F1-x Send and Return

[jazzyvee]

I'm just checking out my gear pre-a gig next week and took the opportunity to go back to a mono rig and put one of my F1-x's in a small rack with a DS-5 so I can use that rather than the pre-amp of the bass rig that is going to be provided at the gig.  
I sent the full range out to the return of my Mesa Boogie Walkabout head to test it out.  
 
However the the volume is much lower that it should be. So I put a jumper cable between the send and return sockets of the F1-x and the volume went up to what I think it should be. i.e. loud. When I take the jumper cable out the volume is down really low.  Is it ok for me to leave the jumper cable in and use it on a gig?
 
Previously this preamp was used in the bridge pickup for my series basses and had a channel of my SF-2 going patched into the send and return and never noticed a problem. Could it just be a jack exercising problem or something else?

[keith_h]

Sounds like the jack contacts are oxidized and need exercising. When nothing is in the jack the signal goes through the contacts in the jack and can see problems due to oxidation. When you put in a jumper cable or go to the SF-2 the signal no longer goes through the switch contacts and instead goes through the cable.  
 
Keith

[edwardofhuncote]

Here ya' go Jazzy... Mica sent me this link a while back after I had a similar issue with my F-1X.  
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/16271/16301.html?1107539284
 
ps - +1 on F-1X's full-range out to Walkabout return... that's a magical sound. It's what convinced me to finally build a pre-amp/power-amp setup.

[jazzyvee]

Ok thanks I will try that when I get round to practice later.  
yeah that mesa boogie in that mode is meaty and thick and even though the F1-x has less knobs it sounds much more powerful and clean than using the boogie front end.