More basics - positive grounding (Rangemaster)

[mistahead]

So I knocked around in my box of stuff (finally unpacked enough to find it since my move) and found my Rangemaster circuit in its temp. housing (plastic DAT case to be honest).

I recall that when I built this one I knew of the positive grounding issue and ran it exclusively off of battery however still had the problem that the ground against the sleeve of my cables cause havok along my negative ground chain.

I also recall a mate of mine sending me his vero layout for a MAX1044 converter circuit:
http://img831.imageshack.us/f/posgndpowerconvertermax.jpg/

Is this the sort of thing that is required for every positive ground pedal or am I missing a blatently obvious option such as grounding against something and skipping the lead sleeve ground?

Love the rangemaster (Smallbear is my hero for the NOS can tranny, the wife hates them lol) - just hate not being able to use it in my chain so haven't housed it properly.

[digi2t]

Refer to R.G.'s answer in this thread (third post down); http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=89836.0 .

Should answer your question.

Cheers,
Dino

[johngreene]

The problem with converting a PNP positive ground circuit to a negative ground is that the current return path for the input signal has to travel through the power supply and/or power supply filtering. This tends to pick up noise. The higher the gain the circuit, the more noisy it is.
The fuzzface has an additional 'issue' with this in that it is very sensitive to power supply sagging if the emitter and base are not returned to the same reference. I go into that in more detail here:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=89944.msg767972#msg767972

--john

[mistahead]

Ok - so just to use a bit of active summary to confirm I do have my head around this:
1. Just run it on an isolated power source (battery will suit me fine for instance).
2. Other than that it should be ok, no specific need to pos gnd the circuit itself in "one direction" and then maintain the +tip/-sleeve through the signal chain as the PS's are isolated sources.

Which leads to the following observations from my end being relevant:
1. When running it on the battery along side a neg gnd O.D. pedal also on battery (for instance) it should be fine.
2. Which means that the hot battery/tips/other worry-some things that happen indicate stuff ups in my jack/PS wiring as on the test board without anything else in the chain no shorting was present.

Unless I've had another failure to understand what RG was trying to say (quite possible I am an IT person lol).

Thanks to the collective for pointing me in the correct directions for good info, I just then attempt to clarify in context given my current lack of underlying principals (rapidly diminishing hehe).

[digi2t]

Yeah, in a nutshell, no worries mate. I use PS's for all my pedals. I use a seperate PS for my + gnd pedal and all is well. As long as the power is isolated from other - gnd pedals, everything is good.

Cheers,
Dino