What am I doing wrong!

[mrmet5]

Hey guys,

So i built this Rangemaster clone last week and after some initial minor problems I got it to working; but only with a power supply. When I use a battery, however, it still kinda works but with lower volume and no LED. When I attach the snap directly to the LED legs it lights up. I tried 3 different battery snaps (with new batteries) and DC jacks but to no avail.

Now, my 3PDT wiring (which I always use without problems, including other PNP positive-ground circuits) doesn't have -9V coming in, but upon looking around I noticed some other wiring methods do.

Could this be why? I've been working on this for a few days now and I'm about to give up.. Thanks in advance!

[FiveseveN]

DEBUGGING - What to do when it doesn't work

[GGBB]

I don't know specifically which DC jack you are using, but the wiring doesn't look right to me. I think the ones that have three terminals have in internal switch that disconnects one of them from a second one when the power plug is inserted. It looks like you have some parts of your circuit (positive grounds?) connected to one of the two terminals and other parts connected to the second one, which means your circuit is wired differently when power is connected vs. unconnected/battery.

For a positive ground circuit using a positive ground power supply, you should have the battery negative ONLY connected to the DC jack terminal that gets disconnected when the plug is inserted (you appear to have it connected to the unswitched terminal), the negative voltage input to the circuit connected to the other terminal that is switched, and the positive ground of the circuit as well as the battery positive connected to the third terminal (you appear to have these connected to the other terminals).

In order to be sure about this, we would need a schematic, a pinout for the DC jack, and the polarity of your DC power supply plug.

[duck_arse]

nice build method.

like they ^ say, show your circuit and post your voltages. looking at your photo, it seems you have the red battery wire to the Anode of the protection diode, and the black battery wire to the Kathode of same diode. this will short your battery and protect your circuit. but I don't think it's what you want, really.

[mrmet5]

Thank you thank you thank you!!

That was it: for some reason I "looped" the ground at the two positive lugs on the DC jack and it was shorting it when the jack switch was on. Because it was working fine with the power supply I just kept thinking other things. Needless to say I am pretty embarrassed that for as long as I tried to troubleshoot this didn't even cross my mind. But I learned, and I actually wrote it down so I won't forget next time.

Now the pedal works both with the battery and the power supply. Again, thank you so much guys for helping me out!!!

[Phend]

Cool looking point to point.
See thru case, able to appreciate the art work inside.
I like it.

[GibsonGM]

That really IS nicely done   Just don't wave it around under bar lights or you'll sound like Beck in "Blow Up"  he he he