slow loris grounding issue maybe?

[greysun]

Hey guys!

Not a grounding issue with the pedal itself, just mine.

I just started - this is my first pedal. I practiced with some other weird things (steam engine generator, guitar electronics, etc.), and now I'm diving in deep with the pedals. Anywho, here's my issue:

I made a youtube video this morning before work cause it's hard to explain - Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjKyOWyOKj4

It works in bypass mode ONLY when I touch the sleeve of the output to the ground of the input. And when enabled, it only works 2 ways:

1) if I'm touching the output cable and the mod switch, or
2) if I'm touching the gain pot and the output cable in the other switch position.

One thing of note is that I substituted an electrolytic cap in C9 because I ordered the wrong type. The positive lead is facing the FET and the negative is facing the volume, so I think that is a non-issue.

You can see that power is going through the thing - the LEDs all work, and it works when I do those things listed above. Am I missing something in the wiring schematic? Could this be related to that electrolytic sub in C9? I feel as though this is a grounding issue and I'm just missing something very obvious but very hidden at the same time.

Let me know if you guys have any advice for an idiot that doesn't know how to properly troubleshoot. ;-) Thanks in advance!

[Sigesmundninja]

Can't really see in the video but did you wire the ground on the output-jack? You need to do this if you want i to work outside the enclosure. My guess is that the pedal will work if you simply put it in the enclosure cause the output jack will be grounded through the box (assuming you use a metalbox).

[greysun]

The output is not grounded, and you're right - the enclosure would probably ground it. I figured that much while I was on the way to work, actually - but that only fixes the issue when it's in bypass mode.

In order for it to work when it's enabled, I have to be touching either the switch lug itself AND the output connector, or (when switched the other way), lug 3 on the gain pot and the output connector. Would those issues be fixed if I were to box it up, as well?

I have a small tiles of brushed aluminum from an art class I took forever ago - I could drill that out to test this stuff if need be - would that ground everything, or is that not a metal that counts?

And yes, my enclosures are metal, so that should work to ground the output jack.

[Sigesmundninja]

Make sure you didn't mix up the wiring from the toggle-switch. It sound to me like you mixed up lug 2 with either lug 1 or 3 on the switch and therefor are only grounding one of the two clipping-sections.

Its a good idea to drill some holes in a piece of aluminum and use it like a test area. That way you don't have to ground the ouput jack when you rock it before you box it.

[greysun]

I think you're right, I'll make a "test strip" tonight and go from there.

I did check the wiring from the switch a few times - I had everything color coordinated so I didn't mess it up, but that one I had to use permanent marker to color code and it faded, so I'll untwist it and check it again.

I didn't use board mounted pots cause I just don't trust my drilling abilities enough - bean will be disappointed with me. hehe.

Thanks for the tips, guys! More to come this evening...

[greysun]

So I got home, and the connection to ground works for the bypass, but I still get issues when enabled.

I get a VERY faint sound (next to nothing, really), so I tested all connections.

I'm finding that when I touch the center lug and right lug of the transistor at the same time (if the flat side is down), I get the distortion effect.

I checked the solder joints, and it looks okay (albeit sloppy).

Could the transistor be crapped out? I have a backup, but only one.

Here are pics. I replaced a cap and it looks pretty tore up, but it is connected okay I think... The old one wouldn't come out without a fight. I even desoldered and everything. Either way, it wouldn't give me sound at the transistor if it weren't working, right?

I circled where I touched and got sound. Once I got sound, the switch and all the pots worked fine.

Pedal activated (works in bypass and LED is working)


Pedal full back. Circled the area where I'm having issues.


Pedal where transistor is - I circled the specific joints where I'm getting sound.


Top view. You can see that I'm getting power through the diodes.


Any ideas?

[greysun]

Alright, so... I figured it out.

Before we get into it, on another board I frequent, someone tried telling me my soldering was bad and that there was no hope unless I got better at soldering. I'll be the first to admit that it's not pretty, BUT - I have soldered things before and had a teacher that told me how to get a good solder joint, so I knew it wasn't my solder joints... Either way, this is the rest of the post (for those interested in how I got it workin)

I went through the wiring schematic and etch layout diagram a few times - everything was fine up until the transistor (the part where I was touching and it would work), which is shortly before going to output.

Had to go to google to find out how to test a transistor, figured it out with my multimeter and low and behold - the tranny was bad.

I would assume that the 1uf electrolytic cap I was using probably had something to do with this. I had popped that out earlier at the onset of my troubleshooting and used a box cap that came in the mail from a certain mr. blueshawk just this afternoon.

Then I popped the bad tranny out, used some plugs that TNBlueshawk sent along with the cap (seriously. godsend. for real), plugged it in, and it worked flawlessly. Now to clean up the wires, box it up and hope for the best!

Thanks for the help everyone!