Problems with transistor (2N5133) - Hog's Foot Project

[lomer]

Hey everyone sorry if this has been discussed before I used the search but came up dry. I just started building up the Hogs Foot off Moosapotamus' site.http://www.moosapotamus.net/THINGS/hogsfoot.htm

Anyways after wiring all the input/output and battery etc I'm not getting any sound. I have a feeling that I have screwed up the placement on the 2N5133 because I'm not sure which way the pins are oriented. I searched google for the pinouts and had no luck. Has anyone here built this product and had success? Can probably get some pics up if needed I just finished re-soldering all new jacks and pots etc so I'll see if I have any luck now.

The schematic is here. http://www.muzique.com/schem/mole.gif

Cheers everyone....

[R.G.]

Good thinking - confused pinout is one of the most common problems.

I can't find an exact pinout, but what little I did find indicates it's probably EBC with the pins down, facing the flat side.

Take your multimeter (can't do effects without a multimeter!) and set it to the diode range on the resistance measuring scales. Test for "looks like a diode" from the base to both emitter and collector. That is, conducts the base to emitter and base to collector ways, but not the other directions. If that confirms the  EBC pinout, it's probably correct.

If you're still having problems, read "what to do when it doesn't work" and feed us back the requested information.

[Mark Hammer]

I don't have a 2N5133 datasheet handy either, so I dug up the 2N5133 units I have and measured them (they're from an old Muff Fuzz I cannibalized years ago).  They are the little round button type transistor, which means they have a different pinout than the usual flat-front TO-92 format people are used to.  You will note that they have one little bit of the side (maybe a 45 degree arc of the whole "button") that is flat.  The pin closest to that flat part is the emitter.  The one over from that is base, and the remaining one (over on the other side of the flat part but a bit further back) is the collector.  These transistors will look like you have put them in "backwards", compared to flat-front TO-92 style.

Hope that is clear enough.

[R.G.]

Ah. Thanks Mark. That makes sense. The pinout was referred to as a "to-18 compatible" pin format. But that means the flat will be backwards compared to the stock TO-92. I gotta remember that one.

[Skreddy]

top view

[Phorhas]

I don't have a 2N5133 datasheet handy either, so I dug up the 2N5133 units I have and measured them (they're from an old Muff Fuzz I cannibalized years ago).

Say Mark, do you still have the numbers ?

[Mark Hammer]

Do you mean hfe, or more than that?

[Phorhas]

The more info - the better

[Skreddy]

2N5133's are one device that vary WIDELY, depending on maker, vintage, etc.

If you get INSANELY lucky, you'll find some awesome-sounding units with very high gains (like 500's).

But usually they're found in the 100-200 range.  And generally, newer ones are nothing like the old ones found in early EH effects.

Tip: Get a batch from Small Bear!  He's found a semiconductor maker who had some old Fairchild raw materials and had a big run made of them.  They're nice sounding, but you have to sort them for gain and noise.  The majority of them are decent ~300 gains.  Some are higher, but some are very noisy too.  So just get a bunch and sort them; you'll be rewarded with some of that oldschool EH warmth.

[lomer]

Tip: Get a batch from Small Bear!  He's found a semiconductor maker who had some old Fairchild raw materials and had a big run made of them.  They're nice sounding, but you have to sort them for gain and noise.  The majority of them are decent ~300 gains.  Some are higher, but some are very noisy too.  So just get a bunch and sort them; you'll be rewarded with some of that oldschool EH warmth.

Lucky Me! Happens to be the exact place I ordered them from, just got them in a few days ago.... Cheers for all your help guys but when you say emitter is that the one on the schematic with the arrow? Will try again tonight and see how things go....

[lomer]

You guys ROCK! after resoldering the input/output jacks and a new pot + swapping the orientation of the transistor I was amazed to see this worked! I found it really gave me a thick tone with my bass even without all my preamp etc which I'm used to using. Now that i've actually had some success with my first project I'll start working on true bypass switching + led + housing and post pics when I'm done.