eliminating stereo jacks and batteries

[ethrbunny]

Im trying to understand how the 9v battery into the stereo jack works. From some of the schematics Ive looked at it appears that this is the only place that the circuit gets power! Does this imply that the input is 9V DC + whatever tiny AC signal the instrument provides? How does the DC make it past the input cap?

In any event I don't mess around with batteries. With 2 children and numerous loud toys in my house I do anything I can to eliminate batteries. I use a 9V plug for all my boxes. Given this - is there a straightforward way to swap the stereo jacks for mono jacks in my effects? Such that the circuit still gets power? I was looking at the "bazz fuss" on home-wrecker as an example.

[Hailstorm350]

The one thing I understand about stompboxes is this:
the +9v or -9v dc is tied to the stereo jack because when you plug a normal 1/4" plug into it, the - or +9v is being put into ground, because there isn't a second channel, just ground.
so the pedal won't turn on unless there is a plug in that jack.  Get it?
hope that helps, I might draw a diagram if you would like me to.

[Narcosynthesis]

the negative from the battery goes to the ground, and the positive goes to all the +9v points on the circuit
the ground on the circuit is the same as the sleeve connection on the jack, so you can use a stereo jack to only connect the batterys negative to the ground (and complete the circuit) when a jack is put in place, as if you insert a mono jack into a stereo plug, the sleeve connection will connect the sleeve and ring on the plug

if you want to get rid of batterys all together, you would need to swap the battery for your dc jack, and for the jack just use a mono jack with the dc negative connected to the sleeve connection (ie ground)

David

[ethrbunny]

Ah so. The light of comprehension is upon me.  I was thinking that the extra lead on the jack would connect to the tip.. not the ground.. ahhhhh...

Thank you.

[Paul Marossy]

98% of my pedals do not use a battery. I hate messin' around with replacing batteries, and some effects eat them real quick (like a digital delay, or analog for that matter). Besides, at like $3.00 each, that would be expensive to replace all the batteries in my 30 or so pedals!

EDIT: Not to mention that several of my guitars use 9V batteries as well.  :wink: