First Build - MusikDing the Hardone not working

[jizam]

Hi everyone,

I just started building my own stompboxes, and even though I started with one of the easiest models on the Musikding site, I can't seem to get the Hardone booster to work.

You can find the wiring layout and schematics here : http://diy.musikding.de/?p=357&lang=en

When I plug the pedal in, the signal goes through.
But when I push on the switch, the volume drops dramatically (paradoxical for a booster!) and it seems that the volume knob goes the wrong way. The Led lights up ok though.

I doubled checked that each component is positioned as it should, and the battery is new. I don't really know what more I can do. Can it be that one of the components is dead? Something else (maybe my soldering work that is not so good?)

Here you'll find pictures of my build : http://imgur.com/a/JeOeC

Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks,

[duck_arse]

hello jizam, looks like you've picked "a hard one" to start with.

we can't see your jax wiring in the pics. can you add some photos so we can see if you have tips wired to ground, or something like that? also, use something to pick away those little whisps of something we can see on your solder side. make sure there are no shorts there. the soldering, from this distance, looks ok.

also, do you have a multimeter? of course you do, what a silly qwestion. so, use it to take some voltage measures, as outlined in the "what to do when it doesn't work" thread.

[jizam]

Hi Duck Arse and thanks!

Here are a few pictures from the jacks wiring.
http://imgur.com/a/IuMNu

Yes, I do have a multimeter, but I have absolutely no idea what I should measure with it (Ah, this is embarrassing!).

[Cozybuilder]

The soldering looks OK, now check that you have the output jack and input jack connected to the appropriate lugs on the 3PDT. Remember the pedal is upside down, so input and output are reversed orientation (we see that a lot).

[jizam]

Thanks Cozybuilder,

I just checked and they are connected to the right lugs...

[Snufkinoob]

I started out with the Musikding kits too. Sometimes problems like this turn out to be the wiring. Somewhere their might be some solder touching something that it shouldn't, or something is (or isn't) grounded properly.

Try flipping the transistor around. It won't damage it.

Other than that, looking at the pictures I can only think that the blue and black wires on the input jack might be the wrong way around. They might have got it wrong in the illustration. Different brands of jack can have the two outer lugs (tip and ring) swapped positions. I've been caught out by that in the past. It looks right though, and if the LED is lighting up, then they should be correctly connected, since it's getting the 9v.

Other than that just trim off any stray strands of wire and see if that helps. I hated the cheap wire you got with these kits!

[jizam]

Hi Snufkinoob and thanks for the help!

I tried flipping the transistor, nothing really changed.
I also tried your suggestion about the input jack : the pedal doesn't work at all then.
I trimed off the stray strands.

I ended up where I started : a very sharp drop in volume when I press the switch, and the volume knob goes the wrong way.

Are there some measurements I can take with my multimeter that could make you tell me where the circuit is faulty?

[Kipper4]

"the volume knob goes the wrong way."
Swap the outer lug wires but thats the last of your worries.
Measure the voltages at the power rails with your DMM.
Mosfet pin voltages.

Please read the debugging thread.

[jizam]

Hi Kipper4 and thanks.

Not only am I a total beginner, I'm also not a native speaker. To me at least, the debugging thread is overwhelming.
That's why I started with one of the - supposedly - easiest build there is.

I actually am so new that I don't understand what this means:  "Swap the outer lug wires but thats the last of your worries.
Measure the voltages at the power rails with your DMM. Mosfet pin voltages".

Sorry if I'm asking ridiculous and redundant questions, I don't really know what I'm doing (yet) and have to start somewhere...

[Kipper4]

Fair enough.
Use google translate. Translate the debugging page for example. Maybe the answers here too.
Go to youtube and watch some videos.
How to use a multimeter.
Pot wiring.

swap the outer lugs.
desolder the wires going to lugs 1 and 3 put the wire that was on 3 to the number1 and the other from 1 to 3.

