LED... No worky! Rangemaster clone.

[rydog2223]

Well... For me to build something on perfboard is darn near a miracle. But I did it and it sounds awesome!!! IMHO..... Anyways everything is good to go but I can't seem to get the LED to work. I wired it just like the diagram. Any suggestions as far as switching the wiring etc...? It appears the Anode of the LED goes across the EC and R4 by the DC. I may be wrong as always!!! Input is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks guys!!!:) Here is the layout....

[GibsonGM]

If you have the LED oriented correctly, and the switch wired up to ground it as shown, it WILL work (with cord plugged into jack)...altho, why is the current-limiting resistor so HIGH? 4.7K is awful high...I'd make it 680R to 1.5K.   Depending on the LED, it may be so high it's not turning on.

If you suspect your LED is blown, hook it up LED >1K resistor > 9v battery to see if it lights.   Be sure of your anode (to +) and cathode orientation...you can use this trick to find out which is A and K.  The longer leg is A, and often has a flat spot on the case. 

[italianguy63]

+1 LED backward or blown.  Also, +1 on resistor value.  I like 680K on/for BRIGHT ones, and 2.2K on regular...

[davent]

LED's are all over the place in current requirements, i've clr's from 500 ohms to 47k running in various builds powered  from 9v.

dave

[mth5044]

I use 4k7 for my LED's, no problem there!

[rydog2223]

Thanks for the response guys!! That was the first thing I did.... Grabbed another LED. Still same thing. I think I might try the lower value today though! Makes sense..... I've gotten spoiled with 3PDT PCB's!!!!

[Jopn]

You do have something plugged into that input jack right?  Just at a glace, if you followed that offboard wiring, the LED ground isn't connected to the DC jack's ground unless a mono plug is in the stereo input jack.

[italianguy63]

I've done that!!  (no plug in the jack trick).

Also, the forgot to plug the battery in trick...

[rydog2223]

You do have something plugged into that input jack right?  Just at a glace, if you followed that offboard wiring, the LED ground isn't connected to the DC jack's ground unless a mono plug is in the stereo input jack.

Indeed!:) That was the first thing I thought of after testing it. It's been so long since I have used three lugged jacks I had to remember!  I think this afternoon I will try a 1.8K for the CLR. See if that does anything. I guess I can live without a LED as I know not all Rangemaster clones have them. It would just be kind of nice!

[Jopn]

If you have a replacement LED to try, might as well touch its legs to the appropriate connections to rule out bad/backwards LED.  It'll either blip on, or not, and then you'll know.

[Magnus]

Hello,
I have done this layout and I know that there is space to do something wrong...

I used a stereo-input-jack just to connect the negative pole from the battery-clip to its ring,
so that the battery is only engaged with a cable-plug in the input jack...
I installed a DC-jack too, which is disabled when the dc-plug is disconnected.
Sounds difficult but once you got it its really easy and makes sense

I can help you to get your led working, I will post an image for you how to connect it.
Just follow two answers:
Do you have a battery or a dc-jack in your pedal?
Mono or Stereo-Input-jack?


Greetings
Magnus

[rydog2223]

Hello,
I have done this layout and I know that there is space to do something wrong...

I used a stereo-input-jack just to connect the negative pole from the battery-clip to its ring,
so that the battery is only engaged with a cable-plug in the input jack...
I installed a DC-jack too, which is disabled when the dc-plug is disconnected.
Sounds difficult but once you got it its really easy and makes sense

I can help you to get your led working, I will post an image for you how to connect it.
Just follow two answers:
Do you have a battery or a dc-jack in your pedal?
Mono or Stereo-Input-jack?


Greetings
Magnus

You rock!!!! I am not going to install a battery clip. I am using a DC jack(Boss type 2.1mm). Stereo jack input. I notice when I touch the cathode of the led to the top middle lug of the 3PDT FS it works but it takes away from the drive of the pedal. Kind of bizarre! Any help would be great. I was just getting ready to box it without a LED. Thanks!!!

Ryan

[Magnus]

Hello my friend,
we are going to build it with led ok?  

