Can't get my f***ing pedal working!!!

[DakariRichard]

I've been desperatly trying to build a Bazz Fuss from an easy veroboard schematic for about 2 months now, but i cant get it to f***ing work!! i've read the debugging page like a million times, but i still can't figure out whats wrong!!!

i sat yesterday and started building according to this layout:
http://michaelbeck.com/adam/bazzlayout.jpg

then i used the GGG guide to 3pdt wiring with led indicator and battery only.
Since the guitarist in my band seemingly stole my jack cables, i can't test the pedal before a couple of hours. so in the meantime i thought you could provide me with some answers:

1) If i want a pot-meter, i solder board output to pot lug 1, then a cable from pot lug 2 to the board output lug on the 3pdt, and then i solder pot lug 3 to ground?
2) when i have added a led in the circut, should it light up, even when no jack cables are hooked in? can't seem to get any light from it when i put on the battery.
3) if i need more ground points (to jacks, switch etc) i just put in more wires in the "ground strip" of the board?

i really want this to work. so PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME!!

best regards
/Richard

[flintstoned]

1) correct

2) when using a battery, there is no power flowing thru the circuit until a cable is plugged into the stereo input jack, the ring (which connects to the ground on the board) makes contact to the sleeve (from battery ground) it completes the circuit and powers up the pedal.

3) correct

[DakariRichard]

Thanks alot! will go off and buy some jacks now.
btw, in the schematic, the 9v+ cable is soldered right next to the resistor. i soldered my 9v+ cable in the same strip, but in the holde right above the input cable. this shouldn't have anything to say right? since it's on the same stip? I've also soldered a cable on that strip that goes to the Led, that should also be right? right?


/Richard

[flintstoned]

Right

If your saying that the 9+ and resistor on same strip-right, if your saying the 9+ and input same strip-wrong

Right but you need a 4.7k resistor between 9+ and led or poof!

[deadastronaut]

great thread title...

[DakariRichard]

forgot the resistor. it said pooof haha!!
i get a good bypass signal. no crackling or anything, the problem is though, when i press in the switch... no fuzz -.-

tried switching the direction of the diode, still nothing.
so, have i wired it corectly, since i get a clean bypass?
could it be that i have overheated the transistor? my soldering tin is horrible. it's so damn thick, so i end up sitting with the soldering iron on the components for ages.
also, i have a 10uF input cap and a .1uF output cap. i have some kind of NPN low Gain transistor, and i have a 10k resistor. that should work right?
/Richard

[BadIdeas]

my soldering tin is horrible. it's so damn thick, so i end up sitting with the soldering iron on the components for ages.

I remember those days. In my case, my soldering iron was basically a toy. If the solder won't even adhere to the iron, but just rolls off, that's another sign it's not usable. Get a 40W Weller station. Solder on the iron helps encourage solder to melt on the components as well. I also use a Scotch-Brite pad, especially when desoldering anything.

[digthisbigcrux]

my soldering tin is horrible. it's so damn thick, so i end up sitting with the soldering iron on the components for ages.

I remember those days. In my case, my soldering iron was basically a toy. If the solder won't even adhere to the iron, but just rolls off, that's another sign it's not usable. Get a 40W Weller station. Solder on the iron helps encourage solder to melt on the components as well. I also use a Scotch-Brite pad, especially when desoldering anything.

or a xytronics from circuitspecialists.com.  a bit cheaper but still good quality.

[smallbearelec]

You are going to have to spend some money, and some patient time learning to do a few things correctly and getting confidence.

Your comment about your soldering tool says a lot...you may need to replace it and work with one of the many good on-line references on soldering to use it correctly. This article may help you shop:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/Tools/Tools.htm

But before you commit to solder again, why not learn to breadboard?:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/Breadboarding/BreadboardIntro.htm

The solderless breadboard is a superb tool for trying out a circuit in a way that lets you find and correct mistakes quickly. Once you hear something work and know that Mother Nature will cooperate with you if you follow Her rules, you'll be in better shape to do a soldered build.

Regards
SD

[tasos]

would you mind posting some pics? is your transistor placed correctly?

[DakariRichard]

Since the bypass was working, but not the circut, i decided to start over again for 30 minutes ago at school.
i have a 10uF input cap, a 4,7uF output cap, 10 k resistor, a diode that reads 1n480 and a BC-140/10 transistor (NPN General Purpose Medium-power Transistors).
so, will this shit work? i'm kinda green to this.

i've soldered everything neatly according to the veroboard layout. but i cant test it until i go home, cuz im at school now.

so based on my components, will it work?

/Richard

[jefe]

so based on my components, will it work?

Only one f***ing way to find out!

[deadastronaut]

so based on my components, will it work?

Only one f***ing way to find out!

+ @#$%ing 1 

[Paul Marossy]

I guess this is the Rated R thread, huh? 

[petemoore]

  First of all I wouldn't recommend using it for that.

[DakariRichard]

well, apperantly the transistor i was using was wrong  so now i have breadboarded the circut using some other kind of NPN transistor. Now i have fuzz. but of course, there is 2 problems:

1) The potmeter does not really "kick in" before i turn it to 3'o clock
2) The tone does not last that long. It kinda disapears after a short while. like a starve effect or something. how can i avoid that?

sorry for all the swearing on this thread! stompbox building is kinda frustrating haha!

/Richard

[tasos]

well, apperantly the transistor i was using was wrong  so now i have breadboarded the circut using some other kind of NPN transistor. Now i have fuzz. but of course, there is 2 problems:

1) The potmeter does not really "kick in" before i turn it to 3'o clock
2) The tone does not last that long. It kinda disapears after a short while. like a starve effect or something. how can i avoid that?

sorry for all the swearing on this thread! stompbox building is kinda frustrating haha!

/Richard

1) have you used the correct value and type potentiometer?
2)this is probably a frequency issue...for example if this circuit is tuned for guitar and you use it for bass or the other way around could cause that problem!
it can also be bad biased transistor[the transistor is not getting the voltage it should...] if you are using a battery try another one!

[DakariRichard]

1) have you used the correct value and type potentiometer?
2)this is probably a frequency issue...for example if this circuit is tuned for guitar and you use it for bass or the other way around could cause that problem!
it can also be bad biased transistor[the transistor is not getting the voltage it should...] if you are using a battery try another one!

I'm using a 100k Linear pot, tho it says 100k Log in the schematic. should this have a lot to say?

i'm going to use it for bass, but i've tried it with both bass and guitar. any idea on what values the capacitors should have to make it sound good for bass?
also found that instead of using a 1n4148 diode, a blue LED makes it sound more evil!

[tasos]

I'm using a 100k Linear pot, tho it says 100k Log in the schematic. should this have a lot to say?

i'm going to use it for bass, but i've tried it with both bass and guitar. any idea on what values the capacitors should have to make it sound good for bass?
also found that instead of using a 1n4148 diode, a blue LED makes it sound more evil!
[/quote]
well you shouldn't expect really great sound with such few parts...[i know! ]
as for the pot issue....i can't really tell!but this could probably be the issue...
now...if you want to tune the effect for bass double all filter capacitors...[filter caps are input and output capacitor...]

[jefe]

I'm using a 100k Linear pot, tho it says 100k Log in the schematic. should this have a lot to say?

You should use log.