"Sorry if I'm asking ridiculous and redundant questions, I don't really know what I'm doing (yet) and have to start somewhere..."
You are not.
This is a great starter project. You'll soon have it fixed.
Patience is needed in this hobby.
I made some assumptions and am sorry. Its difficult to know you are not a native speaker.
Also there are bound to be others here who speak your langauge. Maybe you could ask them to help you.
Where are you based?

[jizam]

Don't worry about it!

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll use Google translate and try to learn more on this site about how stompboxes work before going back to this project. I need to learn the basics first.

I'm in Paris, France. Do you know of a similar forum in french?   

[duck_arse]

jizam - look on geofex.com for "the secret life of pots", and you will learn a fair bit. then read eveything else there you can find.

this is your thread now, come back and ask any questions you have, on life, the universe and hard ons. or using yr meter.

[jizam]

I looked on Geo Faq and realized that the battery gets hot when I run the pedal.
So, could it possibly be a short somewhere?

[Jamdog]

I looked on Geo Faq and realized that the battery gets hot when I run the pedal.
So, could it possibly be a short somewhere?

Probablement un court circuit,  oui.
La batterie ne devrait pas chauffer.

You should double check with your multimeter that your connections are all correct.  That is,  it conducts where it should,  and it doesn't where it shouldn't.

Il y a un mode sur ton multimetre pour faire beep lorsqu'il y a connection.  C'est généralement avec les mesures de résistances.  C'est magique pour trouver un court-circuit.

Tap the probes from one part to where it should be soldered,  it should beep.  If it doesn't,  you need to redo your soldering.
Then,  check the parts around that aren't supposed to be connected.  If you hear it beep,  you have a short.

Recheck all your schematics like that,  you should find the problem.

It's always good to do that while building a circuit to find issues before all is done...
But patience,  you're almost done!

Cheers.

[induction]

It looks to me like you are using a non-isolated power jack. This would explain your symptoms (+9V is directly connected to ground through the enclosure). Remove the power jack from the enclosure and see if it works when the power jack isn't touching anything.

If that solves the problem, you will need to find an isolated power jack to replace it with.

Edit: Forgive me, I think I was wrong. I was looking at the led not the power jack. I believe you already have an isolated jack. Double-check that you have wired it correctly, and all should be well as far as the power jack goes.

[jizam]

Merci Jamdog et Induction.

J'ai essayé rapidement de vérifier les connections avec mon multimètre, mais tout m'a l'air bon, donc ma prochaine étape va être d'apprendre à lire un schéma de montage électronique afin de comprendre dans quel sens tout cela est censé marcher (et donc quand ça doit biper, et quand cela ne doit pas biper).

I have to learn to be patient and start from the basics I guess, as frustrating as that may be! 

Le bon côté des choses, c'est le bonheur intense qu'on doit ressentir quand enfin ça marche! (Avant de recommencer un autre projet sans doute)

I'm sure that once you get it to work, you feel a great joy. And then you start another project! 

[Kipper4]

Well Jizam
It should not beep when you put the black meter lead on the ground and the red lead on the +9v.
that will soon tell you if you have a short.
Maybe that is what you already checked

[Kipper4]

then you can start by checking everything thats connected to the
+9v rail

D2(cathode=end with the band on it)
D1 cathode
C3
R5
R4

only one end of the above should connect to +9v


those things connected to ground
D1 (anode=no band end)
D3 anode
C3 anode
R1
Vol 1 and 2 lugs
R2

only one end of the above should connect to ground

Is it beeping

Ca biper?

[Kipper4]

Set the meter to voltage mode

Then you could put the black meter lead on the ground rail and measure the voltages on the legs of the transistor with the red lead on the legs for us
they are marked on the silk screen on the board d g s
drain =
gate=
source= volts

[jizam]

Hi Kipper,

It bipped where it should have for everything you had me check.

I can't seem to get a voltage reading on the transistor though. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?