BYOC

[Kap'n]

Just purchased a Build Your Own Clone Phase 90 kit.

I need a new project. Coincidentally, I need a modulation device since my Magicstomp bit the dust.

We'll see how it works.

[photoweborama]

I need one of those....

[Kap'n]

I'll try to do a documentation of the construction, like I did with the Deluxe. We'll see how long it takes me to build it...and make it work.

[Don]

I'm a huge BYOC fan!

[Don]

I'll try to do a documentation of the construction, like I did with the Deluxe. We'll see how long it takes me to build it...and make it work.

Aside from painting the housing, it'll take you one quick evening.

[Kap'n]

Aside from painting the housing, it'll take you one quick evening.

Painting? I was thinking some really nasty black magik marker. I need to dress down my rig and keep people guessing.

I can always sand it down later.

[Don]

When I built my Rat clone (not BYOC. It was a board from Tonepad and parts from Small Bear) I painted it satin black with no makings. Sometimes I forget which knob is volume and which is distortion because it's opposite of my Tube screamer.

[Kap'n]

I think I can handle the one knob and switch.

Maybe I should label it 'boost' or something to f' people up.

[curtisstetka]

I'm pretty happy with the BYOC stuff. It's a fun little project, like building a model, and in the end you've got a functional pedal!

I've got the TS clone and I love it. I added some extras to be able to switch the mid hump in or out, and also to select 3 different diode configurations for clipping.

I also built the "Slow Gear" and while it works, I don't get it. It's a pretty lame effect really. I don't understand while the Boss pedal is fetching big bucks on the 'bay.

I think my next BYOC build will be the compressor.

[chuckocaster]

just a thought: i've been wanting to build a box that's painted flat black, with no markings, no knobs, just a switch, and two jacks...of course the jacks would be hardwired together, and there would be nothing in there. maybe i could put in an LED that would turn on and off with the switch...now that would really throw people through a loop. but i'd never tell them what it really is...mwuhahahaha.

[curtisstetka]

How about two LED's on that? The switch would light up a red one or a green one. Always remember to click it to red before a solo and back to green when you're done. It'll screw with the bassist's mind!

[General Specific]

Just purchased a Build Your Own Clone Phase 90 kit.

I need a new project. Coincidentally, I need a modulation device since my Magicstomp bit the dust.

We'll see how it works.

Thanks Kap'n.

Now I have a new obsession.

My wife will be calling you.

[Rickenjangle]

Does anyone know if you have to prime those hammond boxes before painting them? I've finally settled on a color scheme for my BYOC Tri-Booster (dark blue with a 2 1/2 x 4 British Union Jack flag sticker on the top) and want to get the base coat painted before the sticker arrives...

[psalt]

priming is always a good idea when painting anything

[cdw2000]

Yes, prime the box. Unless you like the paint flaking off effect.

[Rickenjangle]

Well, I bought automotive paint. Then I lightly abraded the box with fine grit sandpaper and then sprayed several light coats of paint. Then, this morning, I put a coat of "clear coat" on there. That was the way the hobby shop recommended doing it. I can't wait for my sticker to arrive.

I'm kinda nervous about the electronic side of the build. There are about 20 components with which to populate the board, and it's hard for me to see the little color-bands on the tiny resistors. I have to use a magnifying glass and a bright light...

Questions:
1. Should I populate the board with all the components, and then flip it over and solder them all at once?

2. I assume that I heat up the lead, and then apply the solder to the lead as it exits the bottom side of the board. Is that correct?

3. After soldering, do I clip the excess wire?

4. Are there any other pitfalls to these kits that I should beware of?

[photoweborama]

I've never built a kit, but yes, put all the parts on and then solder them all at once. I'm pretty sure you heat the lead and the solder point on the board so you can flow the solder on to both with equal heat.

Then clip the wires as close as you can.

Bake the case if you can. I'm not sure if the sticker can hold up to the heat, but paint will stay on longer and be more resistant to damage.

[NeoFauve]

The way they show all the bits in a semi-casual pile makes it look as though any dumbass could build one.
And the boards look pretty clearly labeled, so it looks that much more doable.

Off course the I'm most enticed by is the vibrato, which has the largest semi-casual pile of bits.

