Can I use solder to connect a broken copper circuit?

[Jdansti]

Joker, ya beat me to it by seconds!

[bifbangpow]

here...

awesome. I'm going to try this immediately. Thankyou for helping me understand.

[Cozybuilder]

The only problem with the battery connection shown is the battery will drain. The battery negative lead should be going to the ring of the input jack, not the sleeve of the output jack if you want the battery to be disconnected when you remove the input plug.

[bifbangpow]

Joker, ya beat me to it by seconds!

ok so now that i've wired it up like this, I plugged it in and no sound. What does this mean?

[J0K3RX]

what transistors are you using?

[bifbangpow]

what transistors are you using?

2n5089s

[Jdansti]

What's your battery voltage when connected to the circuit? It may run on low voltage, but it would be good to check it.

[bifbangpow]

What's your battery voltage when connected to the circuit? It may run on low voltage, but it would be good to check it.

9.2

[Jdansti]

Great.

I've traced the wiring and it all appears to be routed properly. I can't see many of the lugs where the wires are connected in close detail, so you'll need to check to make sure you don't have a stray strand of wire shorting between adjacent lugs. Also, I can't see the lugs on the spdt switch, so check that the wires are connected to the correct lugs.

Are you plugging into the input and output jacks as I have them labeled on the photo below?

If all else looks good, check the polarity/direction of the two electrolytic caps and transistors.

[bifbangpow]

Yeah everything looks good as far as I can see.

I should mention I did farm the transistors out of my previous board (which didnt work either).  Is it possible I just need to use fresh transistors?

[Jdansti]

2n5089s aren't super sensitive, but I guess it's possible that you could have fried one or more of them between the two boards.

[bifbangpow]

Well. I'm dumbfounded. I'm hesitant to make a fourth circuit board and end up with the same problem. I'm getting a clean signal now, but no LED light or sound when fx is active. What would you do?

[peterg]

Sockets for transistors and chips save a lot of head aches! Have you tried using an audio probe?

[J0K3RX]

I have eyeball checked all of the resistors and they all appear to be the correct values. Same with the caps and they all appear to be ok and the two electros are correct with the polarity... doesn't leave much besides Q1-Q6 which I am suspicious of where did you get the transistors from? If you have others I would try them... You could use an audio probe as peterg suggested

[Jdansti]

^I agree, but the LED is still a mystery. It's either blown or in backwards. Maybe the two issues (LED and no effect) are separate.

Try connecting a resistor of any value between 1k and 10k to either leg of the resistor and then connect a 9v battery to the two components minding the correct polarity. If you connect it correctly and it doesn't light up, the LED is bad. BTW -use alligator clips if you've got them.

[J0K3RX]

Might check all of the caps in the signal path, I have had a few bad ones from time to time and they can be frustrating..

[bifbangpow]

I have eyeball checked all of the resistors and they all appear to be the correct values. Same with the caps and they all appear to be ok and the two electros are correct with the polarity... doesn't leave much besides Q1-Q6 which I am suspicious of where did you get the transistors from? If you have others I would try them... You could use an audio probe as peterg suggested

I do have others. I've had those old transistors for awhile. dont remember where from. but i am replacing them now with some from small bear.

I will also check the caps. I've all ready replaced one for good measure.

also, i have no idea what an audio probe is

[bifbangpow]

Here's my latest thought:

Originally when I began debuggin this project, i was working with a board that hadn't been etched properly. It had been over-etched and had weird smears of copper on it. But before realizing that, someone here suggested that the circuit transfer I was using shouldn't have the thin line trace that was going all the way around the outside because it could cause shorts. So for the two most recent boards, I cut the thin line trace out of the transfer before etching the boards.  Couldn't it be possible that the first board was just badly etched, and that the problem had nothing to do with the thin outer hair trace in the layout, and that I've actually been shooting myself in the foot ever since by cutting the line out for the second and third circuit boards.  Perhaps all that is wrong with this current circuit is that there is a trace missing.

  I would post a link to the original transfer layout, but general guitar gadgets website is closed on Sundays.

[Jdansti]

I often eliminate the thin border trace. I think it is just a line that is intended to show the outline of the board on paper and has no use as part of the etch. Maybe someone who knows more than I can comment on this.

It's probably time for the ol' voltage measurements according to read this thread: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=29816.0, follow the instructions, and give us your answers. You've pretty much answered questions 1-6 except it would be good if you could post the schematic or a link to it. Other than the schematic, start at #7 after you read the instructions.

Re: Audio Probe-An audio probe is a home made device that lets you trace the audio signal through the signal path on your board. It consists of a guitar cable and a capacitor.  You plug your guitar or a noise generator into the input of the board and trace the signal starting at the input until you find where it stops. This will be a point where you might have a bad solder joint, a break in a PCB trace, or a bad or backward component. We'll need the schematic to guide us. If you use your guitar for the signal source, you'll need to strum it often. It might be best to wear it with a strap or set it very close to where you're working.  See this thread on how to make one: http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html.  This is a good video by Chromosphere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWvIfDSxbIk

I recommend you make the voltage measurements first according to the debugging thread and then do the audio probe if necessary.

[bifbangpow]

ok so Maestro Fz-1s by General Guitar Gadgets 

schematic: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_fz1s_sc.pdf

voltage tests:

Battery: 9. v

Voltage at the circuit board end of the red battery lead = .0 
Voltage at the circuit board end of the black battery lead = .0

(also when i test the opposite end of the battery clip wire that is soldered to the power jack, i get red: .0 black: 0.0 )  That seems really wrong. Could it be the battery clip or the power jack its self?


Q1:
1. .0
2. .0
3. .0

Q2:
1. 0.0
2. 0.0
3. 0.0

Q3:
1. .0
2. .0
3. .0

Q4:
1. .0
2. .0
3. .0

Q5:
1. 0.0
2. .0
3. .0

Q6:
1. .0
2. 0.0
3. 0.0

C1: .0

C2: .0

C3: .0

C4: .0

C5: .01

C6: .0

C7: .0

C8: .0

C9: .0

C10: 0.0

C11: 0.0

C12: .0

so... power issues? the power jack?