Can I use solder to connect a broken copper circuit?

[bifbangpow]

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... 

Yes I've done this and it doesn't work. I will try replacing the snap, but I'm pretty sure I'm lost in the ether.

[Jdansti]

Before you solder the new snap in, check the continuity between each snap termina
and the end of each wire to make sure the snap is ok.

[peterg]

Not sure if it's been mentioned before but it looks like your power jack may be wired backwards. Not sure exactly which type you are using but if it only has 2 terminals I would think ground should go to the terminal closest to the centre.

[Jdansti]

^Good point. Any chance we can see a shot of the DC jack straight on from the terminal side?

[bifbangpow]

^Good point. Any chance we can see a shot of the DC jack straight on from the terminal side?

[peterg]

Looks right. Did you have a plug in the input jack when you took the readings? Sorry if I'm repeating what may have been asked before.

[Jdansti]

This is really strange. Let us know how the battery snap replacement goes.

[thermionix]

With the battery installed, and a plug in the input, do you read 9V DC (relative to ground) at both points of the power jack that have red wires attached?  If so, follow the red wire that goes to the board.  Does it still read 9V where it's connected to the board?

[Jdansti]

There's a spot on the board where pos and neg come close together.  It's difficult to see in the picture if there's a bridge.  Check the indicated pads on your board for a solder bridge that would short out your power.

[bifbangpow]

There's a spot on the board where pos and neg come close together.  It's difficult to see in the picture if there's a bridge.  Check the indicated pads on your board for a solder bridge that would short out your power.

There is most definitely a bridge there.  Should I remove it then?

[Jdansti]

Yes. Just take your soldering iron tip and gently move it back and forth across the bridge until there is no more solder between the pads.

[bifbangpow]

Yes. Just take your soldering iron tip and gently move it back and forth across the bridge until there is no more solder between the pads.

well before i saw your post, I used desoldering wick and accidentally ripped the copper pads of both pads.  Am i screwed?

[Jdansti]

Don't panic!  Use the skills you learned when you had to bridge the incomplete trace in the beginning. You might want to carefully remove the two components involved and when you replace them, and then use the legs to bridge over to good spots on the traces.

Hang tight for a minute and let me whip up a quick drawing.

[bifbangpow]

Don't panic!  Use the skills you learned when you had to bridge the incomplete trace in the beginning. You might want to carefully remove the two components involved and when you replace them, and then use the legs to bridge over to good spots on the traces.

Hang tight for a minute and let me whip up a quick drawing.

I just used some component wire to fix it. and guess what?

IT WORKS!!!

Thank you all so much, but especially jdansti!  I have learned more in the past three days through this thread than I have in the past year teaching myself.  Wow. Really.

[Jdansti]

Whoo hoo! I'm so glad you didn't give up! This kind of adventure helps me too because I figure that if I can help solve problems across the Internet, I can more easily solve my own problems with the board sitting right in front of me. It also helps the 1100+ people who've read this thread. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

BTW- you need to write a new song for your group now called "The DIY Stompbox Blues"!

[bifbangpow]

Whoo hoo! I'm so glad you didn't give up! This kind of adventure helps me too because I figure that if I can help solve problems across the Internet, I can more easily solve my own problems with the board sitting right in front of me. It also helps the 1100+ people who've read this thread. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

BTW- you need to write a new song for your group now called "The DIY Stompbox Blues"!

It's just a 20 minute jam fest with me shouting obscenities over dead air.

[chuckd666]

GODDAMNIT IF I'M NOT PROUD OF YA BOYO. 5 pages of glory. You made it.

[thermionix]

Glad you got it!  Had to be something simple.

Who's your group?

[deadastronaut]

yay.....

[armdnrdy]

IT WORKS!!!

Persistence rules the day!