OCD clone 3pdt wiring problem

[helix]

Hello all, long time lurker here.

I've built this one right here, my first pedal build and my first pcb etch.



I got it to work surprisingly, although the tone and volume seems not to be responding. (any ideas why?)

but my main concern is the switch. I have tried every wiring option I found online but nothing seems to work. I'm fairly uneducated when it comes to switches, is there such a thing as 3pdt not working with every circuit? maybe I need a dpdt one?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

here's a pic

[balkanizeyou]

First of all, congratulations on your first build!
I'm afraid I know why the two pots are not working - you are not supposed to solder the wire to the three "holes" in the potentiometer, as this can damage your potentiometer - you should solder your leads to the pins of the potentiometer, like this:

Grab a multimeter and check the resistance between the pot pins and see if it still works

[helix]

Thanks! never knew about that... and this was my first time soldering wires into those holes. still makes no sense to me tho lol... any ideas about the switch?

[balkanizeyou]

Yeah, I can't tell you how many potentiometers I have fried before I figuret out I'm not supposed to do that 

Anyways, I can't quite figure out your switch wiring, but it looks really weird. Try this one, it's guaranteed to work and it also grounds the board output, which should help prevent your switch from making an audible pop:



EDIT: on the other hand I took a closer look on your switch and it seems like it SHOULD work (if the pieces of jumper wire don't touch each other), however that's a pretty weird way to wire it all together. Are you sure you have the pinout of your input jack (the stereo one) right? I've never used these, but make sure that the tip is the tip etc.

[Ben Lyman]

looks like your stereo Jack is on the output. these are usually used as a battery ground switch on the input. But I see you are using a DC jack anyway, so none of that (I think?) matters. I think the wiring looks good with one (possible) exception: check the wire from switch to output Jack and make sure it is soldered to the correct tip lug. Looks like it's possibly soldered to the "thin springy" switch thing, you want a connection to that big long heavy "curled thing"  does any of that make sense 

[helix]

thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. I will try that wiring balkanizeyou, and if that doesn't work, I'll try a dpdt switch. right now I can't tell what wiring I've used either because after trying different combinations for hours, I had no idea what I was doing.

and Ben lyman: I don't think my output switch is a stereo one, it's just a switching jack. that's all I had lying around. I will take everything apart (the switch and the pots) and start from scratch, with a clear head

thanks again guys

[balkanizeyou]

Before you do all the wiring again from the scratch, get your multimeter (you do have one, right? If you don't and you're planning on building more stuff, then I'd advise you to get one, it makes everything much easier and in more complex builds it's sometimes simply necessary to get it working) and check whether the switch is not broken - that is, that the middle pin from each column is shorted to the top or bottom one (and pressing the switch changes the connection). If one of the columns is not working properly (for example a connection from the middle to top pin is always open) then maybe we can arrange another wiring of the switch to get around this problem, if more then one column is broken then you should probably get a new switch.

However, if the switch is fine, then before you start from the scratch, as Ben Lyman said, check your output jack wiring. Make sure that what you think is the tip lug really is the tip lug - I've never used this kind of jack, but I have used a similar one and I think the correct way to wire the jack would be like this:

[Ben Lyman]

^yup, that's what I was trying to say, nice picture, it's worth a thousand words. It is a stereo jack and it is a "switched" stereo jack. You don't want to use the switching lug on this one, not even for the battery ground, if there was to be one. It is a switch that is always connected to the tip until a plug is inserted, then the springy thing is separated from the tip connection. So, yeah, just make sure you are not soldered to that springy switchy luggy.

Quick n' dirty test/fix:
run a wire with alligators (or solder ) from one lug around to the other so they are permanently connected.

[helix]

finally it works! thank you all for your help

[balkanizeyou]

great! what was wrong? was it the output jack?

[helix]

well first I wired the switch like this (thanks to mcknib)



and also the jacks ,yes.