Need help in my first project

[steel]

Hi guys i nd help in my first ever project.So im very noob at all this. Firstly i decided to make a coloursound 1 knob fuzz reissue. Heres the link http://aronnelson.com/gallery/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/album20/album21/COLORSOUND_ONE_KNOB_FUZZ.jpg.html

I follow every step frm the tutorial. Then i found out the i suppose to use a .22uf cap which is nt polarised. Bt the circuit i did i used a polarise .22uf cap. Will this makes a different? Temporaryly i  use toggle 3pdt switch. When i on the effect theres no sound coming out from the amp. Any idea why?

Heres the pic for my circuit.

[Timebutt]

A polarised cap instead of a non-polarised cap should not form a problem, if you aded it correctly to the circuit that is
So you're not getting sound, have you already checked for solder bridges on the underside of the board?
Are you sure you have applied power and done so correctly? Believe me, it's a mistake that I make more than I want

[steel]

applied power as in putting a 9volt battery?

[demonstar]

Welcome to the world of debugging! Right as I found out there are many possibilities as to why there is no sound.

First off about the cap...

A polarised cap should not be a problem instead if it is the of a suitable working voltage, suitable value and inserted THE CORRECT WAY AROUND! It is crucial these things are inserted the correct way around as if not they can explode.

Are you getting any sound on bypass. If not there has chance to be errors in the offboard wiring (and possibly not on the board ie. the things below such as cold solder and dead componets). So check the switch wiring and that the wires are running to the board.

Once you have sorted the cap issue apply the power and check with a multimeter that there is power getting to the board. (The battery is fresh... yes?)

If you still haven't had any luck there could be a cold solder connection. To check for this just reheat every solder joint and allow it to reset.

Check you followed the layout correctly.

Did you check all the components with a multimeter before starting to make sure they're all OK and the stated value?

The transistors aren't socket-ed. You could have killed them with heat since you haven't socket-ed them. Normally using sockets is advisable.

Theres some info to get you started. Sorry it's all jumbled.

The bottom line is CHECK....Check.... CHECK...check and check again. Furthermore remember there could be more than one problem. 

Hope that helps! Good luck!

[suprleed]

All of the previous posters have provided excellent advice on where to start debugging.  Being fairly new to this hobby myself, I would only echo demonstar on checking your work against the layout/schematic.  Make sure each component is in the right place, well soldered, and facing the right way (trannies and polarized caps).  The other day I was working on an overdrive project and thought I had completed all the soldering of the board components.  I went back and double checked my board against the layout/schematic as I just described and found that I had forgot to run a lead from the 9v power input on the board to my Jfet transistor!    That would have shut things down real quick.  It's funny how easy it is to miss simple connections like these that can kill a project real fast.  Just be patient (easy to say, hard to do) and double check everything.

Good Luck!

[GREEN FUZ]

Something I`ve noticed from just a quick glance at your circuit is that you have made cuts where they are indicated on the layout. The problem is they are on the wrong side of the board. If you don`t make the cuts in the actual copper strip on the opposite side it wont work.

Another thing. The 1k resistor doesn`t seem to correspond to the layout.

Also. It`s difficult to tell from the photo but is the 220pf cap correctly placed?

By now you may be getting the idea that everything needs to be checked and checked again. Don`t worry, that`s normal.

[hendrix2489]

i agree with Green Fuz, the picture is a little hard to tell but the 220pf cap looks out of place and i would also check the 1k resistor at the bottom.   Also check your offboard wiring(the stomp switch, LED orientation and input,output DC Jacks)

[steel]

oK guys i have changed the 1K resistor to the right position..The 220pf is in the right position too.When i bypass the effect theres sound coming out.So tis shows that my offboard wiring is correct right??Unfortunately theres still no sound coming out when i switch on the effect...

[GREEN FUZ]

Have the traces (copper strips) on the other side been cut?

[JFX09]

Steel, do a search for audio probe and make yourself one at once. then be a happy camper 

[steel]

Green fuzz did u mean on the right hand side of the traces?? Becos i cut the board accorrdingly to the number of strip they want which is 9 by 14 holes.

[GREEN FUZ]

I can`t tell because you haven`t supplied a picture of the underside of the board but I am guessing it is constructed on strip/veroboard as that is what the layout calls for. On the layout there are 4 red dots within squares that indicate where the copper strips need to be cut in order for the circuit to work properly.
The reason I make this point is that looking at your photo it appears some cuts have been made in areas corresponding to the layout but they`re on the wrong side of the board. Hope this makes sense.

