Greetings & Debugging

[simonrichie]

Hello all,

I just started building and so far nothing works. At the moment I'm working on a test box. I built it once, it didn't work, I gutted it and desoldered everything and built it again. It still doesn't work. I've read the debugging links, instructions, R.G.'s stuff, etc. I am getting a reading on all ground connections. From here, I don't know what to do. How would I find a short or check for a bad solder connection or a faulty component? (I assume those are the next steps.)

1.What does it do, not do, and sound like? - It is dead.

2.Name of the circuit - "Test Box 2.0" from TagBoardEffects.com. (There is no schematic, only photos and text instructions.)

3.Source of the circuit - http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/09/test-box-20.html

4.Any modifications to the circuit? Y or N: No.

5.Any parts substitutions? - Only 1. That box was built in a plastic enclosure. I built mine in aluminum. I put heat shrink around the speaker lugs to isolate them from the enclosure. (Do I have to isolate the toggle switches or jacks as well? They have metal washers, so I assume not.)

6.Positive ground to negative ground conversion? - No.

7.Turn your meter on, set it to the 10V or 20V scale. Remove the battery from the battery clip. Probe the battery terminals with the meter leads before putting it in the clip. What is the out of circuit battery voltage? => There is no battery clip, just a DC jack, which gets ZERO reading.

-Simon

[Fender3D]

=> There is no battery clip, just a DC jack, which gets ZERO reading.

Hi Simon welcome to the forum.

If you don't connect any power supply to what's "just a DC jack", how is it supposed to work?

[simonrichie]

I must've typed that wrong. I connected power to the DC jack. But I was getting no reading from my DMM at that jack.

However I finally figured it out. The METAL bolts I was using to connect the speaker terminal to the enclosure were shorting it out.

(Can someone explain that to me? The speaker terminal is made of plastic.)

[simonrichie]

WTF?!

I bought nylon nuts and bolts. Put them in, box doesn't work. Take them out, it does. The moment the bolt, of either material, touches that aluminum enclosure, game over.

1. Can I just glue the speaker terminal to the enclosure?

2. Why is this happening?