Dr. Boogie Battery Problems

[MetalUpYerEye]

Hi everyone, having problems with Dr. Boogie again here. I built one for my bro for his b-day and its been giving me the same troubles as before. I built it with 1 mpf102 and 4 j201's in a taiwanese BB size box from small bear. The input jack is a switchcraft stereo (NOT enclosed).

The problem i'm having is that the unit seems to be turned on while not plugged in, using up valuable batteries. I have the battery negative going to the ring of the input jack, and the sleeve of the input jack going to ground. Other than that, the negative of the battery doesn't go anywhere near the ground or board. I'm perplexed here guys... Any help would be so much appreciated as usual. Thanks guys.

Josh

[petemoore]

  Clip a dmm lead on the neg bat terminal.
  Beep test the other end of the wire on the ring.
  Test the sleeve the same way.
  Stick a plug in and repeat sleeve test.
  If it beeps for all tests, the ring/sleeve have somehow become connected...

[fixr1984]

If you have the batt negative to the ring terminal then thats probably where the
problem is. the ring is connected to the threaded end which is connected thru the metal
box to the output jack. If the output jack is connected to ground thats where you are completing
the circuit. (wow that was long winded.)
You should switch the ring terminal as ground and have the sleeve terminal be the
battery negative.
I hope my babble makes sense.

[MetalUpYerEye]

Aha! Must be whats wrong with both my "Boogie's." Thanks a lot guys, I didn't see how it was physically possible for it to continue running without a plug connecting the ring and sleeve of the input, but now I see the error of my thinking. Thanks again for helping out.

Josh

[John Lyons]

Wait a second here.

Input stereo jack:
Tip = hot signal from guitar
Ring = Isolated connection unless a plug is inserted, which connects ring to sleeve and joining the neg termainal of the battery to ground completing the power circuit.
Sleeve = ground

If there is no plug inserted then  the neg terminal of the battery is disconnected from ground and no power flows.

AM i missing something about the post above?

John

[MetalUpYerEye]

Yes, the ring is actually part of the threaded part of the jack where the plug is inserted. By connecting the negative battery terminal to the ring, it was conducting from the ring of the input jack through the metal enclosure and into the ring of the output jack which is connected to ground; effectively completing the circuit indefinitely so long as the battery was connected. A little confusing but it makes sense if you think about it.