Help me finish a EA Tremelo!!!

[dave neuleib]

Don't have the 3-1uf film caps needed to complete this project. I have either the upright radial 1uf caps or the ones that lay down like a resistor. I know the upright have a + and-, how could I find which way to install these and would they be compatible?? If these won't work would the others?? I know they are big but I can get them to fit if they would be compatible? I believe these could be installed without worrying about + or-?? Please let me know your thoughts or should I use my patience and just wait until I can get the film caps. Also how do I know which direction to install the

[dave neuleib]

Also how do I know how to install transistor lugs the correct direction??  Thanks again!!

[dave neuleib]

I found in DIY FAQ that I could use radial caps I have if installed with positive lug towards the higer voltage side of board. It says to check voltage with a meter---but how do I do that??? Do I have to have everything else completed on pedal and install battery and then check voltage on both sides of board??? Or where can I read how to check voltage?? I also figured out how transistor pinouts. Can anybody answer this???

[R.G.]

Don't have the 3-1uf film caps needed to complete this project.

Which version of the project? Original or "improved"?

I have either the upright radial 1uf caps or the ones that lay down like a resistor. I know the upright have a + and-, how could I find which way to install these and would they be compatible?? If these won't work would the others?? I know they are big but I can get them to fit if they would be compatible? I believe these could be installed without worrying about + or-?? Please let me know your thoughts or should I use my patience and just wait until I can get the film caps. Also how do I know which direction to install the

Electro caps will not work if installed backwards - that is, with the - side at a higher voltage than the + side. They will conduct current, instead of blocking it. If they have a + and/or - indicator on them, the voltage polarity must be obeyed; other wise, you will be back asking why your EA Trem is complete but doesn't work right.

I found in DIY FAQ that I could use radial caps I have if installed with positive lug towards the higer voltage side of board. It says to check voltage with a meter---but how do I do that??? Do I have to have everything else completed on pedal and install battery and then check voltage on both sides of board???

If you were experienced at electronics you could probably tell by looking at the schematic which had a higher voltage. I decided that it probably wasn't fair to just say that and leave you with it, so I went out and searched out the variations and found that the three 1uFs could only be the same ones in all varieties. In this case, only the cap connected to the transistor collector is likely to always have a proper DC bias on it.

But yes, the general right answer is to inspect the circuit, including by powering it, and measuring the voltage.

Or where can I read how to check voltage??

Right here. You take your Digital Multi Meter, plug the red lead into the "+" hole and the black lead into the "-" hole; then set the meter to volts DC, then probe the two places you want to measure between. The meter reads both the voltage and its polarity.

I have a feeling you're going to post that you don't have a meter. There is really very little debugging you can do without a meter. If you build more effects, count on getting one.

But there is a way out. You can take two polarized caps, connect them positive to positive, and use the negative leads as the leads of your new non-polarized cap. This is an ugly and space-inefficient dodge, but it does work. Take two of your 1uF radials, twist and solder the + leads together. Now stick the - leads into the cap holes and solder the composite cap in. It will act like a 1uF non-polarized. Do this for each of the other places for a 1uF cap.

[dave neuleib]

Please correct me if I am wrong(more than likely) 1. I am building the GGG Improved EA Tremelo with boost switch 2. Does the + side of electro cap go towards the collector pin side of the transistor as I trace circiut back 3. Will electo caps installed correctly be as efficient as film caps 4. Will the 2 electro caps soldered together be as efficient as 1 film or 1 electro cap 5. I do have a meter(smile)   Thanks for your time

[R.G.]

2. Does the + side of electro cap go towards the collector pin side of the transistor as I trace circiut back

Yes.

3. Will electo caps installed correctly be as efficient as film caps

No. their tolerance is often as bad as +80%/-20%, and they leak and drift much more. But I thought you wanted to do something now.

4. Will the 2 electro caps soldered together be as efficient as 1 film or 1 electro cap

Depends on what you mean by efficient. It will get you going right now while you wait for the films. That is the process I recommend - do what you can right now while you wait for the perfect parts to come. But the two-capcacitor gimmick only corrects the polarity issues, not the tolerance and drift issues. It's certainly better than 1 electro cap, which really need a polarizing voltage across them. They don't work well or live long with a pure-AC/no-DC voltage across them.

5. I do have a meter

Kewl. You're gonna need that at some point. Lots of people arrive here with only a soldering iron and a pair of cutters. 

[dave neuleib]

I found (3) caps, the caps are blue in color and marked 1.0K 100VCMC.  The package says they are 1-0MFD-100V Radial/Mylar. I'm confused with the 1.0K marking on the cap?? I assume this means 1000nf which equals 1uf/MFD. (1) Is this the correct size cap  (2) Is Mylar film an acceptable material vs. metal film for this application (3) Thanks again for your time

[R.G.]

I found (3) caps, the caps are blue in color and marked 1.0K 100VCMC.  The package says they are 1-0MFD-100V Radial/Mylar. I'm confused with the 1.0K marking on the cap?? I assume this means 1000nf which equals 1uf/MFD. (1) Is this the correct size cap  (2) Is Mylar film an acceptable material vs. metal film for this application (3) Thanks again for your time

Those will do fine. The 1.0 means 1uF, the "K" means 10% tolerance, I believe. It's the correct size, Mylar film is actually "metallized mylar film" and will work OK.
You're welcome and yell if you have more problems.

[dave neuleib]

Thanks for your help R.G.----Up and running 1st try (must be beginers luck).