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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:51 pm 
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Just finished my build and i'm stuck on troubleshooting the two apparent issues i'm having:


1. The boost channel works, but the LED doesn't light up. It's possible I got the poles backward, but since the boost channel works, does that mean it's something else?

2. The Drive only works when I hold the switch down, and even then it's a very loud and jarring switchover. Even when held down, it will crackle in and out from being insanely loud to quit. Is this the sign of a bum switch?

- It's worth noting, I accidentally de-soldered eyelet 4 on the drive channel. I did fix this by soldering a lead to the PCB and then to a wire, making sure it wasn't touching any other wires. I tested with a multimeter, and didn't see any issues. I'm largely certain this is agnostic of the problems i'm having with the footswitch.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:12 pm 
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Hi, and welcome to the forum. We'd be glad to help you sort out the problems with your build, but in order to do that, we'll need to see some good, clear photos to help you troubleshoot. Show us both sides of the board and all your off-board wiring. Make sure the images are well lit and in clear focus.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:50 pm 
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Reading other posts, I'm thinking it's the solder job on the actual switch itself (yes this is my first project). The boost switch works fine, but I pictured it anyway.

will follow up soon with a shot of the other side of the board soon.

Here's the board:
Image

Drive Switch (two angles because upon closer inspection I think it's my solder job)
Image
Image

Boost Switch
Image


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2020 6:22 am 
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I think you're likely on the right track. My advice would be to rewire the drive switch. You might get away with just reflowing the solder joints, but it's pretty messy, and your boost switch wiring tells me you can do a better job.

Take it slow, because the heat from the soldering iron can melt the internals of the switch if you apply too much too fast. I would remove each wire, then spend some time cleaning up the wires themselves while the switch cools, then reattach them.

If you have a solder sucker, this job will be much easier and cleaner. They're cheap, and it's an essential tool for this hobby.

Let us know how it goes!

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My band, Austin Hollow


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:22 am 
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Thanks, i'll be giving that a try as soon as I can get my hands on a solder sucker.

Any thoughts on the boost LED? If I had the poles juxtaposed, would it still send signal but not light up?


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:42 am 
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annechovy wrote:
Thanks, i'll be giving that a try as soon as I can get my hands on a solder sucker.

While you're ordering the solder sucker, I would strongly recommend getting some good quality desoldering braid. The combination of the two will allow effective removal of solder from most any situation you'll encounter in pedal building. This is the best stuff I've found: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008O9VLA2/

annechovy wrote:
Any thoughts on the boost LED? If I had the poles juxtaposed, would it still send signal but not light up?

Yes, that is so. The LED is NOT part of the effect circuit, it's merely a visual indicator for the position of the footswitch--bypassed (off) or engaged (on).

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