Pretty cool stuff.

[JAM]

I'm kinda nervous about the electronic side of the build. There are about 20 components with which to populate the board, and it's hard for me to see the little color-bands on the tiny resistors. I have to use a magnifying glass and a bright light...

It might help to double check the values with a DMM before starting. Then sort the parts by values and put them in an egg carton with labels for the similar values (10K, for example) in one egg spot etc. (Heathkit used to recommend a similar method for their kits)

[curtisstetka]

Is anyone else doing what BYOC does? I'd like to see what kits are available out there for my next project.

[JAM]

Is anyone else doing what BYOC does? I'd like to see what kits are available out there for my next project.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/...tpage&Itemid=1

[curtisstetka]

Cool. Thank you.

[General Specific]

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/...tpage&Itemid=1

I like the sound of this one.


Does anyone here breadboard and test these circuits before putting them in the board?

[Rickenjangle]

OK, I baked the box for a couple of hours.
During that time, I went through my components and made sure I had all the right things. There was one discrepancy. The spec sheet calls for a 4.7K resistor (yellow/purple/red/gold) and there was not one of those, but there was an extra part...it looks like the resistors except that it's black, has one gray/silver ring at the left edge, and it has these letters on it:

NT
E5
01
8A

In that order, arranged one pair below the next. Is this the correct part? If so, why is it different?

Thanks

[General Specific]

OK, I baked the box for a couple of hours.
During that time, I went through my components and made sure I had all the right things. There was one discrepancy. The spec sheet calls for a 4.7K resistor (yellow/purple/red/gold) and there was not one of those, but there was an extra part...it looks like the resistors except that it's black, has one gray/silver ring at the left edge, and it has these letters on it:

NT
E5
01
8A

In that order, arranged one pair below the next. Is this the correct part? If so, why is it different?

Thanks

Sounds like a diode.



A diode passes current in one direction. That is not a resistor.

[JAM]

I think that's a 9.1V zener diode, check the parts list.

[Don]

Questions:
1. Should I populate the board with all the components, and then flip it over and solder them all at once?

2. I assume that I heat up the lead, and then apply the solder to the lead as it exits the bottom side of the board. Is that correct?

3. After soldering, do I clip the excess wire?

4. Are there any other pitfalls to these kits that I should beware of?

1. Follow the instructions. He has you start with the resistors and move up to bigger things. It's easier that way.
After you pass the leads through the board bend them in or out a little so the part won't fall out when you flip the board over.

2. Quench and tin your iron. Apply the iron to the lead and the pad on the backside of the board for a brief moment then apply the solder to the hot lead and pad. Don't overheat things. Clean and tin your tip often.

3. Yes.

4. Not really. I usually start with the leads to the pots, switch, LED, jack and battery long and then trim and resolder them as I see how it all fits together.

[Don]

Oh, and get a magnifying visor like Dan Erliwine wears. Get a good one with low powered (1.5 to 2X) glass lenses. I use an Opti-Visor from Techni-Tool. It's way better than a magnifying glass.

[Offshore Angler]

Gianni, I'm sure Mikey or I can help you if you get stuck.

[Rickenjangle]

I did a google search and that is a 9.1 v. diode, which leaves me on 4.7K resistor short...off to Goldcrest I go...the 4.7k is the first thing to populate the board. Perhaps Saturday I'll try to get the board done, at least...

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

[Don]

If you have any trouble finding a 4k7 resistor let us know. I'm sure I have a few extras myself.

[Rickenjangle]

I got the resistor, and started putting components on the board yesterday, but only had a few minutes, so I didn't go very far. This Tribooster pedal is basically 3 boost circuits in one, and he has the components laid out that way ... plus he has you put the parts in circuit by circuit. Is there a downside to soldering, say, every time you complete one of the circuits ('cause the tiny board is unwieldy with all the long leads hanging out) or is it always best to do all the soldering at the end?

[General Specific]

I got the resistor, and started putting components on the board yesterday, but only had a few minutes, so I didn't go very far. This Tribooster pedal is basically 3 boost circuits in one, and he has the components laid out that way ... plus he has you put the parts in circuit by circuit. Is there a downside to soldering, say, every time you complete one of the circuits ('cause the tiny board is unwieldy with all the long leads hanging out) or is it always best to do all the soldering at the end?

