M3 Percussion problem

[geldo79]

Hi,

my converted M2 was started today the first time. I have a problem with the percussion. 2nd Percussion does not work at all. When switching on the percussion, I hear a tone like all notes togehter for a short time. That's it. For 3rd percussion, I hear the correct tone once, but it does not trigger when pressing a key.

Any ideas? I already checked the tubes.....they come from a working m3 and should be ok.

Greetings Christian

[enor]

Double check your wiring first... sounds like the perc switch is miswired.

[Jyvoipabo]

Hello,

Try this test :

Select upper manual = drawbars.
Push all the dawbars in and hold down a upper manual note.
Normaly there is no sound.

Switch on and off percussion 2'. You can listen the percussion sound only that is similar Harmonic 2' of the note you hold but decreasing.

Idem percussion 3'

JP

[geldo79]

Hmm.....I wonder wich cable could be soldered incorrectly. All switches except the selection for 2nd/3rd harmonic seem to work 100% correctly. The only thing I can imagine is that the two shielded wires have been soldered the wrong way.....but the colors were correct I think. Green to amp, and black to the matching transformer.

[Guitarbro]

Have you connected the switch box wires the 1' buss bar and the 1' draw bar?

[geldo79]

I did the following Connections from the Percussion unit:

1 white wire to the white wire of the busbars
1 white wire to the drawbars (drawbar 9 (from left))
1 green wire to the green wire of the busbars
1 green wire to the drawbars (drawbar 5 (from left))
1 yellow wire to the yellow wire of the busbars
1 yellow wire to the drawbars (drawbar 4 (from left))

As everything is ok without Percussion, meaning that all drawbars do the right thing, I think it should be ok!?

The shielded green wire to the Amp (Terminal P)
The shielded black wire to the matching transformer

One yellow wire to the Amp (Terminal L)
One yellow wire to the Amp (Terminal N)
The blue wire to the Amp (Terminal K)
The red wire to the Amp (Terminal M)
The Brown wire to the Amp(Terminal J)
The (non shielded) green wire to the Amp (Terminal H)

I think that's it.

Concerning the missing triggering for percussion, I measured voltage at the K terminal of the Amp. It drops down to 0V when percussion is switched on while pressing a key, but stays 0V even when the key is released. I have already read that this might come from a short in the percussion switch. But there is still the question why the 2nd percussion tone is missing completely. Maybe there is only one reason for both Problems.....??

[enor]

Have you perhaps mixed up the "ins and outs"? The drawbar/busbar connections I mean?

Sounds to me like the 3rd perc (drawbar 5) is wired right, but the trigger as well as the 2nd (drawbars 9 and 4) might be reversed ... the wire that's supposed to go to the drawbar instead is connected to the busbar, and vice versa.

[geldo79]

Are there "ins and Outs" ? I did my work based on

http://theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/files/m3.html

where I read

"Solder one of the white wires from the bundle to draw bar 9 (it doesn't matter which one)."
"Connect the other white wire from the bundle to the original white draw bar wire and insulate the splice with electrical tape"

and

"Repeat steps 11b through 11d for Green (draw bar 5) and yellow (draw bar 4)"

So....if it DOES matter which wire I use, maybe I have found the Problem.

[geldo79]

Well.....that helped a lot :-> Thanks enor !!! Now everything is fine!

[Pipeorganbuilder]

Great trouble shooting guys. Love the detailed questions and answers. This is the way to trouble shoot.

Michael

[enor]

Well.....that helped a lot :-> Thanks enor !!! Now everything is fine!

I had a hunch :)

(If it were yesterday I would have called the person who provided the info that "which wire doesn't matter" a provider of false info, but today I learned that it's called "alternative facts" nowadays)

[geldo79]

:p :-> ......