Catalinbread - Naga Viper

jwpartain1 · Post by **jwpartain1** » 17 Sep 2011, 14:57

Hey, finally got this thing back out. This schematic has been double checked using continuity tests by me, whether that's verified by the standards here or not, I'm not sure

EDIT: And the little blue cap is labelled like I labelled it in the schematic (47 over 1KV)

mysticwhiskey · Post by **mysticwhiskey** » 18 Sep 2011, 12:22

Here's an (unverified) layout for the above schematic. It should fit width-wise in a Hammond 1590B enclosure.

HEAD · Post by **HEAD** » 18 Sep 2011, 21:28

Hi,

lazy sunday afternoon and I was a bit curious. So I did just a quick vero layout for it. It's working and does sound quite like a naga viper - though I only did a quick test as my girl friend arived a bit too soon.

Layout is verified as it is - if you spot any error let me know.

Helge

mod edit: removed layout after update (below)

G5120fx · Post by **G5120fx** » 22 Sep 2011, 13:00

Are you sure, that the last Jumpers goes into a trace cut?

HEAD · Post by **HEAD** » 22 Sep 2011, 13:26

G5120fx wrote:Are you sure, that the last Jumpers goes into a trace cut?

Nah, you should bend it to pin 3 of the pot - always have the schematic beside.

G5120fx · Post by **G5120fx** » 23 Sep 2011, 05:41

I built it yesterday, works fine! C7 is 47µF
Thanks for the vero!

Thanks Helge !

HEAD · Post by **HEAD** » 23 Sep 2011, 08:44

G5120fx wrote:I built it yesterday, works fine! C7 is 47µF
Thanks for the vero!

Thanks Helge !

You're welcome and absolutly right. I'll fixed that and upload that again here.

Space between every pot is 21mm and the vero board should still fit upright into an 1590B enclosure.

G5120fx · Post by **G5120fx** » 23 Sep 2011, 09:35

Yeah it would fit, I used Mylar caps, its pretty tight with the 68nF. Also C7 is a lil tight. I had to bend away from the pots (the tayda Pots; look @ the pic), but no problem

Everytime I read Helge, I have to think "00 Schneider, 00 Schneider, Schneider..."

HEAD · Post by **HEAD** » 23 Sep 2011, 09:49

G5120fx wrote:Yeah it would fit, I used Mylar caps, its pretty tight with the 68nF. Also C7 is a lil tight. I had to bend away from the pots (the tayda Pots; look @ the pic), but no problem

Everytime I read Helge, I have to think "00 Schneider, 00 Schneider, Schneider..."

I used WIMA MKS2 through out so 5.08 is my prefered rm for caps. As for the electrolytes I used jamicon 35V types. It is a tight fit but fits.

The pots I used are from tube town.

Every time I read something about my first name and "Schneider" I think: "Man, if everybody owes me 5€ for that joke or relation I would be already a millionaire.

okgb · Post by **okgb** » 23 Sep 2011, 15:56

Photobucket won't upload pix today , but i made one ptp using the leads of the parts ,
but somehow I barely have unity gain & the " heat " control doesn't do anything
I can hear hiss as i turn the boost control up and more level as the range control is increased
It's pretty low parts count that i must have done something wrong [ that is simple i hope ]
standby .....................

Sweetalk · Post by **Sweetalk** » 23 Sep 2011, 17:16

What an ugly PCB desing that Catalinbread do...

okgb · Post by **okgb** » 23 Sep 2011, 17:24

O.k. i had put the transistor in backwards [ made the ptp literal but oriented the transister by the vero layout ]
Which direction is the range knob supposed to work ? mine has the treble boost for the first 1/4 's of rotation
[ doing very little ] and the the full range [ with the level increasing quite a bit ] in the last 1/4 of range ,
seems like i have that backwards . Also the heat control seems a little subtle , increases level but gets buzzy
when dimed at the end of the pot . So far not super digging it .

HEAD · Post by **HEAD** » 23 Sep 2011, 17:26

okgb wrote:Photobucket won't upload pix today , but i made one ptp using the leads of the parts ,
but somehow I barely have unity gain & the " heat " control doesn't do anything
I can hear hiss as i turn the boost control up and more level as the range control is increased
It's pretty low parts count that i must have done something wrong [ that is simple i hope ]
standby .....................

Sounds - at least to me - like if you did put the tranny wrong in. Watchout: P2N2222A (http://www.coe.montana.edu/ee/brento/Kits/P2N2222A.pdf) and PN2222A (http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/PN/PN2222A.pdf) have a different pinout from each other (switched 180°). I refered to the PN2222A version I had at hand. Therefore I marked E B and C in the 2nd vero version.

Edit: too slow.

And yeah, you mixed up the rotation of the range knob. It should go from full range to treble boost. Hiss starts to increase with the heat controll as you turn it up as the tranny starts to make more gain.

bigmufffuzzwizz · Post by **bigmufffuzzwizz** » 23 Sep 2011, 17:44

Thanks for the layouts HEAD!
Always have room for another treble booster, especially a sizzly hot fire-y one!

okgb · Post by **okgb** » 23 Sep 2011, 18:18

fwiw , my viper build [ only had two of the clear knobs ]

jwpartain1 · Post by **jwpartain1** » 24 Sep 2011, 03:56

The HEAT knob doesn't really do much for me in way of gain til you roll the RANGE quite a bit back. I've got my HEAT maxed, RANGE at about 10:30 and BOOST to a bit louder than unity. This gives me a nice, quiet and smooth overdriven sound you won't find in most treble boosters. Like I said, the circuit should be pretty quiet as well.

Also, there is a TON of boost.. My unity gain is about 8 o' clock with the settings listed above.

okgb · Post by **okgb** » 24 Sep 2011, 13:07

Even full treble is not icepick bright , but now i wired the range control correct
the full range is in the most of the taper of the pot [ more control ]
mine was only hissy when the transistor was in backwards , with the heat maxed and
the range on full [ low ] it can get a little farty , buzzy but there is as you say quite a bit of gain
and i think subtle control inbetween just enough low end rolloff and like any booster it almost
sounds better left in [ stronger ] in my case I have to resist thinking of it as an overdrive
with gain & level and take the amp into account , still not sure i'll keep it , curious how a germainium
version would sound / feel thanks again for starting the post !

ezs · Post by **ezs** » 24 Sep 2011, 23:50

per traced schem jwpartain1, Heat Pot 3-2 linked & 1to gnd. PCB & Vero show Heat 1-2 linked & 3 to gnd. Which is correct??? If schematic is correct are layouts off???

coldcraft · Post by **coldcraft** » 25 Sep 2011, 00:17

ezs wrote:per traced schem jwpartain1, Heat Pot 3-2 linked & 1to gnd. PCB & Vero show Heat 1-2 linked & 3 to gnd. Which is correct??? If schematic is correct are layouts off???

they are equivalent because that pot is linear.

ezs · Post by **ezs** » 25 Sep 2011, 02:01

coldcraft wrote:
ezs wrote:per traced schem jwpartain1, Heat Pot 3-2 linked & 1to gnd. PCB & Vero show Heat 1-2 linked & 3 to gnd. Which is correct??? If schematic is correct are layouts off???

they are equivalent because that pot is linear.

Coldcraft, would this be the eqivalent in the pot wiring. Trying to shrink this thing.

Catalinbread - Naga Viper [traced]