YBA-1 ground switch

[Plague Dog]

I just got an old Traynor, I think it's a '68. well anyway the cord was in bad shape so I replaced it with a three prong with a ground. Do I need to remove the ground switch from the circuit now? It looks more like a lift then a polarity (if there's any difference).

[Jon Silberman]

Welcome to TGP!

I don't know the answer myself but if you don't get an answer here, try the Yahoo Traynor group board.

[fullerplast]

I just got an old Traynor, I think it's a '68. well anyway the cord was in bad shape so I replaced it with a three prong with a ground. Do I need to remove the ground switch from the circuit now? It looks more like a lift then a polarity (if there's any difference).

The chassis should stay grounded, you don't want a lift. Just remove it from the circuit. You can use the switch for something else like a NFB lift, or just leave it unused.

[AdmiralB]

The switch doesn't lift ground...it ties the AC primary to ground through a cap.

It's in violation of conventional interweb wisdom, but I leave the switch in. I replace the cap with one designed for AC suppression (253VAC is the typical rating), and use a three-position switch. In the center position it's out of the circuit, and when there are noise issues - and it happens sometimes - I can use the switch. People will say that if the outlet is miswired and not actually grounded, it's unsafe - but if that is the situation you're already at risk.

[fullerplast]

People will say that if the outlet is miswired and not actually grounded, it's unsafe - but if that is the situation you're already at risk.

People will also say that if your cap should fail, you may see your primary voltage on your chassis, cable shield, and then guitar; hence the term "death cap"....

Granted, the odds are small but I've rarely seen much noise suppression out of switches wired that way either. YMMV.

[Plague Dog]

People will also say that if your cap should fail, you may see your primary voltage on your chassis, cable shield, and then guitar; hence the term "death cap"....

Granted, the odds are small but I've rarely seen much noise suppression out of switches wired that way either. YMMV.

But in this situation, with a groundwire on the chasis, wouldn't that trip the breaker? or are you talking if the outlet isn't grounded and the cap should fail?

[fullerplast]

But in this situation, with a groundwire on the chasis, wouldn't that trip the breaker? or are you talking if the outlet isn't grounded and the cap should fail?

Yes, you would hope so, and yes if the outlet isn't grounded you are in worse shape. For something that really isn't necessary, why risk it? Like I said, personally I would remove it but there are some others that choose to keep it. Just a difference of risk/reward opinion.

[Plague Dog]

Okay, there are two wires on the top terminal, two wires on the bottom terminal and a cap in the center. To remove all I do is disconnect from the switch and join the two wires from the top terminal and insulate and then the two wires from the bottom terminal and insulate, right?

[fullerplast]

Okay, there are two wires on the top terminal, two wires on the bottom terminal and a cap in the center. To remove all I do is disconnect from the switch and join the two wires from the top terminal and insulate and then the two wires from the bottom terminal and insulate, right?

Effectively yes, but you'd be better off replacing the two separate wires on each terminal with a single wire on each side. The power switch should be on the hot (black) wire.

If you don't plan to use the switch for anything right now, the easiest thing is to just clip out the cap.

[Plague Dog]

Thanks for your help. I just removed the wire going from the fuse to the switch and ran the other wire from the switch to the fuse, so no splice there. The other one I removed from the ground switch and soldered them back together and put heat shrink. I guess it would have been a lot easier just clipping out the cap. too late now.