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 Post subject: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:03 am 
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Hi all first time pedal builder and poster. Got the envelope filter/fixed wah kit for my first build, and I'm about to the point where all capacitors, resistors, leads, etc. are soldered to the PCB and I will start mounting the power jack, input/outputs and pots to the enclosure. All the solder joints look good to my untrained eye, but I was wondering if anyone had ways to double check (possibly by using a 9v battery and multimeter) that everything on the PCB is working properly before I start putting it all in the enclosure. Does anyone do this or just put it all together and hope for the best?

Thanks for any help.


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:07 am 
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A lot of use breakout boxes or other testing rigs to "rock it before you box it" as Madbean says, but if this is your first build, you're probably equally likely to mess up the assembly of the breakout box as the pedal itself. :) You could post a photo here and see if there's anything that makes us go "Whoa, fix that before you go on."

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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:10 am 
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It's probably just as easy at this point to finish up the pedal and test it. But if you'd like to post a couple of the photos of the board, front & back, we can look it over for you. If you do that, please make the shots large, well-lit and well-focused.

Once you get to the wiring, I strongly recommend that you strip, twist & tin all wire ends before soldering them in place. And avoid leaving exposed wire between the end of the insulation and the solder joint. Trim extra wire ends down to the top of the solder joint.

EDIT: Well, I see Scott and I have pretty much the same advice. He's just a faster typist! :mrgreen:

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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:15 am 
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Thanks for the quick replies. Thought I'd ask generally first, but I'll snap some pics this afternoon and post them.


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:29 am 
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duhvoodooman wrote:
EDIT: Well, I see Scott and I have pretty much the same advice. He's just a faster typist! :mrgreen:

Haha, for the second time today! Pretty much everything I know about this stuff, I learned from…

Image

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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:36 pm 
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Here's a pic of the front


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:37 pm 
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and back


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 8:54 pm 
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Looks pretty good to me, though larger pix would have been better. One thing--check the two joints that I've circled in the cropped photo below. It's probably just an artifact of the camera angle, but be sure that there's not a solder bridge connecting those two eyelets.

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check_joints.jpg
check_joints.jpg [ 28.52 KiB | Viewed 7458 times ]

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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 3:44 pm 
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I've finished everything up and I can only seem to get any volume when the Sensitivity knob is cranked all the way up. Even dialing it back just a bit makes the pedal go silent.

Also, and I don't know if this is just how the pedal works, the pedal doesn't seem to track multiple notes in close succession. I only get an audible quack on the first note and the rest sound just like the fixed wah filter. Anyone had that trouble as well?

Working on trying to upload a new picture. First one went through fine it seems but now I'm being told the file is too big.


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 6:36 pm 
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By any chance, are you playing the pedal behind a noise gate or a compressor?

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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:14 am 
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Nope, just tested it on its own.


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:24 am 
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Assuming you haven't already done it, I would recommend this: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=52188

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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2


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 Post subject: Re: Double checking PCB
PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:36 am 
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duhvoodooman wrote:
Assuming you haven't already done it, I would recommend this: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=52188



Thanks I'll try that out this weekend.

Here are a couple gut shots.

http://imgur.com/a/eX9o2


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