Messages

I think from the top of my head this question came up before and Brian said that doing so is not really a good idea. The switching on of lamp as you engage effect will give a nasty pop. Overall the life expectancy of the bulb should be not too much a worry to warrant side effects like this.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this.

You don't need to do this. The lamps will last for a very long time and are cheap. Buy two and you have enough to cover your whole life, probably.

For comparison sake:
Life cycle for the average electrolytic cap: 1000-2000 hours.
Life cycle for the Univibe lamps: up to 16000 hours.

Cooder and Madbean,

Thanks to you both for quick replies, and for the advice.  I didn't realize how long those lamps last.  I already ordered a few extra with the rest of the components, but the additional info gives me sufficient peace of mind going into the build.  Really looking forward to it.

Brian, thank you for this site and for your awesome selection of PCBs.  Every one of your builds has turned out great so far, and the build docs are a huge help.

Hi all! 

New to the MB forum, but looking for advice.  I'm getting ready to build a vibe using the Harbinger 1.5 PCB.  Ideally, I'd like to wire the lamp that drives the photocells to be off when the whole effect is bypassed, to preserve the life of the lamp.  Is this possible with the Harbinger 1.5 PCB and a typical 3PDT breakout footswitch board?  If so, what is the best way to wire up the lamp/switch?  I'm a somewhat beginner, I've built a few pedals with PCBs but this will be my first intermediate/advanced build.

Thanks!