What matters - what doesn't

[Paul Marossy]

If you don't have a UniBit/VariBit, run and buy one now!!! These are great for drilling holes in enclosures. I have been using mine for years now, and it has been one of the best investments that I have ever made.

[aron]

Never run your finger along the side of a brand new EH box that has corners. :cry:

[Ge_Whiz]

There is no known tool for making oversized holes slightly smaller. The opposite is not true.

Blunt classroom scissors are safer than sharp ones. The opposite is true for drill bits.

When screws are put down on a bench, they run away when no-one is looking.

When handling small, rare, expensive objects, gravity and eyesight are your enemies.

A misused screwdriver is a vein-opener, not a box-opener.

The thought, "I shouldn't be doing it this way" comes only seconds before painful injury. If you're lucky.

An undersized Allen key is a drill for making hexagonal holes round.

[smashinator]

An undersized Allen key is a drill for making hexagonal holes round.

An Allen key, that would be PERFECT....  

[gez]

Don't use metal DC jacks when dealing with center negative DC plugs.

Unless circuit is positive ground, then it doesn't matter...

Edit: but don't use the same adapter to run negative ground pedals too!

[Paul Marossy]

Darn little screws with legs!!!  :evil:
And I guess I could add, that if something falls off of your work bench, it will invariably fall into the absolute worst possible spot for liberation...

[Jason Stout]

Never Never Never drill a metal box while your pots are still in it!  :oops: The metal fragments are very hard to wash out.

[Hal]

63/37 solder MATTERS!  if you use 60/40, you're being masochistic.

I _finally_ bought some, and i'm loving it already!

[petemoore]

Power supply regulation and filtering can make a difference.
 If you're experiencing noise problems and are using a 'regular' Wall Wart, try a battery and see if that helps.

[brett]

Don't read voltages associated with multi-megohm impedances with a cheap 1M multimeter. :oops:

[brett]

Don't look for corroboration - ask for advice.

[Ge_Whiz]

And of course - if it works, DON'T FIX IT.

[stm]

My all time favorite Murphy's law:

"If you think everything is going well, it's because you don't have the slightest idea of what's going on!"

[petemoore]

When running pos and neg ground effects, can two opposite ground boxes, when touched together cause a spark?
 The reason I ask is that some time ago I was running a PNP FF. and some other +Gnd.  boxes and had sparks fly...
 Seems like the DC Blockers would Block - on the Pos ground, and + on the Neg ground though...{?]

[petemoore]

If you're planning on building only one or two circuits, and not doing much tweeking...
 It probably isn't worth the 15 minutes to make a test jig for your baords, so you can place them in a non conductive tray, and clip them right up and test, having the whole affair connected with cables 'n jacks.
 I wouldn't advise anyone to plan on building only a couple circuits and box them without tweeking them.
 parts:
 One Large RACO [or other 5 sided box]
 one cardboard tray use the RACO mount screws to mount the tray.
 2 x:  1/4'' mono jacks
 3 alligator clips
 3 wires
 run the hot wires [input and output] and the ground wire so they reach at least the middle of the tray [through the cardboard increases stability of the wire to hot jack connection, slide the clips insulators sleeves on the wire and solder on the clips]
 Poke holes and screw the cardboard tray to the RACO.

[Jay Doyle]

A little about transistors...

In a bipolar transistor (BJT) amplifier stage, the base voltage needs to be at least 0.6V above the emitter voltage; and the current through the collector is controlled by the current through the base.

In a JFET amplifier stage, the gate voltage needs to be below the source voltage and the current through the drain is controlled by the voltage difference between the gate and the source.

In a MOSFET amplifier stage, the gate voltage needs to be above the source voltage and the current through the drain is controlled by the voltage difference between the gate and the source.

1/2V+ is a great point to set the output bias of a transistor gain stage to first test your circuit, but once you are sure everything works as it should, be sure to go back and find the sweet spot. It may be 1/2V+, but it just as well may not. (Does not normally apply to opamps)

Chances are 1/2V+, for a transistor stage, will NOT be the point of greatest head room, that is halfway between V+ and the voltage on the emitter/source.

[casey]

What doesnt matter:

1. little words on a computer screen
2. what your parents wanted you to be
3. yesterday
4. failed attempts
5. disappointment
6. what's on t.v.

[wampcat1]

If you are struggling to fix a pedal, or get something to work correctly, the best way is to simply walk away for a bit, and go do something unrelated to pedals. Let your head clear and when you come back you will most likely see  the problem staring you in the face!

Take care,
Brian
http://www.indyguitarist.com/

[Doug_H]

What doesnt matter:

1. little words on a computer screen
2. what your parents wanted you to be
3. yesterday
4. failed attempts
5. disappointment
6. what's on t.v.

Nice.  And I agree...




(Yeah I know its a year old but I don't remember it. )

Doug

[moosapotamus]

Nice bump, Doug.

Thanks
~ Charlie