My first circuit... or not

[Joel H]

Hi everyone, I'm new to pedal building and tried to build my first simple circuit using this picture.



In place of vero board, which i couldn't get at the store, I soldered lines down the holes to connect the components.
It should be simple, but all i get is a terrible 50Hz hum from my amp. What am I doing wrong, save terrible soldering skills?


Whole circuit > http://i.imgur.com/GEtDfZw.jpg
Back of board > http://i.imgur.com/vXpHiY8.jpg (I checked, no solder bridges)
9V socket > http://i.imgur.com/f1612KM.jpg
2 mono jacks > http://i.imgur.com/b99e7PD.jpg

It'd be really great if someone could tell me what I'm doing wrong

[Fast Pistoleros]

never mind lol ..I was wrong

[smallbearelec]

Hi--

You tried to use pad-per-hole perfboard to duplicate a build that was designed for stripboard. That's a sure way for errors in wiring to get in. I strongly suggest that you either:

--get a piece of veroboard so that you can duplicate the build as it is drawn or

--find a build for this kind of one-transistor boost that is geared for pad-per-hole perfboard. Here's an article that shows how to breadboard a JFET boost:

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BreadboardBareAss/BreadboardBareAss.htm

Runoffgroove.com also has perfboard builds; see the article on the Fetzer Valve.

Some notes on avoiding "Beginner Blues":

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BeginnerArticle/BeginnerDos.htm

[Jdansti]

Welcome!

I see two component leads that might not be soldered properly. They appear to have poor or no solder joints. Constructive criticism: you need to practice your soldering. This is a very good video on how to solder. You'll see in this video how to properly heat component leads to get a good solder joint. Keep at it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkkfK937mU

[Joel H]

Thanks for the tips. Checked the links out, and I still have a lot to learn!

Anyway, I connected two wires wrong (the ground and the output). But after correcting this, I get a shrill whistling noise instead of hum. Seems like I'll have to start from scratch with veroboard and solder carefully then!

[deadastronaut]

you could always try tagboard....

or a tiny piece of wood with pins in it...very old school..

just to get it going..

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/alembic-stratoblaster.html

[lethargytartare]

Like jdansti I see soem component solder problems you might check first:

R1's wire-side leg looks like it might not be soldered in -- give it a wiggle and see if that's actually loose at that point. You might want to reflow that

R2's pot-side leg may not be fully connecting to the wire to the pot.  I'd resolder that spot.

You might also have your transistor backwards -- different manufacturers can sometimes have different pinouts, so when you're starting out, you should get into the habit of using sockets whenever you can.  Reduces the risk of overheating and wrecking components (which is easier when you're just learning how to solder), and makes it easier to flip things around if you make mistakes.

My dad's advice that got me started soldering was to find old electronics other people have pitched.  Rip them open and you can get nice big circuit boards to practice on.  Usual warning about capacitors that can harm you, though -- read up on the types of electronics whose capacitors could hold enough charge to hurt you, and how to discharge them. (if you're nervous about that, go to ebay, get some bags of random resistors for dirt cheap, and some pad-per-hole board, and practice away!

Small projects like this are also perfect for learning how to breadboard.  You can get a small board and a kit of wires for 5 bucks, and then build and test a board like this pretty quickly.  THEN you have a working reference when you go to solder it up.

Last thing before you tear it up:  read the sticky in this forum on "what to do..."  You should give us your voltages on the tranny -- that might help identify the problem. 

[PRR]

> I soldered lines down the holes

I have no objection to bare-boarding a strip-board layout, as long as you add the "strips" AND make the "cuts". (Which IS an additional challenge for a starter project.)

That image is blurry, but I see a "cut" under C2, and it sure looks like it needs cuts under C1 R3 R2 R1 also.

[moid]

This is a very good video on how to solder. You'll see in this video how to properly heat component leads to get a good solder joint. Keep at it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkkfK937mU

Thanks very much, that taught me (another beginner) a few things

[Jdansti]

This is a very good video on how to solder. You'll see in this video how to properly heat component leads to get a good solder joint. Keep at it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpkkfK937mU

Thanks very much, that taught me (another beginner) a few things

You're welcome. I think it should be required viewing for beginners and veterans as well.

[MrStab]

Welcome aboard, Joel.

Wat whattage (ha) is your soldering iron, what kinda solder are you using, and how long did you hold the iron above each part as you soldered it in?

just asking because the texture of the solder in your pics reminds me of back when i was learning soldering basics, and wound up heating some lead-free solder until it absorbed molten plastic (i assume) and became unworkable. i've also had similar issues the time i accidentally bought plumbing solder (in an electronics shop!).

videos & practice will do more than a coupla statements, but the things that helped me click the most were "heat up the pad first" and "feed the solder into the iron, not vice-versa". no point heating up your solder if it's gonna land on a significantly-colder pad!

if you keep at it, even if you have to start from scratch or ask more questions, you WILL succeed. i know because you've taken the step of trying in the first place.

good luck!

[Joel H]

Wat whattage (ha) is your soldering iron, what kinda solder are you using, and how long did you hold the iron above each part as you soldered it in?

Hey! I'm using a 60W iron that plugs into the wall, and tin/lead. The tip is in pretty bad condition, and I haven't been using flux or soldering paste, so my solder was pretty viscous and semi-solid. I just bought a tin of this (http://perfectmiddleeast.com/content/images/thumbs/0000682_soldering-grease.jpeg) and it's working wonders. The tin just fills up where the grease was.

Anyway, I took the whole thing apart, redoing some wiring and using a breadboard instead. For the first time, I heard a twang instead of a buzzing hum I'll be transferring it to a veroboard or stripboard soon.

http://i.imgur.com/jHpuUIr.jpg

I'm not sure if its working 100% as its supposed to, but there's still a pretty noticeable humming especially when I turn the pot to a 8/10 or 9/10 (around the 4 o clock position). Any ideas on how to minimise this by adding or removing components?

Do you guys remember the first time you got your circuits to work? Feels great.

Cheers,
Joel

[lethargytartare]

I found two demos of diy stratoblasters (can't guarantee they're the same designs), so you can go listen to their results and see if you're getting the same output.  It doesn't seem that "twang" is the goal of this pedal Try taking that DC jack out of the equation, and power your breadboarded build with just a battery.  Maybe even take the LED out just to get down to the barebone circuit.  Also, post your voltages.

Keep it up!

[PRR]

> I'm using a 60W iron
> I haven't been using flux

That's like playing guitar with vice-grips and a paint-scraper.

You MUST! use flux, electronic flux (rosin).

Copper gets tarnish. Even invisibly thin tarnish rejects solder.

Typically we use a FOR ELECTRONICS solder of the right tin/lead blend, small diameter, and rosin flux inside.

Iron size/power proportional to work. Too small won't melt solder, too large cooks the work.

60W is fine for large work like stained-glass caming or heavy house wires (except we no longer use solder on house-wire). I keep a 45W for *large* electronic work, octal sockets and such. For just transistors and chips plus the odd jack, 27W-35W is a better size. Much small work can be done with a 15W, though 1/4" jacks are a challenge.

[pinkjimiphoton]

you could always try tagboard....

or a tiny piece of wood with pins in it...very old school..

just to get it going..

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/alembic-stratoblaster.html

i've even used pieces of cardboard as a circuit board. my first foray, the burnt toastie overdrive was literally a couple components stuck thru holes in a piece of cornflakes box and connected on the other side. still have it, still works.

you'd be surprised how much mileage you can get with a couple pieces of vero. great to see ya make the plunge. rock on, man