Rangemaster output problems

[brian]

Hi,

This is my first build, and I seem to be having some problems.  I've made cables and switchers before, but never a pedal.  The problem is that when bypassed, the output is very week, and when the pedal is engaged, there is no output.  Also, when I switch between the two there is a loud pop.  Thanks in advance.

[pandadandan]

as your pedal isn't in a case, your input jack is not grounded yet.  Run a wire from the sleeve of each pedal, making a complete connection.  That will fix the "no sound" issue.

[brian]

great, thanks!  I connected a wire from the grounding pins on the switch to input jack, and it seems to work now, is this ok?  And then I run a wire from the ground and solder it to the inside of the case?

[jkokura]

Hi Brian! welcome to the forum!

It depends on the enclosure you use. If you're using a metal enclosure then the jacks you're using should connect to each other through the case by contact. That's usually enough in my builds.

One piece of advice I have to all beginners is to pick up a few of those alligator clip wires - alligator clips on both ends with some wire in between. When I do trouble shooting like you're doing, it's great to have that piece of wire with clips to attach the two jack's grounds together just like they would normally attach to each other through the enclosure. That way I don't have to solder a wire for trouble shooting that I would want to remove when I install the circuit in an enclosure.

Jacob

[brian]

Thanks for the welcome and the tips!  The clips sound like a good idea, I'll put them in my next electronics order. 

It seems to work great now, thanks for the help pandadandan and jkokura!