How the heck do you guys manage to fit into a 1590B so easily?

[Squirrel Murphy]

I've tried a couple of ways, but I keep getting into trouble getting the back cover on. Usually the board components and wires stick up too far. I usually use 125B but I'm trying to go 1590B because it's smaller and seems more standard anyway.

I just finished building a Magnus Dallas Rangemaster (THANKS MAGNUS!) and even though I cut the board to fit, it's a tough fit for me. You guys make it look easy.

My last pedal had similar trouble because of WAY too much wire laying under the PCB. So I'm, trying to go shorter with wires. I'm doing this by drilling, adding pots,  jacks, LED, and switches all in advance. Then I add and connect the board so I can trim wires to size as I add each one. But this makes a problem because a) I need to completely dis-assemble to paint / add graphics anyway, and b) I also want to have enough slack to be able to prop up the board and make changes or repairs. I don't want the board nailed down tight by super-short wires as if it was final and never intended to come out.

I leave room below the 3PDT for a battery and put the DC jack and LED next it. In/out jacks are next. That leaves the whole top half for pots, toggles, and the board. I try to put the board over the pots, component side-up. I discovered that a SPDT next to a pot sticks up too far so it needs to go on the side. I'm also noticing that the 3PDT lugs come very close to the top of the back.... so wires sticking up there make clearance an issue on the bottom. I'm trying to run power and battery leads under the jacks so they are out of the way. The wires off the PCB come off the component side so they curl from the top and under the board. Hmmmm.... maybe they should come off the bottom?

I have a feeling you guys are going to simply tell me to trim my wires really short and route them under... 

One thing is for sure, I'm not interested in trying a 1590A! I'm much more likely to move to BB which seems cavernous in comparison.

Some pics:




I have some questions about the rangemaster itself so maybe I post a different topic on that.

[pappasmurfsharem]

Shorten your wires to offboard components like pots. and switchs. lots of extra wire to deal with there.

You can lay your electrolytics flat.

the wire to your switch could come in horizontally to the switch lugs versus coming from the top

[balkanizeyou]

no, really, trim the wires 

It's advisable not only because it helps you with making everything fit, but it also prevents oscillation/noise issues in high gain builds, reduces capacitative coupling between the wires etc.

and if you want to make changes to your build, it's not really convenient to do in the box anyways, no matter how long wires you use. You can simply disassemble all the pots/jacks/switches and take it out of the enclosure to tweak with the circuit.

HOWEVER, it's much better to modify the circuit before boxing - that's why everyone says to put it on a breadboard first, tweak with it until you are absolutely satisfied with the results, and then put it in the box. Making changes to an already soldered board is a pain anyway, so here's how i do most of my projects:

• I put the circuit on the breadboard
• then I tinker with the circuit
• When I'm absolutely sure that I'm satisfied with the sound, I proceed to boxing
• I drill the box first
• Then I paint/etch/apply the decal
• After that I put all offboard components in the box and solder the wires that go between the pots/switches/jacks (making sure they are as short as possible)
• I solder the wires to the board
• I trim the wires and solder them to the offboard components

[Beo]

Also, your wires look really thick. What gauge are you using? I think 24 and 26 awg is typical for pedals

[bloxstompboxes]

Also, your wires look really thick. What gauge are you using? I think 24 and 26 awg is typical for pedals

+1 on this definitely.

[Squirrel Murphy]

Also, your wires look really thick. What gauge are you using? I think 24 and 26 awg is typical for pedals

22. Didn't think of that. It's regular hook-up wire from the electronics store. Stranded for the board, and solid-core between box components. I'll get some lighter gauge stuff for the next run. Thanks for catching this.

HOWEVER, it's much better to modify the circuit before boxing - that's why everyone says to put it on a breadboard first

I mean after breadboarding but before "done". I always seem to have a bad solder joint or something wrong and need to dork with it. Or later I want to change an unsocketed transistor or decide add something. I guess I feel like I usually need to troubleshoot after boxing so I want it to be convenient to get access. Being able to pull the board out and leave the rest in place seems handy to me... but OK I get it. I need to commit at some point.

• Then I paint/etch/apply the decal
• After that I put all off-board components in the box and solder the wires that go between the pots/switches/jacks (making sure they are as short as possible)

OK... I'll try this. I usually finish the box last. I guess my process is too sloppy and not in discrete steps (story of my life).

You can lay your electrolytics flat.

the wire to your switch could come in horizontally to the switch lugs versus coming from the top

Looked for axial caps but couldn't find them for this order... didn't install them flat so the board would smaller (tall versus more surface area)... will try to lean em over. I socketed the tranny and cut the legs to half.... but I guess I'm going shorter to get it to fit...

On the 3PDT those lugs are so close together  it feels safer to solder vertical connections than risk coming in sideways... but OK.... I'll give it redo and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the feedback... very helpful.... I'll get that back cover on yet!

-Patrick

[Ben Lyman]

I have always used 125B also, here is my first attempt at a 1590B. It's a SHO with clipping LEDs and a 100K master volume and i haven't finished it yet, still need to put the DC jack in between the pots at the topside.

I mounted the pots to the board and put a piece of shielding between to keep them from contacting the board, some of my pots come with plastic covering but not these ones from Small Bear.
I even mounted the LED indicator to the board and it just pops out if I want it too.

You can see, by mounting them I can get the board way down in there with room to spare, although repairs does mean removing the knobs and pots, then it just flips right up.

I know this is a small circuit to work with but there is still enough room for a bigger board, I just don't know how that would change the DC jack placement. I've never cared much for DC jacks right next to a 1/4" in/out jack, always found it difficult to work with.

