Custom Sparkle Boost - connections

[Outlaws]

I am adding a SPST toggle to turn the battery on and off.  See the diagram I modded.  It will connect and disconnect the ground to the battery.  I think that sould work just like the guitar input.

Now if I wanted to make it also control the AC adaptor could I run the green (I assume its ground) in the same path as the batter so it is disconnected from the ground via the SPST switch?  Or is there some reason that won't work?

Also notice I am adding a second LED so I show the power is on, but will also change to the other color when the pedal is engauged.

Is there a way I could get teh power LED to stay on full time?


Sorry is these are noob questions but it all is greatly apprieciated help.  Thanks.

[bigjonny]

I am adding a SPST toggle to turn the battery on and off.  See the diagram I modded.  It will connect and disconnect the ground to the battery.  I think that sould work just like the guitar input.

Yes, 'tis true, but seems a bit of duplication of effort.  The whole point of using a stereo jack at the input is to make the powering of the pedal seamless to the user.  If you use a SPST for this purpose, I'd suggest foregoing the stereo jack.  It's bad user-interface to make the user have to do two things to power up a 9V pedal.  Confusing, at best.

Now if I wanted to make it also control the AC adaptor could I run the green (I assume its ground) in the same path as the batter so it is disconnected from the ground via the SPST switch?  Or is there some reason that won't work?

I'm really unsure as to why you'd want to do this, but assuming you took my advice above, the battery's (-) would be hard-wired to the DC jack's ground.  Join those two items at the SPST, then attach the the other end to the input jack.  There's other ways to do it, but that is one way.

Also notice I am adding a second LED so I show the power is on, but will also change to the other color when the pedal is engauged.

Is there a way I could get teh power LED to stay on full time?

Again, I have to ask, "why?".  If your pedal is off (bypassed), its confusing to have an LED illuminated.  If you were toggling between two diferent gain settings, that is understandable, b/c you are never bypassing.  At any rate, they make bicolor LEDs with 3 leads: two hot; one ground.  Use one of those.  Apply power to one hot lead in one position, and vice versa and the LED appears to change color.

[petemoore]

If you put ground to the center lug of the 3PDT, either side can be used to make/break LED circuit on either side, you just need to have V+ go through limiting resistor and LED through to ground on either side of the switch.
 IOW if you were running one LED, you'd have a switch lug open...use that lug to the second LED>limiting R> V+ like the one LED has.

[Outlaws]

Thanks.  I am still a bit confused at a lot of lingo but I think I get it.

1.  Wire the battery to the AC connections as use the SPST to break the ground on that leading to the input.  (I am probably going to use mono since I have 3 of them and no stereos at the moment)

2.  No clue.  But I think if I just run a second wire from one of the LED lugs so that one is only one when the pedal is boosting, and then the other would be on when the power is on and stil be on when the pedal is boosting, that should work.



Now for another question.

A store around me has the NTE458.  What different type of characteristics does it produce than the J201?

[Outlaws]

I have to ask, "why?".  If your pedal is off (bypassed), its confusing to have an LED illuminated.

I tend to forget to unplug my pedals and I would like a LED to say remind me I am loosing money while it is on.

[GreenEye]

A store around me has the NTE458.  What different type of characteristics does it produce than the J201?

When I went to Circuit Specialists here in Phoenix, I asked for a J201, they said that's an old type of transistor; however, a company buys up old transistors (like J201s), takes the old markings off, and renames them.  I guess NTE458 is an example of this, or it is a modern equivalent.  I got one from them and it sounded really good.

[bigjonny]

I have to ask, "why?".  If your pedal is off (bypassed), its confusing to have an LED illuminated.

I tend to forget to unplug my pedals and I would like a LED to say remind me I am loosing money while it is on.

Fair enough.  Methinks you would only need this switch for the battery, and not the DC jack, but I suppose it is easy enough to do it for both.

If you put ground to the center lug of the 3PDT, either side can be used to make/break LED circuit on either side, you just need to have V+ go through limiting resistor and LED through to ground on either side of the switch.
IOW if you were running one LED, you'd have a switch lug open...use that lug to the second LED>limiting R> V+ like the one LED has.

Ah.  Nice one.  I was thinking along those lines, but didn't have enough clarity of thought to come up with that.

Anyhow, if I understand correctly, and you just want a "power on" LED in addition to the standard "effect on/off" LED, then run V+ to the SPST.    From the other side of the SPST, wire a 2k7 resistor.  From the 2k7 resistor, run power to both LEDs.  Then, use the stompswitch (as normal) to manipulate the ground connection of the "effect on/off" LED.

[Outlaws]

(V+  =  positive voltage?)

So run the green line from the AC adaptor to the SPST, and then to the LEDs & the guitar input or anopther ground of my choosing.  Then that will allow the SPST to control the power on LED, and the flow of current from the battery and AC adaptor.  ?  I think I get this.  So even if the guitar is left plugged in, the power will not be getting sucked from my battery or the adaptor?  Then where do I conenct the battery negative?

Okay.

Now as for the resistor, I read its better to connect to a seperate resistor for each LED.  Any truth to that?

[bigjonny]

(V+  =  positive voltage?)

Yulp.

So run the green line from the AC adaptor to the SPST, and then to the LEDs...

Almost.  Green is actually ground in that case.  Looking at the above diagram, you'd hook up a SPST first thing from the right/middle red line on the DC jack (the "fuzzy" red line).  Then hook everything else on the other side of the SPST.  The SPST will then stop power from flowing anywhere in the circuit.

Now as for the resistor, I read its better to connect to a seperate resistor for each LED.  Any truth to that?

No idea on this.  No harm in trying 2 resistors.

[bigjonny]

One more note to help: the DC jacks works as a "normally closed" jack.  This means that with nothing inserted into the jack the two red terminals are electrically connected.  When you plug in a wall wart to the jack, in "opens" the connection to between the two terminals, and the battery's + side has noweher to go.  Thus, no power is sucked from the battery and all power is provided by the wall wart.

You are doing the same thing with an SPST.  To cut power for battery only, simply put a SPST in series from the battery's + terminal to the DC jack's terminal.  To stop both battery and wall wart power completely w/ a SPST, place the SPST in series after the right/middle DC jack terminal.

[Dragonfly]

A store around me has the NTE458.  What different type of characteristics does it produce than the J201?

When I went to Circuit Specialists here in Phoenix, I asked for a J201, they said that's an old type of transistor; however, a company buys up old transistors (like J201s), takes the old markings off, and renames them.  I guess NTE458 is an example of this, or it is a modern equivalent.  I got one from them and it sounded really good.

the NTE458 has quite a bit more gain available than the J201....theyre interchangeble, but they sound different, break up differently, and have a small difference inthe amount of boost that you can get out of the circuit....at least thats what "i've" found....the 458 is my favorite fet for this circuit, at least of the ones ive tried.

ymmv,
  andy
  dragonfly fx