNDED extension cord, and into the wall. The problem with this is, why would only my Q-Tron be affected, and other items, such as the Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble, which was plugged in, and uses a 9V adapter, remain unaffected?

I only swapped them after I first noticed problems, for the purpose of eliminating all of my possibilities.

And, no, I don't have a cat anymore. I rather enjoyed my last cat, but my sister had a baby, and he had to go (something about cat litter and Down's Syndrome - neither of her two children have this). The previous cat was a more approachable, pet-like cat, and she kind of...died...

andvari7 · #12 07-17-2008, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

They'll fix it. I once fried my BMS due to a failed attempt at modification (there's an old thread about this if you're curious... it involves a cat and tweezers), and I sent it to them for repair. Fairly cheap under warranty ($15 money order + shipping to them), and they fixed it, no questions asked. It came back in less than two weeks. They even took out my modded blue LED and installed an original red one.

How long did it take, from the moment you sent the pedal, to the moment it was back in your possession, for them to do the repair work? I'm at exactly two weeks, and nothing.

JanusZarate · #13 07-17-2008, 05:14 PM

Oh, if you count my initial transit time, then it's really more like two and a half weeks. I always forget to add that into the calculation...

andvari7 · #14 07-19-2008, 08:40 PM

Did you ever hear the one about the guy that wished for everything he wanted, and it managed to happen? Well, it doesn't happen. But, remember how I wanted my Q-Tron back? I got it yesterday. Since the package came while I was helping my brother pack up a U-Haul, or while we were disturbed by the late Heath Ledger's rendition of the Joker, I was unable to test it last night. And, since I just got back to my house five minutes ago, after a long, perspiring day, and five hours in a car, I don't want to right now. I'm going to do so tomorrow, and I'll finally get to meet the REAL Bassballs.