Small Bear PCB for 3PDT. Pics included.

[ke4unr]

While placing a recent order I noticed that Steve/Small Bear Electronics has PCBs for 3PDT switches. I dont' know how long he's been carrying them, but this is my first time seeing them. I decided to order one to evaluate: http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=870

It is a quality board, well masked with solder through holes. The fit is perfect on my Cliff switches. I don't have a current project, but I'm really anxious to try this out to see such things as:
1) how much time will it save
2) will it provide a neater presentation (more professional looking?)
3) durability/reliability (though I can't imagine much going wrong)

Anyway, I wondered if anyone else has used these and what your experience has been I'll need to determine if it will be worth adding to my future builds and mods.

Here's some pics:




Thanks,
Ray K.

[SirBlend12]

I was debating testing these out the next time I order stuff. From the look of them in your pics, I will definitely need to try them. Seems as thought they could definitely clean up the inside of an enclosure, especially if you used that bonded flat wire stuff.

[nbabmf]

I KNEW I forgot something on my last order...

[aziltz]

the only problem i see is, its hardwired for true bypass and an LED.  If you wanted to use it for other things, you wouldn't have full access to all the pins.

[Chrome Dinette]

I like the looks of it, should make things neater, as long as you are using the switch for that application.

[Processaurus]

the only problem i see is, its hardwired for true bypass and an LED.  If you wanted to use it for other things, you wouldn't have full access to all the pins.

Beware creeping featurism, a more versatile/ swiss army board would likely be larger, more confusing, and less helpful to most pedal makers hoping to save a little time.

The ground plane is nice, as is having the LED in the middle, as far as keeping as much room as possible between the input and output. 

One criticism, the annular rings around each of the switch lug holes looks much too small, the rule of thumb is to make the pad diameter twice as big as the hole...

[analogmike]

I have used those before (about ten thousand?) 

Hope you like them, we made them for the normal blue switches, but they seem to fit the CLIFF ones too. And maybe the Fulltone too.

They will miraculously solve some other consistency problems, you'll see for yourself.

Have fun!

[ode2no1]

this very well may be a stupid stupid question, but how exactly does this help or become more useful than just wiring things up to the switch itself?

[BDuguay]

this very well may be a stupid stupid question, but how exactly does this help or become more useful than just wiring things up to the switch itself?

If more than one person asks, does it still sound like a stupid question? I need to know too.
B.

[acroberts]

I wonder if this could be of use to a newb (like me) who is concerned over improperly soldering - I'd much rather solder wires to a board than to the posts on a 3PDT switch.

[liquids]

I've not used them yet (next order!!), but one thing I thought of is how many times I've mis-wired switches, or had to go back and re-do it. 

UN soldering things from switch terminals is something I still find difficult.  Often I've wrapped the wire around the terminal to secure it first (again, since I only have two hands), and then solder it.  This is allegedly good practice, but trying to unsolder these joints this often means I'm snipping the wire, and then trying to head the joint and wiggle the piece that remains wrapped around the terminal while the solder is hot to remove it...sometimes I wonder why I don't just put it through, hold it best I can and solder and deal with those compromises...

Maybe others have solved this problem, but it seems very easy to ruin or damage mechanical switches this way, especially cheap toggles (read: futurlec), but no switches I've used seem much more than slightly tolerant of this, and most seem very unsympathetic.     This means that most cheap switches goes in the garbage with any errors as I'd rather not have then crap out on me at an unknown time even if they weren't completely ruined...

So to me, a terminal board like this, for one, means I can wire up the board by soldering everything to the numbered holes first.  Then, once everything is good, I can solder the PCB to the switch.  If anything needs changing, it's far easier to unsolder wires from the PCB than the switch terminals, and maybe even leaves more room for a heat sink on the terminal while the PCB heats up. 
I'm sure there is more but this seems worth it to me.  Plus I don't like the look of 8 wires flying in different directions on one 3PDT switch...so it's also somewhat aesthetic. 

[Mark Hammer]

this very well may be a stupid stupid question, but how exactly does this help or become more useful than just wiring things up to the switch itself?

If more than one person asks, does it still sound like a stupid question? I need to know too.
B.

Entirely reasonable to wonder why simply relocating where one solders wires to would represent any sort of improvement.  At the level of one-offs, I would imagine it does not doTHAT much for the user, although there have been times when the 3x3 matrix nature of such switches has made things which ought not to touch...touch.  There is also the issue of how one does strain relief, thogh this is not a major issue.  Where it likely comes in very handy is when one is making many pedals.  Being able to wire up all your leads to the little board ahead of time, and then simply pop in the switch, sit the duaghter above the switch pins and sweat the board into place has got to be a huge time saver, and make life so much easier.

[The French connection]

1) how much time will it save
2) will it provide a neater presentation (more professional looking?)
3) durability/reliability (though I can't imagine much going wrong)

1) 8-9 more solder to do...
2) Depends on you and how you routes your wire...
3) I don't see why it would be more durable/reliable...Do you guys really stomp that hard on your box? Particularly when it have a fancy paint job on it!

[analogmike]

A few reasons we created and use them:

1) LED wiring is a no brainer, no need to mount the LED resistor somewhere and have it
possibly break off.

2) Less popping! Build 100 pedals, 50 with this switch, and you will see something amazing, depending on your wiring method.

Maybe it's due to keeping the switch solder tabs straight? Soldering a wire to the switch can cause the lug to get loose, then the switch contact inside no longer lines up right.

You will see a lot more production pedals with these things, I think.

[tiges_ tendres]

The only thing I dislike more than wiring switches (I cant get it to be as neat as half of you guys), is stripping and soldering wires!

If only there was a solution that would hold up better than going directly to pcb, without having to use wire.


Hmm, does anyone know any spells?

[jacobyjd]

My thoughts on this stem from how I often end up using 3pdt stomps--I often commit an effect to an enclosure, then once I've gigged with it, I'm not as crazy about it, don't need it, whatever. I then reuse the switch on something else (since I don't have the cash to use a fresh one every time).

This board would allow me to solder/desolder the connections an almost infinite number of times without the heat eventually getting to the inner workings.

[karter2000]

A few reasons we created and use them:

1) LED wiring is a no brainer, no need to mount the LED resistor somewhere and have it
possibly break off.

Another possible stupid question.  Looking at the diagram on the Small Bear page, the + on the LED is connected directly to the + on the battery.  Doesn't the current-limiting resistor need to be on the + on the LED or am I missing something somewhere?

Thanks,


Lyle

[bside2234]

A few reasons we created and use them:

1) LED wiring is a no brainer, no need to mount the LED resistor somewhere and have it
possibly break off.

Another possible stupid question.  Looking at the diagram on the Small Bear page, the + on the LED is connected directly to the + on the battery.  Doesn't the current-limiting resistor need to be on the + on the LED or am I missing something somewhere?

Thanks,


Lyle

That  seems odd to me too. Seems like both legs of the LED should be on the board and only one leg of the resistor. The other leg of the resistor would have v+.

[JKowalski]

A few reasons we created and use them:

1) LED wiring is a no brainer, no need to mount the LED resistor somewhere and have it
possibly break off.

Another possible stupid question.  Looking at the diagram on the Small Bear page, the + on the LED is connected directly to the + on the battery.  Doesn't the current-limiting resistor need to be on the + on the LED or am I missing something somewhere?

Thanks,


Lyle

It doesn't matter which side of the LED the current limiting resistor is on, it does the same thing either way.

[karter2000]

Thank you, it makes sense now that I think about it.  I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to electronics.


Lyle