I wouldn't populate the board and then solder.

One thing you should look out for is overheating certain components like ICs. When I used to build effects, I would use an IC socket, solder first and then insert the chip.

If this kit doesn't have one, I would be careful not to overheat the chip.

[Rickenjangle]

Well, this pedal has a diode for one type of boost, and a germanium transistor for another kind of boost, and something else (not really sure what it is) but there is a socket for the germanium transistor, I believe, 'cause there is a socket that is installed. So you're saying that I should put a few components on the board and then solder, then do a few more and solder, instead of doing them all at once, right? I am finding that with as few as 10 components on the board, all the excess leads are becoming unwieldy.

[Don]

Solder at each step in the instructions.

[Jonnda]

Questions:
1. Should I populate the board with all the components, and then flip it over and solder them all at once?

No, solder on the smallest parts first and then do the larger ones one at a time. Remember to leave the transistors rather far away from the board (with a lot of wire between it and the board), if the soldering iron gets them too hot they are worthless. However it can leave you with some fun gremlens to hunt down if you dont compleatly fry them. Buy a multimeter if you don't have one.

2. I assume that I heat up the lead, and then apply the solder to the lead as it exits the bottom side of the board. Is that correct?

I'm not shure what you mean, but I usually do is turn the pcb component side down and put the iron on the right side of the lead and heat it up a bit and then touch the solder to the lead. This is because I'm right handed.

3. After soldering, do I clip the excess wire?

Yes. Just don't cut the solder.

4. Are there any other pitfalls to these kits that I should beware of?

You might find you botched a few soldering joints or fried a few parts, but I usually can figure this out with out too much trouble. You might find you have put too much solder on a joint which fused with another joint or exess solder might leak over onto another terminal.

I have not built a pedal but I have built a few soldering kits over the years such as a

clapper (clap-on, clap-off, you know the drill)
electronic "coin flipper": two LEDs that alternate really fast with a 50/50 chance of which one stays lit when ones finger is removed from the switch.
And last but not least, a wireless mic kit from radio shack that has a 20 foot range to a nearby fm radio.

[Rickenjangle]

Well, I got all the components and the wire leads soldered on the board. Dang, that's close work there. I think I did OK; my soldering skills improved thoughout the build and now it doesn't seem so daunting.

There were some wires coming off the board whose grommets were so close together that it was impossible not to have the beads of solder touch, but I looked through the board and in none of those cases did it look like the wires were supposed to be separate. In fact, it looked like there was one board trace going to both wires in each case.

The good thing is that I have Mikey and OSA to help me troubleshoot if my pedal doesn't work.

Now, I've got to wait until I get the sticker for the top of the box before I can mount the jacks and switches and pots. This is fun! (of course, if I did something wrong, I won't find it fun for long!).

Thanks everyone for your ideas. By the way, I found that what works for me is to install and solder each component one-by-one. That was easier than doing a bunch at a time.

[Don]

I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but when I build a pedal I arrange all the resistors in the same direction and all the caps so that I can read them in the same view (or 2 views).

It makes it easier for me to dignose problems myself and it makes internet diagnosis by picture a lot easier.

[Rickenjangle]

Don,

I wouldn't know if a resistor was backwards or forwards, or how to read the values...plus some of the caps were just green and didn't have anything but tiny white letters on them. If I run into trouble, I'll just have Mikey check all the values with his multitester and check for cold solder joints. This is my first pedal, so I won't worry too much if I have to enlist expert help.

BTW, some guy on the BYOC forum built himself a box with 4 pedal circuits in it! and his wiring all looked to be neatly routed! Cool stuff on that forum; lots of creativity...

[Don]

There's really no forwards and backwards with resistors. I just put them so the gold or silver ends are all in the same direction.
It doesn't affect the sound or function of the pedal. It just allows easier diagnostics using a resistor wheel.

Sounds like you've got good local support from friends. That's the most you can ask for.

BTW, every pedal that I've ever built has worked perfectly the first time out, not because I have mad skills, but because I was patient and actually enjoy following step-by-step instructions.
You might surprise yourself with how good your pedal comes out.