Allright: no battery, only dc-jack  

What you have to do:

Please install the resistor R4 (100 Ohm) and the electrolytic capacitor C7 (47uF) as showed in the layout,
it is a filter that eliminates hum from (cheap) wallwarts...

1) Just solder the resistor (R4) to the dc-jack - the easiest way.

2) Then solder the electrolytic capacitor (C7) directly after/on the resistor
with its positive lead (+ = look at the right polarity!) and with the negative lead to negative on the dc-jack (-).

3) From the dc-jack power (after the new resistor from the filter for sure) goes to the board
as shown on the layout and to the led (look at the right led-polarity
and use a led-resistor - R5 - with your preferred value, I use 4,7k).
The other pole (-) from the dc-jack now goes to ground on your input-jack,
you can solder it to the ground lug (I recommend this) or to "ring" (I showed the "ring"-connection with points).
Of course you can use a mono-input-jack because you only need signal and ground.

I painted the green connections in the layout again so that you see better where they go to...
The ground-connection from the switch (green) to activate the led goes to one of your jacks on ground.
The jacks are connected on ground together and to the board too (just follow the layout).

Please make sure that you have installed the 3PDT-switch the right way,
often those 3PDT's are installed wrong and then signal goes lost or the led does not light.
You must be able to see through the lugs when the switch is in front of you, here's an example:
http://gaussmarkov.net/images/1590B_SETUP_GND.bmp



Please let me know what your pedal is doing ok?


Greetings from Germany
Magnus

[rydog2223]

Hello my friend,
we are going to build it with led ok?  

Allright: no battery, only dc-jack  

What you have to do:

Please install the resistor R4 (100 Ohm) and the electrolytic capacitor C7 (47uF) as showed in the layout,
it is a filter that eliminates hum from (cheap) wallwarts...

1) Just solder the resistor (R4) to the dc-jack - the easiest way.

2) Then solder the electrolytic capacitor (C7) directly after/on the resistor
with its positive lead (+ = look at the right polarity!) and with the negative lead to negative on the dc-jack (-).

3) From the dc-jack power (after the new resistor from the filter for sure) goes to the board
as shown on the layout and to the led (look at the right led-polarity
and use a led-resistor - R5 - with your preferred value, I use 4,7k).
The other pole (-) from the dc-jack now goes to ground on your input-jack,
you can solder it to the ground lug (I recommend this) or to "ring" (I showed the "ring"-connection with points).
Of course you can use a mono-input-jack because you only need signal and ground.

I painted the green connections in the layout again so that you see better where they go to...
The ground-connection from the switch (green) to activate the led goes to one of your jacks on ground.
The jacks are connected on ground together and to the board too (just follow the layout).

Please make sure that you have installed the 3PDT-switch the right way,
often those 3PDT's are installed wrong and then signal goes lost or the led does not light.
You must be able to see through the lugs when the switch is in front of you, here's an example:
http://gaussmarkov.net/images/1590B_SETUP_GND.bmp



Please let me know what your pedal is doing ok?


Greetings from Germany
Magnus

Danke!!! Than you so much good sir! I will be building a couple of these now. I have some great sounding transistors so I thought since it turned out might as well. My first build is without the LED. I finally said forget it! It's on my board so no biggie. Pics here....

http://www.rj-meffects.com/builds-of-the-week.html

But I will print this response out and put it with the build file. Thanks again for helping me out I do appreciate it! Like I said... I've gotten spoiled with PCB's so this is something totally new for me! Have a good one!

Ryan

[Magnus]

Hello Ryan,
I always try to help as much as I can  

Nice pedals!

I am working on my third Rangemaster at the moment,
I have built one with an Mullard OC71 in a small (b-type) enclousure,
then one with a Mullard OC44 in a really big enclousure (like the original)
and the third I am working on at the moment is one with a Valvo OC44 in a small enclosure again (b-type)...

I have done some work with perfboard at the beginning years ago but now I always etch pcb's for my builds...


Greetings
Magnus

[rydog2223]

Hey thanks for the kudos! I would love to see that Range master in the original enclosure! I actually found a new in box Range master style enclosure from that era. I ordered a Pigeon Fx kit and going to try my hand at tag board. I would love to build it as close to the original as possible. Thanks again!!!!

