Can I use solder to connect a broken copper circuit?

[Jdansti]

Yes, it really looks like a power issue. Has anything changed since you posted the last photos?

[Jdansti]

...or it could be how you're using the meter. Is your meter set to DC volts and your black lead on one of the grounds and your red lead at the measurement points?

[Jdansti]

I take that last comment back. You got 9v at the battery, correct?

[Jdansti]

For starters, fill in the voltage measurements below:

Black Lead                              Red Lead                   Volts
Batt Neg Term                      Batt Pos Term

Batt Neg Term.                    Red Batt Wire @ PCB

Black Batt Wire @ PCB         Batt Pos Term

[armdnrdy]

Depending on the meter that you have...

The AC voltage range may be a symbol like this: ~
DC would be like this ___
                               ...... 

[bifbangpow]

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

Just posted my voltage readings. Which is pretty much zero everywhere but the actual battery. I replaced the power jack just in case... no change. Something is definitely causing the power to short out pretty much immediately. I don't even get a power reading at the power jack.

[bifbangpow]

For starters, fill in the voltage measurements below:

Black Lead                              Red Lead                   Volts
Batt Neg Term                      Batt Pos Term

Batt Neg Term.                    Red Batt Wire @ PCB

Black Batt Wire @ PCB         Batt Pos Term

Yes i'm on DC.   looks like this: V __
                                             ----

heres my reading

Black Lead                              Red Lead                   Volts[/u]
Batt Neg Term                     Batt Pos Term                  .8 (when plugged into the battery snap)

Batt Neg Term.                    Red Batt Wire @ PCB        .01/.08

Black Batt Wire @ PCB         Batt Pos Term                   .12


weird readings. As for changes, yes. I replaced all the transistors with fresh ones from small bear. And I replaced one capacitor with a fresh one. one of the .022s - C8 I believe.  I've also replaced the power jack to no avail.

[Jdansti]

Remove the battery from the snap, set your meter to the lowest resistance (ohms) setting, and place the meter's leads on the battery snaps. We're looking to see if you have a very low resistance across the power leads. 

[Jdansti]

^ Don't connect power to the power jack when you do this.

[bifbangpow]

Remove the battery from the snap, set your meter to the lowest resistance (ohms) setting, and place the meter's leads on the battery snaps. We're looking to see if you have a very low resistance across the power leads.

I don't seem to get a reading. It just stays on 1.

[Jdansti]

That means there's no short. I'm baffled but thinking...

[Jdansti]

Remove the battery from the snap, set your meter to the lowest resistance (ohms) setting, and place the meter's leads on the battery snaps. We're looking to see if you have a very low resistance across the power leads.

I don't seem to get a reading. It just stays on 1.

Just make sure, try this again, but this time also touch your probes together before or after checking the battery snap to make sure the reading changes from "1" to a very low ohms reading.  You always want to do this when measuring resistance/continuity to make sure the meter is functioning properly, the probes don't have a broken wire, and you have the meter set correctly. 

[thermionix]

If you're not using an autoranging meter, try reading resistance on the next higher resistance range, step up ranges until (if) you get a reading.  In other words, you might have a short with a resistance higher than your meter's lowest range.

If you do have an autoranging meter, ignore what I just said!  But your results definitely sound like a short, somewhere very close to the battery.

[bifbangpow]

Tried it again (and tried the next step up on the meter) still the same reading. (when i touch the probes together it flashes numbers roughly around the 25 range.

[thermionix]

Keep going up in range and see if you get a reading ever.  Report back.

[bifbangpow]

Keep going up in range and see if you get a reading ever.  Report back.

Nope nothing.

(I did at one point accidentally touch the negative lead of the meter to the enclosure metal and then touched the postive lead of the meter to the battery snap... then i got a reading. I don't know if that means anything though)

[Jdansti]

Which battery snap? Positive or negative?

[bifbangpow]

Which battery snap? Positive or negative?

negative. the big one.

[bifbangpow]

I also just removed th ebattery snap for a moment and plugged into the wall for power. Still no power though.

So the short is either in the power jack, or I dont know...

I still wonder about that thin trace I cut out. I know it shouldn't matter, but I've made this pedal successfully once before and I left that trace in that time.  Thats the only significant difference between the successful build and this one that I am certain of. 

[J0K3RX]

I am starting get a bit of a "cat -n- mouse" vibe here...?  Ok, when you put the leads of your meter directly on the battery do you get +9v?  If yes, let's go to step 2. If no, go get a good battery cause this one done bit the big one and died. This is too simple, you have 2 wires that connect a battery to 2 pads on a board... If you test the battery and get 9v and then test at the board and get ZERO then there is something seriously F#@ked up with that battery snap or one of the wires has come loose inside the snap or one of the wires is broken... either way, eliminate that snap and just attach 2 plain old wires to the board, put a couple gator clips on the ends and clip them directly on the damn battery. If you are now getting 9v at the battery and zero at the board then you are in a parallel universe and you must find a wormhole back to this universe or your pedals will never work, ever...