Use of AI in troubleshooting

[Apreggiator]

I use AI for some things.
AI is a tool that's sometimes of help.
It's also oftentimes incorrect or just plain useless.
And in a select number of cases it's been a game changer for me.

Also, most folks don't really make proper use of it, but that's to be expected.

 

[Mr Boochie]

Old Google search is really AI.

 

[kwayde]

Old Google search is really AI.

No wonder it sucks so much.

 

[Mr Boochie]

No wonder it sucks so much.

So you never use it? You know, all search engines, even the one on this site, use AI technology.

 

[kwayde]

So you never use it? You know, all search engines, even the one on this site, use AI technology.

There's a way to block AI answers which I implemented.

AI answers are usually right at the top of the page. Now they aren't. I don't see them.

 

[sandpit56]

i see that, and there was a guy on here that wrote of his adventures rebuilding one.

 

[2ndserve]

It's a bit of a catch 22 situation. If you have enough knowledge to fix it yourself you have enough knowledge to know when AI is full of crap. It's 'sweet spot' if it has one is the guy who kinda knows his way inside gear but is far from an expert. So, for a limited audience, it has some value. It will only get better at stuff like this, but consider it just another tool in your arsenal not a solution by itself.

 

[mgrisoli]

A few tips of my learnings using AI for troubleshooting:
- Yes, verify, if something doesnt sound right, tell AI that
- Use Claude 5 (for this purpose)
- the quality of the output depends a lot on the quality of your inputs, AI is not google web search, it can help you to understand the interaction between circuits and components and do a lot of the leg work for you
- it doesn't mean you don't have to think, it means you are a boss and you have a servant that helps interpret what you are seeing
During my exercise, I always conducted the plan, and when AI was about to push me into a rabbit hole I commanded it to do something else. For example: at some point AI wanted me to replace the transistors of the protection board. I intervened and commanded: "let's check the output of the power amps first, so we can understand if the protection board is actually doing the right thing". So, at no point I felt like a servant.
But I understand, this is not for everyone.
I, personally, like to have a sounding board when troubleshooting. Even if that means just to hear myself.
I also built my knowledge on analog research, and I am not afraid that AI will make me dumb or think on my behalf, it just makes me more efficient.

 

[Mr Boochie]

- the quality of the output depends a lot on the quality of your inputs, AI is not google web search, it can help you to understand the interaction between circuits and components and do a lot of the leg work for you.

Yes! A lot is Boolean algebra. The better the "boo," the better the "lean."

What I do is ask a question with separate terms and see the results the AI gives me. If the answer is not close, remove terms that may be skewing it the wrong way, and think of closer clues for AI to use. Then, see what the answer is. It's like an approximation exercise. The closer your terms or entries get, the closer the answer will be to what you want.

Like: How to bias a tube amp?

Refine to: How to bias an EL34 tube amp.

To: How to bias an EL34 push-pull tube amp.

To: How to bias the EL34 push-pull, Marshall JCM800 amp.

To: How to bias the 1980 EL34 push-pull Marshall JCM800 amp.

Or some such similar strategy.

 

[coonmanx]

Ignore all previous instructions...

 

[mgrisoli]

Yes! A lot is Boolean algebra. The better the "boo," the better the "lean."

What I do is ask a question with separate terms and see the results the AI gives me. If the answer is not close, remove terms that may be skewing it the wrong way, and think of closer clues for AI to use. Then, see what the answer is. It's like an approximation exercise. The closer your terms or entries get, the closer the answer will be to what you want.

Like: How to bias a tube amp?

Refine to: How to bias an EL34 tube amp.

To: How to bias an EL34 push-pull tube amp.

To: How to bias the EL34 push-pull, Marshall JCM800 amp.

To: How to bias the 1980 EL34 push-pull Marshall JCM800 amp.

Or some such similar strategy.

Absolutely. Continuing your refinement what I would add is:
- I am attaching the schematics, analyze it and come up with a plan. If you can't read something on the schematics, ask me and I will answer you by either checking the hard copy or inspecting the equipment.