[Magnus]

Hello,
so here's my first Rangemaster (Type-b-enclousure):
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=92&page=1&sort=pa

...and the big authentic one (TEKO BC2-Enclousure):
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=522&page=1&sort=pa

...and the third I am actually working on:
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=611&page=1&sort=pa

Here's a link to my gallery (6 pages), where you can find my layouts with its pcb-etching-templates
and of course all of my pedals and some more stuff like new old stock capacitors and transistors:
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/index.php?cat=17258&page=1

Be carefull viewing the gallery and take a look at my name "Magnus" on top,
otherwise you can get in other galleries from other users accidently (which is interesting too for sure!)  

The gallery is in german, if you have any questions feel free to ask me!


Greetings
Magnus

[rydog2223]

Hello,
so here's my first Rangemaster (Type-b-enclousure):
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=92&page=1&sort=pa

...and the big authentic one (TEKO BC2-Enclousure):
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=522&page=1&sort=pa

...and the third I am actually working on:
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=611&page=1&sort=pa

Here's a link to my gallery (6 pages), where you can find my layouts with its pcb-etching-templates
and of course all of my pedals and some more stuff like new old stock capacitors and transistors:
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/index.php?cat=17258&page=1

Be carefull viewing the gallery and take a look at my name "Magnus" on top,
otherwise you can get in other galleries from other users accidently (which is interesting too for sure!)  

The gallery is in german, if you have any questions feel free to ask me!


Greetings
Magnus

Wow super clean! I love the second link. I hope you don't mind if I use that as a guide when I end up building mine similar to that?? Question for you if you don't mind me asking... Did you use your on etched PCBs or are those someone else's? I like how clean it is. I've used some of Mark M's boards for Rangemaster projects. I'm working on another one as we speak and going to try and nail it this time with the LED! One more question......  Notice the thin lines on the diagram? Example would be next to C4. Are this connecting lines or ar e they just showing that the wire is supposed to go over or under that component(s)? Dumb question but I'm working with no schematic to this diagram. Thanks again for all the help. I do appreciate it!!!!

[Magnus]

Hello,
thank you  

You can take my pedal for an inspiration of course - no problem  
I have collected many pictures of original Dallas Rangemaster's from the internet
and you can find those pictures on eBay for example, just search on ebay.com for "dallas rangemaster"...

I etch my own pcb's at home and the most of my layouts are selfmade by me and based on the schematics.
Layout, etching, drilling, soldering - its all DIY.
I have never bought a kit or something like that and I learned from making mistakes  

If a layout is redrawn and/or changed from an existing layout to my own specifications or for mounting special parts
I have marked it in those layouts, for example with: "based on the ***-layout"...

On the Rangemaster-Layout in this thread there is a connection left to C4,
it is a blue thin line and it is a connection on the upper side of the pcb
(so theres no etched line on the underside of the pcb, because there was no more space), it is a direct connection with wire.

I use the wire of cutted resistors for example - just a short solid wire, its easier to solder than stranded wire...


Greetings
Magnus

[rydog2223]

Hello,
thank you  

You can take my pedal for an inspiration of course - no problem  
I have collected many pictures of original Dallas Rangemaster's from the internet
and you can find those pictures on eBay for example, just search on ebay.com for "dallas rangemaster"...

I etch my own pcb's at home and the most of my layouts are selfmade by me and based on the schematics.
Layout, etching, drilling, soldering - its all DIY.
I have never bought a kit or something like that and I learned from making mistakes  

If a layout is redrawn and/or changed from an existing layout to my own specifications or for mounting special parts
I have marked it in those layouts, for example with: "based on the ***-layout"...

On the Rangemaster-Layout in this thread there is a connection left to C4,
it is a blue thin line and it is a connection on the upper side of the pcb
(so theres no etched line on the underside of the pcb, because there was no more space), it is a direct connection with wire.

I use the wire of cutted resistors for example - just a short solid wire, its easier to solder than stranded wire...


Greetings
Magnus

Awesome! That helps a lot!!! I actually bought etching supplies and I will give it a go....   I bought the kit from Radio Shack here in the states. It has stick on circles, squares, etc.... Any words of advice before I start etching??? Thanks again!!!!