Not sure Where I went wrong.

Ok, you got your soldering iron and nothing is going to hold you back, but you have no clue where to start or what to build. There were others before you with the same questions... read them first.
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f33db4k
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Post by f33db4k »

I decided it would be a good idea to start building pedals. For my first pedal I decided to make a Way Huge Red Llama.
I bought all the parts and soldered it all up, but then no sound! :O
After a bit of wiggling I managed to get a signal through, though severely weakened, and only when I move component in the right way.
I'm a bit of a novice I should mention to soldering, so I'm not sure if I burnt out some of the small caps with high heats?
When I wiggle the gain pot I sometimes get a loud, high pitched sound which increases in pitch and oscillates?
I have a few theories as to where I went wrong. Mainly they are to do with the parts I used for example:
I forgot to buy a 1N4001 Diode so I used an LED instead, Instead of a 51 pf cap I used a 56 pf,
And instead of the IC being a an 4049UBE I used a 4049BP? I'm also not sure if I put the electrolytic caps the right way.
I can post pictures if you like :)
Please help. :cry:
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DrNomis
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Post by DrNomis »

f33db4k wrote:I decided it would be a good idea to start building pedals. For my first pedal I decided to make a Way Huge Red Llama.
I bought all the parts and soldered it all up, but then no sound! :O
After a bit of wiggling I managed to get a signal through, though severely weakened, and only when I move component in the right way.
I'm a bit of a novice I should mention to soldering, so I'm not sure if I burnt out some of the small caps with high heats?
When I wiggle the gain pot I sometimes get a loud, high pitched sound which increases in pitch and oscillates?
I have a few theories as to where I went wrong. Mainly they are to do with the parts I used for example:
I forgot to buy a 1N4001 Diode so I used an LED instead, Instead of a 51 pf cap I used a 56 pf,
And instead of the IC being a an 4049UBE I used a 4049BP? I'm also not sure if I put the electrolytic caps the right way.
I can post pictures if you like :)
Please help. :cry:

If the sound comes and goes while wiggling a component, that indicates that there may be a dry solder joint, where the solder hasn't taken properly to the component lead, most likely around where the gain pot is, try using a X 10 magnifying loupe to give the solder joints around the gain pot a good eyeball, a dry solder joint will look dull grey, or matt silver in colour, there may be what looks like a fracture around the component lead too, try using some desoldering braid to soak up all the solder, then remove the component and give each lead of the component a scrape all over with a stanley knife blade, untill it looks shiny and silvery all over instead of a dull grey, then put the component back into position and apply fresh solder to the joint after heating both the solder pad and component lead with the soldering iron, make sure the soldering iron's tip is clean and shiny too.... :thumbsup
Genius is not all about 99% perspiration, and 1% inspiration - sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face.-Frequencycentral.
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Post by f33db4k »

Well I have news on this matter. I checked the circuit again and realized I'd soldered the LED in the wrong place. Then I got no sound. So I desoldered
the entire thing and remade it all, in a slightly different way, following a PCB layout rather than a Perfboard one. Still no sound but more correct this time.
I think I need to replace the caps and the LED maybe the pots too cause I'm not sure if I used the right type (like linear or log) and the IC too. Then it should hopefully work :)
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DrNomis
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Completed builds: Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face,Tone Bender Professional Mk 3,Tone Bender 3-Knob,Baja BK Butler Tube Driver,Baja Real Tube Overdrive,Roger Mayer Octavia,EH Soul Preacher,Tech 21 XXL Distortion,MFOS Weird Sound Generator.
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Post by DrNomis »

f33db4k wrote:Well I have news on this matter. I checked the circuit again and realized I'd soldered the LED in the wrong place. Then I got no sound. So I desoldered
the entire thing and remade it all, in a slightly different way, following a PCB layout rather than a Perfboard one. Still no sound but more correct this time.
I think I need to replace the caps and the LED maybe the pots too cause I'm not sure if I used the right type (like linear or log) and the IC too. Then it should hopefully work :)

Using the wrong type of pots usually won't stop the circuit from working properly, most of the time you'll get an uneven response from the circuit as you rotate the pot shaft, using the wrong value pot may either have no effect on circuit operation, or may cause the circuit to operate strangely.... :hmmm:

but deffinitely try replacing the caps, IC/s, and etc , also make sure all your solder joints are good and shiny, and that there are no solder-bridges between PCB tracks.... :thumbsup
Genius is not all about 99% perspiration, and 1% inspiration - sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face.-Frequencycentral.
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Post by f33db4k »

Well I decided it was the project that was too hard for me, so I picked the SIMPLEST thing I could find!
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... ob#p102011
^^THIS! I built and guess what.... NO SOUND!!??? :scratch: WTF IS WRONG WITH ME :'(
Do I fail this badly at electronics!? :x
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DrNomis
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my favorite amplifier: Self-Built Valve Amp Head :)
Completed builds: Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face,Tone Bender Professional Mk 3,Tone Bender 3-Knob,Baja BK Butler Tube Driver,Baja Real Tube Overdrive,Roger Mayer Octavia,EH Soul Preacher,Tech 21 XXL Distortion,MFOS Weird Sound Generator.
Location: Darwin,Northern Territory Australia
Has thanked: 98 times
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Post by DrNomis »

f33db4k wrote:Well I decided it was the project that was too hard for me, so I picked the SIMPLEST thing I could find!
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... ob#p102011
^^THIS! I built and guess what.... NO SOUND!!??? :scratch: WTF IS WRONG WITH ME :'(
Do I fail this badly at electronics!? :x


Check all your connections using the schematic as a guide, also, check to make sure you've got the battery connected up and it's connected the correct way around, check everything..... :hmmm:
Genius is not all about 99% perspiration, and 1% inspiration - sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face.-Frequencycentral.
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richard_def
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Post by richard_def »

i bought the GGG red llama clone too as my first project. im not getting any sound either, i put my finger on the input jack and the led slowly lights up, then when i take it off it slowly fades out. i assume its a dry joint, any ideas where it could be? is it something else?
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