How can I test a circuit with alligator clips?

[jobrien781]

Usually I skip testing and it goes strait in to a box. But since I'm trying mods and different circuits I want to make sure I'm happy with the results. How can I connect my circuit with alligator clips to input, output, ground and a 9 volt battery and plug my guitar in and try it out?

[R.G.]

I would solder jacks and power/battery clips onto wires onto the circuit board, and skip the alligator clips.

[pappasmurfsharem]

I would solder jacks and power/battery clips onto wires onto the circuit board, and skip the alligator clips.

Agreed, I've done this a ton and its such a PITA to use clips alone and your almost certainly going to lose one and not realize it till its too late.

What I did was create a test box from a badly drilled enclosure.

It has a DC jack.
With a cut green alligator clip soldered to of the DC Jack.
A Cut Red Clip soldered the the V+ of the DC Jack
An input and output jack wired to a DPDT for effect on/truebypass.
The board in and out on the DPDT has a half alligator clip on each side labeled in and out.
Each cut clip is about 6" long.

Edit: Like This.

[jobrien781]

Thanks guys. I ended up just soldering the jacks and battery as a temporary solution. But the test box was what I was originally after. I think I will build one soon.

[Keeb]

I built a similar box with alligator clips for "in", "out", "voltage" and "ground". I found these (http://www.musikding.de/Solder-terminal-1mm)... Perfect for soldering to the pads and then hook the circuit up. You could just go with "standing jumpers" from wires/resistor leads (or whatever) instead.
The upside with using the terminals is that they're sturdy and you can just soldes the wires straight on them when mounting the circuit.

They're not really handy for modding a circuit though, that's what breadboards and sockets are for... But it helps when you want to make sure a curcuit works before squeezing it into an enclosure. I find the ability to switch between bypass and effect is good for checking unity gain. Before, I would solder the effect as always on and then redo the wiring (unless I felt confident).

[Jdansti]

^ +1. That's what I do. I have in/out jacks mounted on one side of my breadboard and slots to drop pots in. I just set my PCB on my breadboard and clip the alligators to the posts on the board and to the jacks, pots, power and ground.