3PDT for true-bypass and power??

[stumper1]

I just saw a layout for a pedal (rangemaster type treble booster) that used a 3PDT switch. The switch is wired for true bypass and uses the other contacts to connect/disconnect the battery (no LED).  Has anyoned ever tried this?

[Alex C]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=530.0

This topic is addressed in this thread.
I've not done this myself, but it sounds logical enough: when switching power on and off with each stomp of the switch, you can get pops, clicks, and other problems like delays in "powering up."

Assuming you can get them where you live, it's simple enough to use a stereo jack to switch the battery off when not in use, as seen on most projects on www.generalguitargadgets.com .

-Alex

[petemoore]

  Switching the power with the Bypass switch Will make Pops like crazzy, I don't think there's a fix for it, not an easy one @@ny rate.
  Just getting an LED indicator to function on a Rangemaster using the stereo input jack/mono plug power switching method, and not cause pops was a recent thread topic, yesterday IIRC. The surge of current when the LED pulls it to light, throws a voltage spike through the input jack switch that makes a pop.

[stumper1]

Thanks for the input. The concept seemed like a recipe for POPS. I am going to e-mail the designer and see what he has to say.

[Mark Hammer]

If you have any sort of supply smoothing capacitor (e.g., 100uf cap between V+ and ground) you run the risk of a turn-on delay when switching to the effect.  irritating.

[zachary vex]

if there was some way to make it power up before the switch was depressed, that might work.  8^)

the best thing to do is make sure your pedals don't draw too much current!  i try to stay below 15mA on everything. 

[petemoore]

  if there was some way to make it power up before the switch was depressed, that might work.
  The same way I installed a new brake light switch right on the brake pedal [use at own risk].
  A momentary switch, springy mounted, when foot presses on the brake pedal the momentary switch completes the new brake light circuit...I wasn't into 'windchill' automotive electronics debugging, I just made a new circuit.
  Anyway, silly as all this is...have a momentary switch on a spring, press lightly to charge the caps, press harder to chain the effect [nonbypass mode] and latching switch the other power circuit source...the third row of the 3pdt takes over supplying V+ from the momentary switch.

[JimRayden]

Congrats on the big round number of 9999, pete. One number more and it won't be so big of a number, it'll be the smallest number of 5-digit ones.


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Jimbo

[pedaltastic]

I can see that the advantage of the 3PDT power set up is that you can have a pedal board permanently linked up. But as well as the disadvantage of pops and things, with no LED there is surely the problem of leaving your pedal on and draining the battery?

[stumper1]

I can see that the advantage of the 3PDT power set up is that you can have a pedal board permanently linked up. But as well as the disadvantage of pops and things, with no LED there is surely the problem of leaving your pedal on and draining the battery?

My reason for posting the question in the first place. So far, I don't see any "good" reason for this set-up. The layout I saw uses no LED so there is no indication of power status.

Is it reasonable to think that a germanium transistor may take a while to "stabalize" after the circuit is powered up?