DIY Pedal Will Not Work [PICS Included] - DIY MOD KITS (The Thunderdrive Deluxe)

[haveyouseenhim]

also the last tab on that strip that screws into the box needs to be grounded. that may be your problem

[The_Bloody_Omen]

 Yes the diodes are 1N4148 they just kinda fused together due to the heat.
I also have everything in a box as well. just sayin

Haveyouseenhim:
I tryed to ground the terminal strip by soldering a bare wire over the place where the screw would go and the to the box, like you would a bandaid.

Thank you for you help guys,
5047N

[Jdansti]

Normally, I wouldn't expect the diodes to fuse together. Was this from soldering?  They might be kaput and causing your signal to short to ground when you close the circuit through them with the spst switch. Try replacing them with new unmolested diodes and see if that solves your problem.

[LucifersTrip]

you bought the DMM, but haven't used it for the #1 troubleshooting step...post the voltages of B & C of your transistor and compare to the voltages on the schematic

[The_Bloody_Omen]

Aight, im going to order more diodes and check them schults when I get a meter going.  But im going to take a break and try to build a "simplier" pedal.  Ill post some juicy pics as soon as it works.

Thanks again,
5047N

[J0K3RX]

But im going to take a break and try to build a "simplier" pedal.  Ill post some juicy pics as soon as it works.

Thanks again,
5047N

Oh, I can hardly wait! 

Keep it low voltage bro! Where is the high voltage shock emoticon when you need it? 

In your defense, I looked at the gut shots of the "Thunder Drive" on amplifiedparts.com and now I see where all the crappy little bits of blue wire and the strip came from   looks about like what you put together... Sorry you had to learn with that kit man! 

[Jdansti]

@ 5047N

I just took a peek at the Thunder Drive at Amplified Parts too, and man that's a shame.  After seeing their example, I feel like I might have been a little harsh on you. Sorry about that. 

There must be $15 worth of parts in their $40 kit, and no PCB.  There are some good examples of proper builds on the Pictures Forum.

Also, here's a good video on soldering:

[amplifiedparts]

All the preceding tips on soldering, heat shrink, overheating components etc., are great. I've done a few "do overs" for folks who are new at electronics, and the main culprits, as mentioned by R.G. earlier is wrong orientation of components, especially transistors, soldering technique, and misreading instructions.

On a point to point build in a small enclosure like this kit, paying close attention to the instructions is very important because going back in to make corrections can be difficult. The advantage of point to point constructions is that the terminals are much more durable than the traces and pads on a PCB, and removing components from a PCB can damage or make useless the PCB.  Another problem I've come across with new builders is using lead free solder. It may be politically correct, but can be difficult to work with. If you don't have a soldering iron that gets hot enough, you will end up with many cold solder joints. I never use lead free solder and don't recommend it in general (it has it's place in industrial applications)  but especially for beginners who still have to hone their soldering skills.

As for your specific problem, the transistor may have been damaged by heat.

[Jdansti]

On a point to point build in a small enclosure like this kit, paying close attention to the instructions is very important because going back in to make corrections can be difficult. The advantage of point to point constructions is that the terminals are much more durable than the traces and pads on a PCB, and removing components from a PCB can damage or make useless the PCB. 

As for your specific problem, the transistor may have been damaged by heat.

I have no reason to doubt that Amplified Parts is an honest company who wants their customers to succeed. This is evident by the fact that you've been kind enough to take time to place a post here. If I may provide some friendly constructive criticism...

I have seen PCBs that were mutilated beyond repair by beginners. However, it seems to me that a beginner would have better success stuffing and soldering a PCB provided that the PCB had sufficient spacing between adjacent pads and between the pads and traces. Regarding the problem of damaging the pads, perhaps a PCB with the eyelets that go through the board would be better for beginners.  A PCB also provides a platform to use sockets for transistors, which would help avoid overheating and make it easy to fix a reversed orientation problem.

[The_Bloody_Omen]

Hay can you guys tell whether or not this are humbuckers or single coil pick ups?

http://imgur.com/a/Pwoie

Also does anyone know what wiring it would be?
Again also I build a BYOC leeds fuzz and it works yo! What material would people recommend to put decals on? Waterslide?

Thank you so much,

The_Bloody_Omen