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okanakov
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Username: okanakov

Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2014
Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2016 - 2:31 am:   Edit Post

I need an advice from someone more experienced in dealing with internals of DS-5 than me.
When I looked at Ron's drawing in F.A.Q. section everything was clear to me. Until I opened up my blue box.





Since my DS-5 came from Japan I expected to see the brown leads coupled with respective black ones and connected to AC leads – as required for 110V. But as you can see the brown leads are simply disconnected. Is it normal?
So I assume, I just have to join two brown leads together to accomodate 230V? I'm asking also because Ron didn't specify any color-coding of wires in his drawing. On my transformer, though it's hard to see on pictures, the leads come out brown - brown - black - black. So I have to connect together wires 1 and 2 instead of 2 and 3 shown in drawing, correct? The last thing I want to do is burn out my transformer so please help me clarify these things.
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 8841
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, April 15, 2016 - 3:07 pm:   Edit Post

I asked my dad about this, here's what he had to say:

Won't burn out the transformer if the brown leads are disconnected. But you are correct that it's better to connect in parallel. Look carefully on the wires, and you'll see that the black wires are different, there is a plain black wire and a black wire with a red stripe. Likewise for the brown pair, a plain brown and a brown wire with red stripe. Oriented as the photo above the left wire is brown with the red stripe, then plain brown, followed by black with red stripe, and the most right wire is plain black. For 110 volts connect the first and third together (brown with red stripe and black with red stripe) and that is one side of the line cord. Then the second and fourth wires together (plain brown and plain black) to the other wire from the line cord.

For 230 volts, connect the left-most wire (brown with red stripe) to one side of the line cord, and the right-most wire to the other side of the line cord. Then join the center two wires (plain brown and black with red stripe) together as an isolated and insulated splice. This puts the two primary windings in series for the higher voltage option.

(note: it's really hard to see the red stripe on the brown wire, and fairy difficult to see it on the black wire, but they are there. if you can't see the stripes, then the order they come out is still valid, so the center two wires are the ones to connect for the isolated join)
okanakov
New
Username: okanakov

Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2014
Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 12:05 pm:   Edit Post

Thank you Mica! This morning I ran my bass on power supply for the first time. Seems like it sounds even better this way!
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 4885
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Sunday, April 17, 2016 - 4:37 pm:   Edit Post

Greetings Oleg , I am glad to welcome you to our little corner of the internet . My experience with Alembic instruments has been that after I owned one that was 100% Alembic and not a modified instrument from another manufacture that there was nothing else in my hands that was as useful as a tool to express my art with .

I have owned a few modified instruments but even when compared to my single pickup Distillate there is NO CONTEST !

I also have Series instruments and they really speak and play as you you will have them do !

Sonic Regards ,

Wolf

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