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Hi all. I received my TC15 last summer but have really just started digging into it in the last couple of months. It's really slow going as it's all new to me and I have to do a lot of research. But man I'm learning a lot.

I have the PT hooked up and almost ready for the first voltage check but I don't have the guts to spark it up yet. A little more review first about the right way to take voltage readings...

My question is about the offboard wiring for the turret board. I've read a lot about going from under the board on on top. Under looks neater but am I going to make it more difficult for myself if I need to recheck or work on anything later? I'd be happy to hear any opinions from someone who's built the TC15.

Also, and this may be a real basic question, but is there a best and easy way to strip a long length of wire for the bus? Just use an exacto knife?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers,
Steve

When taking voltage readings you should get some alligator clip attachments for your volt meter. Click the black one on your probe and then clip that to your chassis for your ground reference. Use the red probe to check your readings with one hand and put your free hand behind your back or in your pocket or something. Less chance of accidentally shorting something out and/or using your body as the conductor.

As far as running under the board, IMO it not only looks neater but it helps with proper "lead dress" which helps cut down on unwanted noise and signals jumping between wires and whatnot. A lot of thought and experimenting goes into the layouts for amps. The wires are run the way they are run for a reason. Also, neatness helps a LOT when/if you run into a problem and you need to find and/or re-route a particular wire.

An xacto knife will work to strip a long piece of wire but so will just stripping one end, holding it in a vice or firmly with a pair of pliers and sliding the insulation off by hand.

Go slow and triple-check all your connections before you solder! It really helps if you print a copy of the layout and schematic and use a highlighter to keep track of what wires you've connected as you go and a nice black 'X' through each solder joint as you go too. Highlighting both the layout and schematic helps with understanding how to read a schematic and how they translate to nice layouts as well!

Most important: have fun. When you are done, there's a 99% chance you will want to build another.

Well thanks for that thorough response. That clears up a number of things. Good advice on using the layout and schematic. I'll start doing that. Also thanks for the voltage reading tips. I'll see if I can get that done this weekend.

So under the board it is. Looking forward to getting it started.

And finally, you're right, I'm already eyeing a tweed for the next project. I'm sure it'll be easier after this.
Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.