[Dragonfly]

GREENFUZ is absolutely correct.

You need to make the "cuts" on the side where the copper strips are, as shown in the tutorial.

[steel]

Yup made all the 4 traces already. Heres the picture of the underside.

[GREEN FUZ]

Sure looks like you did but are you certain you`ve cut them completely. The ones I`ve indicated look like there may be the tiniest bit of copper creating a bridge. That`s all it takes.



There`s no harm in checking them again just to be sure.

While were on the subject any stray bits of solder can also make a bridge. As a precaution I would give the soldering the once over to make sure you haven`t created a short somewhere.

Steel, do a search for audio probe and make yourself one at once. then be a happy camper 

Good suggestion.

[steel]

haizz..after reheat all my solder n check for bridges n also trace the holes properly theres still NO effect coming out.Now im trying to do the audio probe..They said that  one  of the wire goes to d cap n the other goes to ground right?Wat do they mean by go to ground?where shld i solder that wire to??

[steel]

oh ya also y does my cable have 2 shielded wire n 1 unshielded.I thought only 1 shielded n 1 un shielded??

[petemoore]

  Take the DMM and 'dogmaticize' circuit check it, if you want to.
 Resistance: Test each and every resistor value and compare to schematic, continually re-verify connection points as you go.
 Distant Resistance Checking: [patented terminology]...follow that wire to a 'termination'...follow it through other connections, that way you can measure a resistance AND test a buncha connections at the same time. Same goes for continuity testing.
 Continuity testing: If the DMM has a diode checker that beeps [setting mark looks like:  --->l-- ], test all continuities/connections..where wires or leads meet.
 Non-continuity testing: check that no stray connections exist...put the DMM in beep mode across...basically everything, anything that beeps, there should be an 'explanation' for it on the schematic or it's a miswire...*triple check the shcmeaitc before pulling wires out...'I had it right before' is no fun either.
 Clip the black DMM leadclip on ground and test all ground connections: Volume pot, gain pot, bypass cap, Q1's emitter, pulldown resistors.
 You may have to or want to add a testclipped wire to the black DMM probe, I wait 'till one breaks and put a testclip on as repair instead of probe...
 Anyway with the black lead somehow at ground point, measure every resistors resistance from ground.
 Do the same thing but with a DMM lead connected to V+.
 VOltage measurements: quickest way to find debugging 'hints' or 'shouts'...
 example of hint: tells the tale of miswire clearly enough,  but some math or 'intuitive reading' may be necessary to catch the hint. A 'shout' would be a broken battery wire and the DMM indicates "There's No V+ here".
 Debugging thread explains how to take and post voltage measurements, a first order of business I take on when things don't work.
 I can't recommend polarized caps where NP's would work...as long as everything around them is 'ok' they'll work, one overvoltage or reverse polarity and they're questionable to 'done'...since I can't measure caps they're 'done'.
 testjig: a box with a non conductive box on it [tray to hold circuit in test] which has two mono 1/4 jacks, both have a common ground wire which ends with a testclip [clip that to the circuit ground], each jacks 'tip' also has a wire with a testclip, the input jack and output jack each have a testclipped wire from their dedicated jack tip [input for instance] which can be clipped to the circuit. Now you can put the 'bare' circuit [no bypass sw/ or jacks] on to the tray, clip the jacks common ground wire to ground on circuit, clip the input to the input, clip the output to the output...
 On this new first build, solder connection quality should be tested for each joint, non-connections [like where the schematic doesn't show any connection] all this should be tested for.
 Counting the number of connections at each node...count them, then count them on your circuit board [perhaps use DMM to verify where connections are and arent']. ..example: feedback resistor [100k or is it 150k on this one]...connects to the 1k gain resistor, connects to Q2 emitter, connects to gain bypass cap [check polarity there too]...doesn't connect anywhere else.
 
 

[GREEN FUZ]

haizz..after reheat all my solder n check for bridges n also trace the holes properly theres still NO effect coming out.Now im trying to do the audio probe..They said that  one  of the wire goes to d cap n the other goes to ground right?Wat do they mean by go to ground?where shld i solder that wire to??

In this case, ground is the bottom row of the layout. You attach a wire via an alligator clip to the shield of the cable then probe around the circuit with the leg of the capacitor till you find a point where you`re not getting any sound. In this way you can hopefully trace where the fault is.
Sorry, can`t help with your other question about the cable.

[steel]

i jus nd to put the 9 volt battery n on the switch.Must in insert any jack into the mono or stereo jack of my pedal?