james90 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 so the boards came in today. they're smaller than i thought. notice the lovely job i did of cutting the board in half, and also drilling the enclosure the film capacitor is on the underside because it wouldn't fit on top, but as long as it's not touching anything i can't see it being an issue we'll see what happens once it's done. AND STOP LAUGHING Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 PURELY because of your "and stop laughing" comment, I was going to post a zoidberg saying "your build is bad and you should feel bad" but I'm hardly a role model for good builds. And, you're not doing to badly, so meh. Three little things. 1. Kudos for a lot of things. Thinking laterally and putting the cap on the back, using a nice board, and generally doing a neat soldering job. Not three bad. 2. A few little tips. Measure twice, cut ones - I mean this mainly in relation to your wires, which appear to be pretty long. don't be afraid to cut them. if they're too short, wire is cheap. This also kinda applies to the likes of the transistor legs, which could be shorter. What I normally do is solder the middle leg, and while the solder is hot, push the transistor in tight, making sure the other 2 legs thread where they're supposed to be. once checked, solder the others. Final little tip, watch out that none of the metal parts of the board touches the enclosure or it'll ground. 3. That board stuff looks fucking porn. Where did you get it. Do want x 10000000000000000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Thanks, I'll sort out the wires, but that's my last transistor (a leg broke off the spare I had). It was a bit difficult to get the legs in the solder tags because of how they're spaced though, but it might be possible to push them through a bit more What should I use to mount the board to the enclosure? the film cap is in back there on one side, so I need something to balance it with. and these are the boards. http://www.ebay.com/itm/160766668584 wish they came in a bigger size though, as you're a bit limited in what you can put on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 you can get little stand things in places like radioshag. They've a double-sided sticky pad on one side, and then a little peg type thing sticking out. if you do a google image search for PCB Standoff, you'll get an idea of what they're like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 you can get little stand things in places like radioshag. They've a double-sided sticky pad on one side, and then a little peg type thing sticking out. if you do a google image search for PCB Standoff, you'll get an idea of what they're like. oh right, i know what those are - i think i might have some actually cleaned up the wiring a bit, but i drilled the input jack in the wrong place... too close to the edge and it was nearly touching one of the contacts but yeah, it will allow the components to breathe better with that extra hole. just have to worry about the crystal lettuce escaping now. resistors should be here on friday so i can finish it I want cannon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I could probably give you the layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Not sure if I should take it for free (trade for wangcaster?) but I don't know if I'm ready to build one of those yet. I've only built that kit (ALMOST works properly) and am halfway through building this (which is still very simple) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I could probably send the board i have populated. All you'd need to do is the switch, box and jacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I could probably send the board i have populated. All you'd need to do is the switch, box and jacks. i'd still buy a completed one off you - don't care if it explodes into a million pieces, as i'm getting better at working with these! but yeah, here's where i am right now. i had an old amp with some resistors in CLOSE values, so why not.... i'll add the bypass switch eventually, but the problem now is that the output is VERY low. lower than the guitar signal when the pedal isnt in the chain. i don't know what's causing that exactly. i used a 27k on the 9v connection (instead of 22k) and a 15k instead of 12k in that other position next to it would it cause THAT much of a difference? i did buy a signal tester from BYOC... just need to assemble it oh and the pot is working backwards, but i understand they need reverse taper anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 sounds like it's biassed wrong. do you by any chance have a trimpot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 nope, just what's in this layout EXCEPT 15k instead of 12k (is that the problem?) and 27k instead of 22k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 which transistor you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 2N5457 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 check the pinout on your wiring vs this: http://www.musikding.de/Active-parts/Transistors/FET/2N5457::362.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 YOU JUST WON THE INTERNETS! AGAIN! works as it should now with plenty of output. pot functions normally as well. so is the J201 different from the 2N5457? I'll get some sound clips up tomorrow, but it probably won't sound any different from the other clones out there here it is don't ask about that "finish" ... I was trying to do something else and screwed it up. The extra hole is for the bypass switch which will go in eventually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 so is the J201 different from the 2N5457? yeah, btw your build came along pretty nicely, i think my first build had much more fails Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowella Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 James, that is looking fine. Your board looks neat and you have the right idea with the wires. My first pedals were much worse. This is quite good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Thanks just need to wire up the switch now...but this gives me an excuse to build one of those bypass/looper boxes... Out of curiosity, why is it bad to ground to the back of the pots? I was tempted to (seeing as guitars and amps are grounded like that), but I recall Neil was shocked when I posted a pedal which had some wires grounded that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 1. Hooray! Wire up that switch and put it on yisser gorms! 