First FF build, what am I doing wrong?

[DJPsychic]

Some of you have been helping me with my first FF build (and I am forever gratedul) but figured I'd start a new thread asking for more help 

Here's a (very bad) drawing of my FF build. I tried to color coat my connections. The input/output jacks a lugs are labelled "L"  Help! 

[Keeb]

The tip carries the signal while the sleeve is ground. Your image is correct L1 on your mono jack is out and L3 on your stereo jack is in. You can use mono for both. (The stereo jack is used to ground the battery when something is plugged in to the pedal. Guitar cables are mono so the ring connection will be grounded. Unplugging the pedal removes the ground connection for the battery so that it doesn't drain.)



Or maybe that's not your question? Does it fuzz?
Have you grounded the input jack? Is it all mounted in a metal box?

[DJPsychic]

Thanks for some clarification. I have the battery snap directly into circuit board as my main power. Should I have the ground wire of 9v snap going into jack and circuit board?

edit:

I have L2 of Stereo jack on the ground of circuit board.

I do not have in enclosure yet

It doesn't work when switch is engaged (I think I have switch wired incorrectly).

Bypass does work though.

[Keeb]

I think you have wired your switch correctly. However, you need to disconnect L1 from 9V. That will short the battery when you plug in the guitar cable. The ring connection on the stereo jack doesn't have to be used at all.

[DJPsychic]

I think you have wired your switch correctly. However, you need to disconnect L1 from 9V. That will short the battery when you plug in the guitar cable. The ring connection on the stereo jack doesn't have to be used at all.

Ok, that would explain why I was getting the infamous "hot battery" - hope I didn't fry everything.

So I can just forget about  L1 completely?

[Keeb]

So I can just forget about  L1 completely?

Yes, for testing purposes you can.

The reason for using a stereo jack for the input jack is because you connect the battery ground to the ring connection. That way, when you insert a mono cable (standard guitar cable) the cable connects the ring to the sleeve (which is connected to ground) thereby completing the circuit. Unplugging the input cable breaks the battery's ground connection and thereby disconnects the battery to keep it from draining over time.

[DJPsychic]

Yes, for testing purposes you can.

The reason for using a stereo jack for the input jack is because you connect the battery ground to the ring connection. That way, when you insert a mono cable (standard guitar cable) the cable connects the ring to the sleeve (which is connected to ground) thereby completing the circuit. Unplugging the input cable breaks the battery's ground connection and thereby disconnects the battery to keep it from draining over time.

Well that seemed to worked thank you.

Are you saying when I put in enclosure, I  have to reconnect "L1"?

Side note: while testing, when I walk away from the circuit board, the signal starts to fizz out like a dying battery sound?

[Keeb]

Well that seemed to worked thank you.

Are you saying when I put in enclosure, I  have to reconnect "L1"?

No, you don't have to, especially if you plan on using it with a wall wart.
If you plan on using the effect with a battery then yes, I would recommend it. Solder the black lead of the battery snap to L1.

[DJPsychic]

No, you don't have to, especially if you plan on using it with a wall wart.
If you plan on using the effect with a battery then yes, I would recommend it. Solder the black lead of the battery snap to L1.

I'm only using battery, no wall wart. I have +/- of battery snap on circuit board - how would I connect L1?

[duck_arse]

Solder the black lead of the battery snap to L1.

NO! from my reading of your diagram, your grounds on the jacks is L2.

both jacks need a ground connection. the supply needs a ground connection. the board needs a ground connection. all grounds are grounds, earth, common, and can be/should be connected together.

if your L1 is a sleeve connection on the jack, it goes to ground. if it is a tip/hot/dinger connection on the jack, it carries signal to the bypass switch. the bypass switch then distributes the signal to and from the board/circuit.

[DJPsychic]

NO! from my reading of your diagram, your grounds on the jacks is L2.

both jacks need a ground connection. the supply needs a ground connection. the board needs a ground connection. all grounds are grounds, earth, common, and can be/should be connected together.

if your L1 is a sleeve connection on the jack, it goes to ground. if it is a tip/hot/dinger connection on the jack, it carries signal to the bypass switch. the bypass switch then distributes the signal to and from the board/circuit.

Looking at my drawing, I removed the RING "L1" of the stereo Input jack like suggested earlier.

When I put into enclosure, do I need to reconnect the L1

Besides that does everything else look ok?

Side note: When pedal is engaged snd I walk away from it and towards my amp, my signal dies

[Keeb]

Solder the black lead of the battery snap to L1.

NO! from my reading of your diagram, your grounds on the jacks is L2.

Yes. L2 is already hardwired to ground. The battery is grounded through the ring connection, which is L1 on the stereo jack. Am I missing something?

Looking at my drawing, I removed the RING "L1" of the stereo Input jack like suggested earlier.

When I put into enclosure, do I need to reconnect the L1

Besides that does everything else look ok?

Side note: When pedal is engaged snd I walk away from it and towards my amp, my signal dies

Everything looks fine. Your circuit will work regardless if you have the battery hardwired to ground or through the ring connection. Having the battery hardwired to ground will eat the battery a lot faster.

You need to desolder the black lead from the board to the ring connection. Here's a picture:


I do not understand your other question. Does the pedal only work when you are holding/touching it?

[DJPsychic]

I do not understand your other question. Does the pedal only work when you are holding/touching it?

No, I have my "pedal" on my work bench. I'm facing it while I'm testing it. When I turn my body away from it I lose signal...it's super weird

[DJPsychic]

Think I fried a transistor. When I turn FUZZ pot "up" it turns volume down,
No fuzz. When I turn FUZZ pot down it turns volume up.

Maybe one of the transistors is dead?

Edit: replaced transistors, replaced pot,  still happens. oh well. Waste of 6 hours lol

[j_flanders]

When I turn FUZZ pot "up" it turns volume down,
No fuzz. When I turn FUZZ pot down it turns volume up.

Probably wired the fuzz pot backwards. Swap F1 and F3 on the fuzz pot.
The numbering of the lugs on the pot depends on how you look at the pot, from the bottom or from the top.
And even then, some mess it up in the schematic or layout.

[Slowpoke101]

A silly question but I do ask quite a few...

Did you remember to cut the copper track under the 0.01uF capacitor ?

[DJPsychic]

Probably wired the fuzz pot backwards. Swap F1 and F3 on the fuzz pot.
The numbering of the lugs on the pot depends on how you look at the pot, from the bottom or from the top.
And even then, some mess it up in the schematic or layout.

Yep, pot worked fine all day, wired correctly. Than all of a sudden it stopped working. did a lot of soldering/re-soldering of stuff think I may have fried board.

[DJPsychic]

A silly question but I do ask quite a few...

Did you remember to cut the copper track under the 0.01uF capacitor ?

Yep! there is a cut under cap. I had it working all day. I did do a lot of swapping of that cap, maybe I damaged tracks .

[DJPsychic]

Ok I'm going to redo this entire build. I added 2 pots per the '69 "Fuller" mods. Will this work?

I'm might change the 330R to 1k for more output, and I still haven't settled on a good output value for the .01uf, I always end up with way too much bottom end.

Again thanks for all of your guidance, I know I'm an annoying noob 

EDIT: I just realized I forgot tot reconnect input to foot switch, can I link to the 50k pot?

[nocentelli]

I just realized I forgot tot reconnect input to foot switch, can I link to the 50k pot?

Yes