Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Hey guys... hopefully you can help me out. Just wired up this large beaver (triangle specs) last night, and I'm not getting any power I think. Bypass works, but silence when it's turned on. No LED either. I looked over the soldering and the wiring and I think it looks good, but I'm not exactly an expert.

Let me know if you want to see anything closer/better. And thanks for any help you can offer.

-Bill

Well, looking back over the instructions, I had the LED in backwards.

Good news, the LED works now. Bad news, it is still silent with the effect on.

Well, I would start by triple checking all your component values (ie no 4.7K where there should be a 470K) Look up the data sheet for your transistors to make sure the pin out's are correct and installed the right way. I would also resolder that rotary switch, you want to fill in those holes with solder.

It sounds like you are now getting power and ground to your PCB as the LED lights, so from there I would use your Multimeter to check continuity of the input signal to the PCB, ie with the effect engaged, do you have continuity from the tip of the input jack, through the 3pDT, to the "in" on your board. After that I think it is audio probe time, have a search here and you will find a ton of good info on how to build and use one.

Yeah, I redid the rotary switch already with no change. I've triple checked the transistors and they are installed correctly according to the instructions.

I guess I'll have to go back over the components. My multimeter got stolen when the house was robbed six weeks ago, I guess it's time to replace that, too.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.
If anyone else sees something that looks suspect, please speak up!

Bummer, I would still check the data sheet of the specific transistors that you have, just to make 100% sure that the pin out is the same as is shown in the instructions.

Other than checking all the component values again (for what I am sure is the umpteenth time), everything else I can suggest needs a multimeter or audio probe. When you get a hold of a MM, check the voltages on your trannies and report back as that info is often helpful for the really hard core guys here.

If the pedal is getting power and works in bypass, but passes no signal at all, the problem is generally solder joint-related. Could be wire connections to/from the PCB or a bad component joint somewhere on the PCB. Though it's a "scattergun" approach, something that quite often solves a problem like this is to just go through the entire build with a hot solder iron and reflow every solder joint. If individual joints look suspect (blobby, dull in color, irregularly shaped, not "wetting out" the entire solder pad on the PCB), you may want to remove the old solder (desoldering braid or a "solder sucker" works well for this purpose) and make a fresh joint. It's a bit tedious to do, but should only take maybe 30 minutes, more or less.

Something else to look for is any possible areas where the signal could be "grounding out". For example, be sure that the tips of your jacks and their solder tabs are not contacting other metal surfaces, including solder joints on the back of the board. You should also make sure that the excess component leads are trimmed down as close as possible to the top of their respective solder joints on the PCB. Protruding leads can also short out against grounded surfaces, like the backs of the control pots.

And all the above stuff can be done without benefit of a multimeter or signal tester....

Thank you both very much for your time and your help.

I went back over the caps and resistors (this time in the daylight) and discovered a red band that should've been orange.
Turns out I had a 120ohm resister where it should've been 100k. Oops.

So yeah, changed that out and we have fuzzy goodness!

Thanks again for your help... I feel a lot better now.