faulty x0xb0x kit (mode machines)

[pharmatic]

hello everybody

so i started assembling yesterday.build the whole psu at once, without measuring in between the steps. stupid me, got carried away by exitement.
after connecting the power adapter, i measured wrong volts at first, and no volts at all a few seconds later(i think i tested the current on c3 and c5, ic20 and pin 1 of j4). and while the included power adapter says "9V ac, 500mA" on its label, i found out by measuring it, that its 12V ac, 1,5A. now lets get to my question: could this have damaged the I/O pcb and/or the components? while the components would not be hard to replace (just some basic condensers, resistors, and ic's - instead of the an6265, they shipped a c358c, need to change them anyways) i would get quite angry if i'd had to order a new pcb, especially because they are not available from x0xshop.de atm and it would cost me another 50€ with the presoldered smt-usbchip and shipping.

another thing is bothering me quite a lot: today i've been going through all the parts to make sure everything is there, in case i have to return the unit or at least send a complaint to mode machines. turns out that r100a and r100b (1k ptc thermistors) are missing. seriously, wtf?
if anybody wants to get a x0x, dont bother getting it from mm. get the real deal from willzyx instead.

final question: are those issues common or at least known for the mm kits? how should i handle it? take it back to the local shop? is there any kind of warranty for missing or wrong parts? in so frustrated right now!

[Luap]

Testing during the build is pretty important, and can save you a lot of problems further down the line if/when something goes wrong. Mode Machines can not be blamed for that. However, they are no saints. If you have a search around the forum you can read plenty about their x0x kits.
Had you of asked about their kits before you bought it, you'd likely have been pointed to 2 or 3 other, more reputable suppliers instead

Power supply, I would just get another one yourself.. Although most cheap unregulated power supplies will test with a higher voltage when unloaded, so keep that in mind.

I don't know about the an6265, but it is a rare part, and cheaper kits will use substitutes here n there. If they have substituted that part, then there are likely other substitutes in the kit also. Not ideal, but I largely expect it with the cheaper kits.

Thermistors.. Quite often these kits come with a single surface mount version pre soldered on already. So it might be that you have it already? (it will be very small). Someone mentioned that the problem with doing this is that the thermistor no longer responds to air temperature, but PCB temperature instead. Not quite the same thing, but may or may not be of any consequence. However, if your tuning drifts all over the place, then this might be the suspect component.

As for what to do with the kit.. It would be way too much work to transfer everything to new PCB's anyway. And I doubt Mode Machines can support a half built kit whether they are at fault or not. Probably best to be thorough, persevere and get it working, replacing parts where-ever necessary.

[SubStyler]

i would get quite angry if i'd had to order a new pcb, especially because they are not available from x0xshop.de atm and it would cost me another 50€ with the presoldered smt-usbchip and shipping.

why do you think there are no PCBs available at x0xsh0p.de?
do I miss something?

cheers,
SubStyler

[pharmatic]

i would get quite angry if i'd had to order a new pcb, especially because they are not available from x0xshop.de atm and it would cost me another 50€ with the presoldered smt-usbchip and shipping.

why do you think there are no PCBs available at x0xsh0p.de?
do I miss something?

cheers,
SubStyler

the red and white ones are not available. did not see the blue ones, probably because im quite sleep deprived

but then, after 2 hours of sleep i figured it all out. i hotwired the "B" and "R" contacts for the power switch on the pcb. everything is good, for now at least.
thanks for the replies people!

[pharmatic]

double post

[pharmatic]

Testing during the build is pretty important, and can save you a lot of problems further down the line if/when something goes wrong.

il keep that in mind

Had you of asked about their kits before you bought it, you'd likely have been pointed to 2 or 3 other, more reputable suppliers instead

too late for that, phono already told me on doa.
since its called "x0xb0x", i thought it was legit. nevermind, a good 303 clone is nice to have - i dont need a perfect clone.

As for what to do with the kit.. It would be way too much work to transfer everything to new PCB's anyway. And I doubt Mode Machines can support a half built kit whether they are at fault or not. Probably best to be thorough, persevere and get it working, replacing parts where-ever necessary.

will do, the reason why i got the kit and not the pre-assembled machine in the first place is the joyful banned that comes with such a massive (for me at least, im a learnig by doing guy) project

[Luap]

No worries, and good luck with it Built right, it should be a pretty damned good 303 clone!

If you are in any doubt about any of the key parts, like IC's/Transistors etc, socket them! I don't know if those come in the kit (maybe for IC's, less likely for trannies), but if not, get some. They are cheap and will save you a ton of time later on if you decide you want to swap stuff out later..

[pharmatic]

Thermistors.. Quite often these kits come with a single surface mount version pre soldered on already. So it might be that you have it already?

indeed, there is a small surface mount where r100a and b are supposed to be. im ready to build the vco
my apologies to mode machines for assuming they did not deliver