Hornet Question

[GreenEye]

Regarding my Hornet build:

So I tried to breadboard it and Q1 (NTE101) and the battery got pretty hot and I had no sound.  Then I tried to solder it onto perf, thinking I'd work out of the problem, and they still got hot (and still no sound).  I thought I must have had Q1 backwards and reversed it, and got the same problem.  I'm hesitant to order more NTE101s, if I'm just going to blow more up.  

Any thoughts?
Does Q1 get a little warm under normal circumstances?

[petemoore]

I test PNP's Ge circuit with PNP 3906's till it seems to work a bit.
 Also testing for continuity between battery clip or cirtuit _ and + before connecting a batttery is a good idea, if you get a DMM beep there, the short circuit between the _ and + rails must be found first,.
  It sounds to me like your battery's getting hot because the - and + are shorted.

[GreenEye]

Thanks petemoore.  I actually thought I needed to have the battery connected at all times during testing of the circuit, which was driving me crazy because of the overheating problem.  Time for me to get an introduction to electronics book.  :oops:

[MartyMart]

If you're serious about the books, here's a few recommendations :
"Electronic projects for musicians" - Craig Anderton
"Mastering electronics" - John Watson
"Starting electronics" - Kieth Brindley

VERY useful information and has given me a good "grounding" - still learning though !!

Marty.

[GreenEye]

My main problem was this (don't laugh):  I was really following the perfboard layout, like to a T.  However, the perfboard layout makes it look like lugs 1 and 3 of the trim pots are connected, by the way the lines on the diagram look (go to the layout again and look - it's true).  Even I know that doesn't make sense, but when you're painting by numbers you turn the old brain off.

Now for the sound: I get a pretty cool 70s Al DiMeola Return to Forever tone with some of my pickups, but there's some weird stuff too:

1.  Very hissy/noisy.  I guess that's to be expected with "high gain."
2.  Drive pot really only produces a usable tone all the way cranked.  Shouldn't it at least have small range of usable drives?
3.  No roll-off tones using my guitar volume - pretty much drops the level so fast that sound goes to zero before any blues tones appear.
4.  Trims "45.9" and "98.2" really only produce sound over a VERY narrow range (that is, over most of the range, the level goes to zero).  I thought I'd be able to scroll through a gambit of different tones with each trim pot.

Any input here is appreciated....

[GreenEye]

5.  Drive pot is actually acting like a volume.

6.  I can actually hear the ocean.

[bigjonny]

You prolly have a leaky Ge transistor.  i did w/ my Hornet build.
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/fuzzface/fftech.htm

[KORGULL]

Hi GreenEye, I just checked in here. I sent a reply to your PM - let me know if you didn't get it - not sure if I sent it right.

[GreenEye]

I'm guessing at this point a leaky Ge (which sux because it was over $4 for the NTE101) and offoard wires too long.  Thanks to all for the tips and such.... :lol:

[GreenEye]

Well, I had an extra (Silicon) 2N5088 laying around, which I put in place of the (Germanium) NTE101 and BAM - not too bad of a sound.  Not really a Hornet anymore since it's all silicon, so I dub thee, The Whorenet.  Now it's quiet, has a ton of gain, all the trim pots have a large range of tones, the drive has many great settings, and my guitar volume cleans up to nice blues tones.  My world is once again at peace.