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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:03 am
by Mike
It's bloody loud as well. I had the volume somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00am to get a nice lift about my clean tone with the gain at midnight. It's got a lot more volume left in it.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:04 am
by NickS
Doog wrote:I remember reading in the PDF manual that the pedal doesn't have a set polarity? I.e, it'll work either way round. NO idea how this is possible
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Replace "AC in" with "DC in, either polarity", and "DC in" (?) with "DC out".
Although this allows you to use either polarity, you lose two diode drops in voltage. Using Schottky barrier diodes like the >>1N5817<<, 17p >>at Maplin<<, you could keep this down to under 0.7V at 100mA. Germanium diodes have a slightly lower forward drop but it's difficult to find a germanium diode with a useful current capacity these days.

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:08 am
by Mike
Clever.

Is that liek a Wheatstone bridge or something? it rings a bell from university days.

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:07 pm
by NickS
Mike wrote:Clever.

Is that liek a Wheatstone bridge or something? it rings a bell from university days.
Bridge is the right word, it's a bridge rectifier circuit. I guess in a DC application like this you could call it something bullshitty like a "current steering diode array" or whatever. :)

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:39 pm
by Mike
Orange Peel case painted, ready for stenciling.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to fix the direction of teh Gain, Bass and Volume pots and also the cold solder joint on the FAC, and replace the output jack with an open style switchcraft.

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Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:06 pm
by Ninja Mike 808
Switching the direction is as balls. Just switch the 1 & 3 around...

Looks good, though! Are those salt boosters?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:08 pm
by Mike
Yeah, I know it's simple. I did a degree in this stuff.

Yup, those are my unpatented derivative boosters.

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:04 am
by Mike
Fixed the pots, but realised some of the wires were getting duff from all the in and out of the case action, so after replacing the volume pot wiring, then the gain, then teh treble, and then the bass.. I basically redid all the pot wiring (and routed them all under the board so it's much tidier now.) and now it's quiet as a mouse and sounds great. Need to see if I can get some rub-on transfers for lettering today, or I'll just scrawl on it. Going to replace the input jack with a switchcraft like I did the output. The holes are too large for these cliff jacks really and I hate Cliff jacks. You have to offset the plastic from the hole inside to hold it firm since the diameter of the drilled hold exceeds the plastic of the cliff jack.

No worries, will get a new jack and sort it and post final gut shots then.

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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:11 am
by euan
Yeah overall switch craft jacks all the way. I might try and troubleshoot my OP today. Spend some time out in the sun then come home and solder my life away.

I think the main problem I've got is all the pots are just not making a good enough connection. Hate non lead solder.

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:23 am
by Mike
I don't like using stranded wire is also something I've learnt. When you're moving the wires like I did on the pots the insulation can get really hot in the unsoldering/removing process and peel back, I think I lost the integrity of the the wires then. I use solid core on all my Saltboosters now and all the replacement wiring I did on this was solid-core, and it all works a charm. Like I said in the other thread, I also found a lifted PCB trace so had to make a jumper to ground from one of the caps in the bass control filter stage, it was causing a large unstoppable bassy hum. Took a while to find the bastard. The build is MUCH neater with the pot wiring under the board and only the FAC wiring on top. I also removed the battery clip, I'll never use it.



BTW I got some Neutrik open style jacks on the way from Banzai, I saw them and thought of you.

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:30 am
by euan
I would have Neutrik build me a house if I could. That shit will survive a nuclear explosion.

I was going to boost to Halfords and get some paint for my boxes+Woolcaster (which I am going to finish) but the routes to either Halfords within 5 miles of me either take me through bandit country or exits from motorways. Do not want to be doing that on my bike.

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:26 pm
by Mike
You and your fucking bike.

Maplin didn't have an open stereo jack in stock because they're twats so I'll just wait I guess. No luck on rub-on transfers either. I'm just going to write I think.

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:39 pm
by euan
Haha snap. They didn't have any open stereos for me either.

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:23 am
by Ninja Mike 808
Looks pretty good. Reminds me of the color we used to use, actually, haha.

Yea, I hate when my wires start to peel back. When i build, I usually get the thing workin' with a little bit of slack and then tighten everything up. I've also been pondering whether or not to just lay some hot glue or somethin'...

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:09 am
by Mike
What finish do you apply when you build the cases? The same as the sample picture on the website?

Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:59 pm
by Ninja Mike 808
Yea. White base, screen printed gfx. I got one on my table, but i might not have it there for long...

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:30 am
by Mike
I think I'm probably just going to leave it as it is. I can't find any rub-on transfers small enough and I just can't be rigged. It looks fine as is.

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:56 am
by Ninja Mike 808
Yea, looks good. I was thinkin' of writin' some graffiti on mines...

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:06 am
by Mike
The only thing that bothers me about the design is the trimpots as the Drain resistors, which are adding some noise to the circuit. If I can be bothered (i'm talking months down the line here) I'll measure their settings and replace them with resistors instead to fix the bias.

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:21 am
by Thom
Looks good Mike :)