N Cook wrote:

Gareth Magennis wrote in message
"Meat Plow" wrote in message
On Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:24:58 +0100, N Cook wrote:
Meat Plow wrote in message
On Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:01:41 +0100, N Cook wrote:

Intermittant / vibration problems
Models that use 0.15 inch power connector interboard connections ,
loads of them for signals, control and power between 2the 2 main
boards. Otherwise neat idea, line of sockets on each board and then
the line of pins that would normally by soldered to a board used to
bridge the 2
sets
of sockets.

The old problem of the pcb holes too large for the solder part of
each
connection plus not enough solder.
End result , eventually microscopic rings can form around the
periphery
of
the holes.

Peavey has been using these for years in most everything they make if
I
understand your description. I've not notice a common problem and I
own/owned a lot of Peavey gear.



The one in front of me has not been obviously abused. There is a bit
more
rust corrosion on the rear panel connectors than I would like to see,
perhaps stored in a shed or garage over a winter - but that should not
produce these ring failures. Because there is no conventional rigidity
locking the boards together , ie the pin arrays can move at both ends
then
that should be fairly immune to being heavily leant on or similar. No
its
oversize holes that are the problem here. The tails from each socket
pin
are thin strips and should have small slots , not holes the diameter of
the strip and a bit, in the pcb, so no unreasonable unsupported solder.
Just normal thermal movement presumably causes those to fail.

I don't doubt your diagnosis and I have seen similar situations but I've
seen a ton of those connections and very few have been problematic. I've
worked on dozens of the CS- series power amps and they relied on those
connections but I can't recall seeing them fail although there may have
been an isolated case or two that I don't remember.


I too have repaired a lot of Peavey gear and have never come across any
connector problem that might be called Generic. Peavey equipment just
doesn't suffer from connector problems, unlike a lot of other
manufacturers.

I suspect you just have a rogue unit.


1990 manufacture date so plenty of time to degrade, maybe being in the UK is
critical.
Whether inches equivalent of 1.4 x0 .3mm tails in 1.5mm holes or 1.8x 0.3mm
in 2mm holes or even 1.5x0.3mm in 2mm holes , I don't know, but its not good
practise.
There was one obviously bad ring as a "caldera" plus two other bad on
viewing under a magnifying inspection lamp.

It's far from unknown for connector manufacturers to overspecify the drill size
( esp for s/s boards ).

Graham