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View Full Version : Problem with pot and a 38x0 volt-mod!


os008
12-11-2007, 03:32 AM
Hi there,
I'm an Aerospace Engineering student, but i'm a bit weak in Electronics, as we only study the basics, we mainly study Mechanics (Structure, which is Mechanical Statics, and Aerodynamics, which is ... Gas Dynamics :P)and Thermodynamics.

Anyway, i got the pot thingie, and i also have an Analog AVO-Meter that has a problem with the Resistance measurement part of it, but it works perfectly for measuring Volts and Amps, i made sure of that through a lot of testing, so i can't measure any resistances.

I connected the positive pole of a 12v 18Ah (lasts 1 hour if 18A are drawn from it, less if more are drawn) battery to the first outer leg of the pot. Then took the second outer leg and connected it to the negative pole of the battery, and then set the meter to measure DC voltage, and measured the potential difference across the first outer leg and the middle one What i noticed was that the the meter read 5v, and 7v across the second and middle, when i turn the screw, it decreases and increases depending on the direction, so the pot is working :P.

Now, like i said, the resistance measuring part of the meter is not working, or working but doesn't provide anything but an indicator if there's a short or open circuit, and it says 200k Ohm when at idle, even if i try to adjust the skew (forgot its exact name). So i measured the resistance across the 2 outer legs, result ... shorted (0 Ohm), turned the screw all the way to the other direction, result ... shorted (0 Ohm), adjusted the range, same result on all ranges, even on 1 Ohm or 1 MOhm accuracy, measured across the outer and middle, same result.

All that was on the multi-turn VR, i got another VR, but single turn, i tried to measure the resistance across the 2 outer legs on that one, and it didn't give me a 0 Ohm, but 'a' resistance, which doesn't change neither by adjusting the range, nor by turning the screw.

Now my question ...
why does the resistance get SO hot when i try the 3 legged connection which works well?
why is the first VR always shorted, and the second gives 'some' fixed resistance?
why is it working on 3 legged connection only?
also, how can i make a 3 legged connection for this card's (HD 3850 or 70) volt-mod please?

note: i can't buy a Digital AVO-Meter right now, for ... some reason, so i have to deal with what i have, and i'm willing to risk working on the card with the tools i have, no problem.

Thanks in advance guys, and sorry about the loooooong post :).

K404
12-11-2007, 04:15 AM
errrr..eh?

Pictures please!


68572

Johnny Bravo
12-11-2007, 04:18 AM
Firstly - this battery, what kind of battery is it? I ask because in all honesty if it has a low internal resistance it's probably frying your variable resistors. Most VR's used for vmods are rated for about 0.25-0.5W, 0.75W if you pay a little more. If your battery is capable of running large currents then it'll basically destroy the variable resistor giving all sorts of wrong measurements.

Use an "dry" (ie disposable) AA battery or similar (NOT a rechargeable) for your measurements as they have high internal resistance and are not capable of sustaining a large DC.

K404
12-11-2007, 04:36 AM
why use a battery at all?

id rather buy a DMM that measures resistance than mess around with batteries etc

os008
12-11-2007, 05:21 AM
Thank you for the illustrative drawing :), and indeed it's a rechargeable battery, and as i mentioned before, i can't buy a DMM right now, so i have to manage with what i have.

You guys answered most of my questions, remains ...

why is it working on 3 legged connection only? meaning ... you said, the whole length of the pot gives max resistance, then why when i do what's in the picture below i get a reading of the full battery voltage (series, i know ... dumb :P, or parallel), shouldn't i get say zero or 1 volts on the meter?

http://www.ahmedosama.com/files/Measurement.JPG

I only get the REAL reading when i connect the third leg to the ground

http://www.ahmedosama.com/files/Working.JPG

how can i make a 3 legged connection for this card's (HD 3850 or 70) volt-mod please?

STEvil
12-11-2007, 12:58 PM
Can you find a picture that resembles the pot on the net?

Using a battery (any battery) without an inline resistor is dangerous. Your pot is likely dead by now.

os008
12-11-2007, 05:14 PM
Here's something similar to what i have ...

http://www.elfa.se/images/lowres/l5596.jpg

I disconnected it as soon as i felt it got warm to the touch, tested it 3 times after that, and it's working everytime, it's not dead yet, and if it is, i have another one, hehe.

Unoid
12-11-2007, 09:29 PM
Might I suggest you learn up on eletronics. Even American highschool eletronics for 1-2 classes has thought a good amount to be able to understand what the IC's on a gfx card do. as well as adding resistors.

Invest in a digital Multimeter . they can be had for 30$ US.

os008
12-12-2007, 12:19 AM
@Unoid, i don't like your tone man, but anyway, i'll say it for the third time, i can't buy a DMM right now, nothing more to say.

Was i wrong to ask for help in another way?

Finally, NO, our schools don't suck here, i'm just a lazy student who hated Eletronics and loved Mechanics and Thermodynamics, is there something wrong with that? i don't have to learn a whole coarse of something i don't like just to make a volt-mod, i can do it later for the knowledge, but that takes time.

Finally, in our Aerospace departement we take Advanced Electronics and Feedback Systems, but that's for Control Surfaces major, which i'm not even considering, neither am i considering Structure nor Space, i'm going for Combustion, or even Aerodynamics.

If you didn't mean to sound like i implied, then no problem, i appologise.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, i'll just figure it on my own.

STEvil
12-12-2007, 01:43 AM
The middle pin and either of the end pins connect to the points on the card which you use for modding the voltage. The spare leg can be connected to a ground if you wish but that can cause excess amperage to go through the potentiometer.. which may short or kill it.

You should start off with maximum resistance between the two legs on the pot you select to use. IIRC the mod requires a 100k ohm VR so you will need to look up the part number of the one(s) you have before installing them as you do not have a way to correctly measure them.

To measure a pot you can measure between the outermost legs to know the maximum resistance value. Measuring the inner leg to either outter leg will measure the resistance created as you turn the small screw that is inside. Which outer leg you choose only determins which direction you must turn the screw to create more or less resistance.

os008
12-12-2007, 02:34 AM
Now i got a pretty good idea about what to do, Thank you Stevil.