[Squirrel Murphy]

I mounted the pots to the board and put a piece of shielding between to keep them from contacting the board, some of my pots come with plastic covering but not these ones from Small Bear.
I even mounted the LED indicator to the board and it just pops out if I want it too.

You can see, by mounting them I can get the board way down in there with room to spare, although repairs does mean removing the knobs and pots, then it just flips right up.

This looks great. Thanks for posting. I'll consider board mounting.... those pot wires are definitely part of my problem -- especially when there are several pots.

I re-wired the pot and switch but this time I went too short by maybe 1/4" and now it's super tight but fits. Practice makes perfect I guess! 

[feddozz]

Hi

I developed a technique for board mounting pots on vero but it can be applied to perf too (if it is novel i do nt know and I don't care) :

here

You will see that cutting down the number of wires will give you loads of room in the box!

Good look!

[LiLFX]

In some cases (when your drill layout is symmetrical) a great way to wire things up is to mount your switch & pots on the OUTSIDE of the box. Then you can solder your leads and create a tight layout outside of the enclosure which gives you space to work.

[davent]

In some cases (when your drill layout is symmetrical) a great way to wire things up is to mount your switch & pots on the OUTSIDE of the box. Then you can solder your leads and create a tight layout outside of the enclosure which gives you space to work.

And if it's not symmetrical drill a piece of wood/cardboard to match the enclosure and do the wiring there.

dave

[LiLFX]

In some cases (when your drill layout is symmetrical) a great way to wire things up is to mount your switch & pots on the OUTSIDE of the box. Then you can solder your leads and create a tight layout outside of the enclosure which gives you space to work.

And if it's not symmetrical drill a piece of wood/cardboard to match the enclosure and do the wiring there.

dave

YESSS!!!! That is a great idea.

[anotherjim]

If it's simple like FF, treble boost, buffer, the board can be pot mounted and sit vertical in the box. That, off the top of my head, is something like 56x28mm pcb in a B size and the pot legs will be in the second row of holes from the edge.

Have the footswitch as low as possible to accommodate the battery placed edge on against the screw pillars. Mount the jacks as close to the switch as you can -  you can have some overlap with open jacks if you turn them just right, but don't forget the tip contact spring moves out when a plug is in. I always use outside fitted DC jacks between the top 2 pot positions.

Complex boards, I fit everything except the DC jack, then wire to the board  first with plenty of length (about the length of the box), place it just outside over the top edge of the box component side up and wire to the nearest items first, trimming length only a little too long. Finally put the DC jack nut over the wires and solder them to the DC jack while it's still outside the box. When all wires are done - test!

Next finish the DC jack fitting and fold the board over and back so its resting on the wires solder side facing you. A piece of plastic sheet is stuck inside the lid to protect against shorts.

Watch out for tall radial lead capacitors. You need to think about those with regard to pot/switch positions. Sometimes I've had to take them off and put them somewhere else when I haven't thought it through. This is why I mount the board solder side out, those tall components should go in spaces between the controls and makes maximum use of the depth.

[TejfolvonDanone]

I once managed to solder the pots directly to the vero board. I cut the copper on the vero between two holes with a knife. (and repeated it 4-10 times and made a continuity measure to make sure it's really cut) You can also cut between the pot lugs and use a short jumper wire (for me it was a cut of resistor leg usually) directly soldered to it to connect where it should go.
I like the one pad/hole type boards so you can mount your pots directly to the prefboard. Also with this type i could place the components in a more logical way. Therefore the troubleshooting is less painful. Also the signal comes in to one end of the board and "travels" to the other. All the components are placed like on a schem, positive supply is more or less the top row, ground is the bottom.
Also sometimes i use prefboard + enameled wire (which is usually for inductors) + board mounted pots. I really hated to work with those kind of wires when my ex-boss showed me but after i caught the hang of it it was a convenient way to make sure the wires never touch.
I think board mounted pots can be a huge space saving even though they are not always the most professional looking.

[ElectricDruid]

Or later I want to change an unsocketed transistor or decide add something. I guess I feel like I usually need to troubleshoot after boxing so I want it to be convenient to get access. Being able to pull the board out and leave the rest in place seems handy to me... but OK I get it. I need to commit at some point.

There's definitely two different things going on there. Either you want to get it into a 1590B, *or* you want it in a format you can easily mess with it. I don't think you can really do both. Or not without a masochistic streak a mile wide, anyway.

If you want to experiment, put it in a bigger box. If you're damn sure you've done with it, you can squeeze it down into a 1590B.

2 eurocents,
Tom

[ElectricDruid]

In some cases (when your drill layout is symmetrical) a great way to wire things up is to mount your switch & pots on the OUTSIDE of the box. Then you can solder your leads and create a tight layout outside of the enclosure which gives you space to work.

And if it's not symmetrical drill a piece of wood/cardboard to match the enclosure and do the wiring there.

dave

That is indeed a thing of great beauty.

Tom

[Squirrel Murphy]

Either you want to get it into a 1590B, *or* you want it in a format you can easily mess with it. I don't think you can really do both.

Very good advice for me. I bought a BB to see how life goes and maybe I stay that way for everything until I nail things down and only use a 1590B for something I can assemble with final fit as the primary objective. I'm too noob for what you guys are doing. I need alot of tinker time after assembly for repairs, analysis, and changes. And yes, my workflow could alleviate that but I'm a free spirit...

2 eurocents,

Worth 2 full euro to me! Thank you!