Help identify mystery board

Started by lethargytartare, April 08, 2024, 10:44:22 AM

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lethargytartare

I got this from a fellow DIYStomper years ago when we were swapping random parts and projects.  He had gotten it the same way, so neither of us knows exactly what it is.  It didn't come with any offboard components wired.  I've done my best to render it in a vero diagram (DIY Layout Creator 4.37) -- there really aren't a lot of components -- and have looked at a lot of schematics but so far haven't found anything that seems very close.  There's always a chance this is an experiment that started with something small and then grew and never worked...but I'm hoping it might just be a few offboard components away from being something useable.  Finding the origin would be fun.

Based on the diodes arranged off the secondary coil, and the involvement of the transformer, I really suspect this is some kind of octave up circuit.  But after comparing quite a few diagrams, nothing has quite lined up beyond those diodes.

Included below are pictures of the board front, board back (tops consistent, so left and right will be flipped), a pic of the vero, and if anyone wants the DIY file I can send that to you.

The green "wires" in the diagram are guesses based on solder on the trace side of the board -- they may not be correct.

Any thoughts or suggestions (e.g. ideas where input, output and 9v might go) welcome!

Happy Eclipse, all!










GibsonGM

To my eye, quick 'review', it looks like an octave up.   :icon_cool:
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R.G.

You and Gibson are right - it's an octave up. It's the transformer version, with the transistor driving the transformer primary, then full wave rectifying the secondary voltage.

Best guesses for wires:
upper left, going down >> +9v; gnd; input gnd; input
upper right, going down >> ???weird, don't know, maybe something to do with the LED; output; ??? oughta be output ground, I don't see the connection.

Are the cuts shown right?
R.G.

In response to the questions in the forum - PCB Layout for Musical Effects is available from The Book Patch. Search "PCB Layout" and it ought to appear.

Kevin Mitchell

Don't need me here to agree.
If it weren't for those diodes I would had guess a home-brew wah.
-I haven't yet seen an octave pedal so small/simple, as a standalone at least.
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marmora


R.G.

Could well be. That would explain that funny LED/resistor thing on the output.
R.G.

In response to the questions in the forum - PCB Layout for Musical Effects is available from The Book Patch. Search "PCB Layout" and it ought to appear.

lethargytartare

Thanks guys!!  I'm going back over it now and will report back!

lethargytartare

#7
Ok, so I think there's little doubt it's the psychtar.  So far found one vero that isn't a precise match, but the parts match.  So I think I'm going to verify the board against the schematic and see if this sucker works!


lethargytartare

Quote from: marmora on April 09, 2024, 11:41:19 PMPsychtar?


Yup...and my memory is rapidly becoming suspect, but I'm 99.99% sure I got this from you in one of our "stuff for stuff" trades lol

I think this is everything.  Hope to test it this weekend.





lethargytartare

Ok, so all success!  I need to put a new tran in there -- in this vid you'll see I had to jam it around when things would cut out, so I just need to solder better legs on, or wait to get a hold of a replacement -- but the board appears to be solid, and the help above was great!  Thanks again, guys!

Advance apologies for my guitar playing eek!

Testing the Psychtar