2. Yes, pinout on a couple of transistors are a bit odd. As a good habit to get into, check the pinouts on any transistors youre new/unfamiliar with. You can usually get the datasheets just by googling it, for example, 2N2222A Datasheet. 3. Grounding on the back of pots in pedals, I've found, creates some noise. If you're going to common ground to anything, do it to the case, although with those types of open jacks, it does it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 cool, thanks also basically, i've wired up my switch (correctly as far as I can tell) and now the sound fades out unless i slam the pedal against the ground. not sure where to start, but 2 things 1. is it possible that i blew my tranny when i had it installed backwards? 2. it seems like the pedal is microphonic or something. not sure what that means exactly. i wonder if i fried one of the resistors while taking it out of that amp yesterday (was pretty difficult for some reason). either way, i've got the replacements in the CORRECT values coming today otherwise, i don't know what it is. i've checked EVERY connection and they are all solid (as far as I can tell) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 1. is it possible that i blew my tranny when i had it installed backwards? 2. it seems like the pedal is microphonic or something. not sure what that means exactly. i wonder if i fried one of the resistors while taking it out of that amp yesterday (was pretty difficult for some reason). either way, i've got the replacements in the CORRECT values coming today otherwise, i don't know what it is. i've checked EVERY connection and they are all solid (as far as I can tell) 1. not unless you put more than the voltage allowance on the transistor on them which is pretty high. WAY more than 9v. 2. See point 1. for your switching woes, lets divide the switch lugs into 2 columns of 3 lugs. lets call the left side Input and the right side Output. The middle lugs on both side should ALWAYS go to the jacks. so, the hot pin on the input jack goes to the middle lug of the input side of the switch. same on the output. Now, the way the switch actually works is that when you press the switch, it essentially changes the routing of the switch. the signal is either sent from the middle input lug to the lug above, or below it on the input column, if you get me. When it's in bypass, ie when the pedal is "off", the signal goes from guitar > input jack > middle input lug > top input lug > top output lug > middle output lug > output jack > amp. When the pedlol is switched on, the signal path goes guitar > input jack > middle input lug > bottom output lug > circuit board input point > through the circuit > circuit output point > bottom output lug > middle output lug > output jack > amp. Does all that make it clearer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Yeah it does thanks, I think I have it wired correctly but I'll double check As for the problem with it fading out, I don't know what's causing that. It doesn't seem to be a loose connection (I've actually reheated most of the joints since it started doing this). Maybe a failing component somewhere... I don't have anymore 2N5457s, so I'll have to order one. It seemed to act up even more when I reheated the connections for the transistor though... the 12k and 22k resistor have been replaced, but no change. on a side note, I installed a master volume (500k pot in place of the 100k resistor). Seems to work with the exception of going quiet when turned all the way up (and yes, I did switch the wires on lugs 1 and 3 and it didn't make a difference) no big deal either way - it still can lower the volume and doesn't really affect the overall output unless it's maxed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Yeah it does thanks, I think I have it wired correctly but I'll double check As for the problem with it fading out, I don't know what's causing that. It doesn't seem to be a loose connection (I've actually reheated most of the joints since it started doing this). Maybe a failing component somewhere... I don't have anymore 2N5457s, so I'll have to order one. It seemed to act up even more when I reheated the connections for the transistor though... the 12k and 22k resistor have been replaced, but no change. on a side note, I installed a master volume (500k pot in place of the 100k resistor). Seems to work with the exception of going quiet when turned all the way up (and yes, I did switch the wires on lugs 1 and 3 and it didn't make a difference) no big deal either way - it still can lower the volume and doesn't really affect the overall output unless it's maxed you should not have messed with that 100k on the output, it have nothing to do with volume. remove your volume pot and put that 100k back. then wire it like this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 lel, the drawing of the circuit is exactly how i wired it and i'll put that back. i'm guessing that's why the volume pot is acting the way it is? the fading out was happening BEFORE i removed the 100k and added the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Yeah this wont solve the fading. Is it doing the fading from the beginning or it got fucked after you changed some stuff? Maybe something is touching the enclosure? Are you using the original FET specified in the stratoblaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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