sine Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Hi I'm having a problem with my pottery wheel, a 2nd hand Gladstone 30 from the UK. The wheel head would turn four times then totally stop, when pressing down on the foot pedal. Can see inside that there's a Hitachi SJ100 controller with the display showing E 10. Looked up the controller online and says E10 means there is an error with the 'current transformer' Did get an electrician to look at it - but its an electronic problem Also have been in touch with Gladstone manufacturers but they say that the only option is to ship it to the UK ... Afraid I live in Ireland, so not a great option! Just wondering if anyone out there might have had the same issue- the photo shows the controller and wires etc. Everything else is working perfectly... Thanks a lot Sine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I found electricians are good at joining stuff up with wires but once they get into electronics it goes pete tong. I have never seen a wheel with an LCD display. I don't know what counts as a strong source of electrical interference but have you moved the wheel somewhere? If the built in current transformer is broken I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I've never seen one of those wheels, but most wheel motors, and maybe that controller, run on DC power, so the transformer is most likely changing the incoming AC power to DC. I can't tell from the photo, but the transformer may be the part hanging next to the controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Never seen anything like that on this side of the pond. Sorry no help. If you need a new stand alone transformer just get another opne with the same specs as yours-any good electronic supply house can match up the numbers on the name plate of said transformer. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 This is what their manual says about E10. To me the built in current transformer wouldn't be the one on the outside. It also says that it converts ac power into dc and then back to ac. Why, I have no idea I guess so they can control the motor. Can you post a clearer picture of the black thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 If the transformer is built into the circuitry, then you'll probably have to replace the whole board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I think Neil hit it on the head-new board most likely? Is this company still around? if so what do they say? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sine Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hi -thanks for all the replies Just to say that before Christmas there was severe a lightning & thunder storm which seemingly got into the electricity supply in the whole area creating spikes in the power supply current Anything with complex circuitry in the nearby town was blown (according to the electrician) All smoke alarms that are connected into power supply were fried.... Didn't realise all this at the time- as the wheel was still going but then stopping after 4 turns....showing E 03 first of all which says 'overload on current' but then eventually stuck on E 10. Have attached a closer photo of the black box beside the controller... Afraid Gladstone have just said they'll need to look at it to be able to diagnose which is fair enough... Was hoping it might of been something that I could manage myself but maybe the whole circuitry board may need to be replaced, as you suggested Ah well! The wheel owes me nothing as I bought it 2nd/ 3rd hand for not much and has worked perfectly until 2014! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sine Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 her's the image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Power surges usually blow the transformer 1st-I had one last May and both my door bell and forced air heater transformers blew and needed replacing as well as a few in wall timers and my refrigerator compressor . You should run the wheel thru a surge protector if your area gets hit often. mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sine Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thanks Mark- think definitely will get a surge protector now- Had no idea the surges were so common here especially around cow milking time- rural life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 It looks like a very complicated piece of electronics. Something must have fried inside with the surge. Did you tell them about the surge and the error codes and they still couldn't say what might be wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bny Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 "Current transformer" very likely refers to a specific circuit component that is not the familiar step-up or step-down transformer within the power supply. A current transformer often looks like a plastic or ferrite rectangle (core) with a hole through the middle and a wire passing through the hole, or wound a few times around one leg of the rectangle. Another pair of wires will be connected to the circuit board. This is used to measure the AC current passing through the single wire, either as a part of a feedback control loop, or as a safety guard (cut off the power if over-current is detected), or both. It is also possible that "current transformer" is a misnomer for a DC current sensor that does the same thing with e.g. a Hall effect magnetic field sensor. (Transformers work only with AC, not DC, though they might be used with chopped DC as could be seen in a motor control circuit.) It is cheaper to just put a low-resistance (but high enough wattage) resistor into the circuit, and measure the voltage across that current sense resistor. Look for something resembling a rectangle with a hole and a wire through it, then look for bad solder joints, broken wires, or loose or corroded push-on connectors on the wires connecting that to the circuit board (the current transformer could be on the circuit board itself), or on the wire that passes through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sine Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Thanks a lot for that Bny- I can't see anything like that but maybe is inside that black box. I'm going to try find someone local whose good with electronics to have a look- High Bridge Pottery- I did tell Gladstone about the surge etc- ( the E 03 on the display means this) but they have said they would need to see it ( a bit reluctantly, I'll admit) Thanks for all your advice- I'll try the electonic guy first and see how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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