pcb question

[siaoguitar]

Hi, i am building my own proco rats

check this board: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/rodentpl.gif
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/rodent_pcb.pdf

but i am not using a RTS pcb,just a normal plain pcb .so how do i do the patche that is on the top right hand corner of the pcb?the one with 3 wires connecting to it?

[Jason Stout]

I don't understand, can you post a link to a "normal plain pcb" ?

[Thomas P.]

RTS means ready to solder which means the board is etched and drilled. Do you mean by plain copper an unetched board? Well then you have to etch it first to make it a PCB (which means printed copper board).

[bwanasonic]

Do you mean you are using perf? You can glob those three wires together with solder by heating them all at once if thats the case.

Kerry M

[siaoguitar]

i bought the plain pcb with lots of holes and no copper tape on the opposite side,do i need to buy copper tape to lay on the underside as per the diagrams?
Or can i use just wires and wire them just like the copper tracks?

[markr04]

i bought the plain pcb with lots of holes and no copper tape on the opposite side,do i need to buy copper tape to lay on the underside as per the diagrams?
Or can i use just wires and wire them just like the copper tracks?

I'm still a newbie and I understand what you're getting at.

The 'pcb' you're speaking of... lots of holes, probably copper 'donuts' around those holes, is not called a PCB. It's called a 'perfboard'. It's mostly what I use too.

On the other boards (PCBs): That's not copper tape. That side of the board was once coated with copper. Then, by one of two processes, the board is "etched". Meaning that a chemical process removed all of the copper except what the designer intended.

Those 'tracks' are called 'traces'.

Yes, you can use wires as a substitute for traces. I use the left over metal leads from resistors instead. Bending them around and such is easy and no wires to strip. With the really complex ones though, it's almost not
worth it. Make the non-copper-holed side the "top" of your board and stick your components through it so that the leads are coming out on the other side. Make all your traces there. Solder carefully. Use copper braid along with your iron to clean up botched solder points.

Start very simple, like a booster or something.

I hope this helps you.

[bwanasonic]

Check out Aron's NPN boost project pictorial :

http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginner/build/npnboostbuild.htm


Kerry M

[siaoguitar]

so i guess i will solder all three wires together huh?
bwanasonic, hope you are right, i will try it out and see
or should i meltsomesolder the shape of a triangle for the three wires like in the rts diagram?

[Jason Stout]

bwanasonic is right, just solder them together, no triangle needed. I strongly suggest reading as much as you can on the beginner project page, (it shows how to go from schematic to effect using perfboard) you might save yourself some time.

[siaoguitar]

so jason , how abt this
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/mixer_lo.gif
so do i solder all thw wires on the top right hand?

[Jason Stout]

so jason , how abt this
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/mixer_lo.gif
so do i solder all thw wires on the top right hand?

Yes, That is correct. After those wires are connected, all you need to do is connect at least one of them to the rest of the circuit, in this case you have C6, C7, R11, R14, and IC1.

By the way, this point in the circuit is the "common" or ground point.

[bwanasonic]

should i meltsomesolder the shape of a triangle for the three wires like in the rts diagram?

Luckily the shape doesn't matter when soldering parts together! It's the same as if you twisted the leads all together and soldered them as one wire.

Kerry M