Maestro FZ1: When it's cold I can't get no...

[radio]

The schematic is on the"other" forum.

Once again PRR was right , 2 1/2Watt resistors are each on one germanium transistor with thermal past

[r080]

I am having a hard time figuring out what is better about using a heater as opposed to a DC servo bias like the rockface or this guy:

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=99741.msg875570#msg875570

Mostly, I ask this because I have had transistors that sounded better to me when they were cold. It seems like the heater solves the problem for the OP, but what about a different lot of transistors?

[kaycee]

Hmmm...a pedal with a thermostat knob on the face? Could be a good USP 

[amptramp]

Since a lot of the problem with germanium is leakage and that doubles for every 10°C rise in temperature, maybe a pedal with a Peltier effect cooler in it would be a better idea.  Use a thermistor or transistor as a temperature sensor, an op amp with power FET to drive the cooler and you have a device that uses every technology - germanium, silicon, op amp and power FET.

If you have a silicon Fuzz Face, you could use one of the old quad array transistors with two transistors for the fuzz, one as a temperature sensor and the other as a heating element.  It would require an op amp to read the temperature and control the heater transistor but that is not a big deal.  You could have a thermostat setting for best sound.

One blast from the past would be a crystal oven.  These are aluminum cans with an octal plug designed to keep a crystal oscillator at a constant temperature.  They run off 6.3 VAC but they will accept DC.

[mozz]

No reply yet so do you have the 470k resistor on the second transistor? Did you try swapping the transistors around yet?