Problem with breadboarding

[frogman]

I am attempting to build a Colorsound Overdriver clone circuit and am in the process of breadboarding it to try out different transistors, which are different bc109 variations. I've tried half a dozen times to complete this circuit on a cheap radioshack breadboard and each time I get to the end of the circuit (testing 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4ths of the way by running a jumper wire to output) i get no sound.

I am referencing this for connections and the bill of materials and am following the schematic in the description section completely on the breadboard.

http://diy-layout.com/78

This is my second build, which I may have jumped into prematurely, so I may be missing something obvious, but I have literally took everything off multiple times and reset it, tested, and I can never get the circuit to the end with any sound.

[nocentelli]

Check the voltage applied to the collector resistors is actually 9v or thereabout, and check the voltage is zero at the ground points. Some breadboards have a split in the middle of the ground and power rails: make sure you have jumpered this. Post voltages at collector, base and emitter for each transistor. Post a picture of your breadboarded layout so we may spot possible errors.

[GibsonGM]

+1       Once you get it, it will be EASY, you just have to overcome the initial learning curve. It's not a steep curve, you just have to get in the hang of how to set things up.  Don't give up!    Nocentelli gives good advice.

[davent]

I seem to always have one or (more) connection that's missed by a pin, helps if i spread things out and have an unobstruted view of the leads going into the board.

[garcho]

^ +1, big time

the end of the circuit

What do you mean, specifically? Are you using the schematic or the strip board layout as a reference? At what intersection of components do you no longer get signal from? Going from the 'tone stack' (the bass and treble controls) to Q3 (the 'last' transistor) is the most likely place to have an issue. Do you get sound from the tone stack? Do the controls do anything? I have a Radio Shack breadboard that indeed has the split in the power rails (the long tracks on either side) that I have to jumper if I use the middle or entire breadboard, like Nocentelli said.

[StephenGiles]

^ +1, big time

the end of the circuit

What do you mean, specifically? Are you using the schematic or the strip board layout as a reference? At what intersection of components do you no longer get signal from? Going from the 'tone stack' (the bass and treble controls) to Q3 (the 'last' transistor) is the most likely place to have an issue. Do you get sound from the tone stack? Do the controls do anything? I have a Radio Shack breadboard that indeed has the split in the power rails (the long tracks on either side) that I have to jumper if I use the middle or entire breadboard, like Nocentelli said.

layout for breadboard??? Really??

[garcho]

^ Wha?

I make layouts for breadboard all the time. I can't efficiently breadboard a flanger without a layout, for instance. But I didn't bring up layout, did I? I was just wondering if he was going by the schematic or the strip board.

[frogman]

Check the voltage applied to the collector resistors is actually 9v or thereabout, and check the voltage is zero at the ground points. Some breadboards have a split in the middle of the ground and power rails: make sure you have jumpered this. Post voltages at collector, base and emitter for each transistor. Post a picture of your breadboarded layout so we may spot possible errors.

By putting each multimeter probe on each end of the resistors going from the collectors, I yielded results of approx. 8V on the first, only about .34 on the second and about 3.3 on the third. So they are not all around 9v.

How exactly do I measure the transistor voltages at different legs? Ground or + to the different legs?

The + and ground terminals are all jumpered together.

[LucifersTrip]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=29816.0

"Just keep the black lead on ground, and touch the pointed end of the red probe to each one in turn."

[frogman]

Q1:

C - 1.6
B - 1.0
E - .45

Q2:

C - 4.2
B - 1.7
E - 1.1

Q3:

C - 5.4
B - 2.2
E - 1.6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some pictures, although it may be too busy of a circuit to be able to comprehend through a picture...

Input/before transistor #1 (input closest to bottom of picture)


After transistor #1/gain pot


transistor #2/tone stack


transistor #3/output

[davent]

In the photo, transistor #2/tone stack, it looks like the first red wire from the left (wiper wire) isn't connected to anything (hole 52,f). Same with the cap in holes 45, 49, looks like not connected to anything in row49.
dave

[frogman]

In the photo, transistor #2/tone stack, it looks like the first red wire from the left (wiper wire) isn't connected to anything (hole 52,f). Same with the cap in holes 45, 49, looks like not connected to anything in row49.
dave

I think its the angle of the photo that makes them look disconnected but they are indeed all connected, just tested them.

[pappasmurfsharem]

In your first picture the resistor in the middle that I believe you intend to goto v+

Isn't actually connected since you don't have a jumper across the sets of V+ (the broken rows of 5 many times aren't actually connected together and require a jumper between them)

[frogman]

In your first picture the resistor in the middle that I believe you intend to goto v+

Isn't actually connected since you don't have a jumper across the sets of V+ (the broken rows of 5 many times aren't actually connected together and require a jumper between them)

I was unaware of this! I did try jumpering every set of 5 together and still dont have sound, however I may try reconstructing the board from scratch again with this in mind!

[pappasmurfsharem]

In your first picture the resistor in the middle that I believe you intend to goto v+

Isn't actually connected since you don't have a jumper across the sets of V+ (the broken rows of 5 many times aren't actually connected together and require a jumper between them)

I was unaware of this! I did try jumpering every set of 5 together and still dont have sound, however I may try reconstructing the board from scratch again with this in mind!

You might want to test before reinventing the wheel.

Assuming that's meant to be 9v put you multimeter black lead to ground of you power source directly if possible. Then touch the red lead to that leg of the resistor going to 9v track. I'm pretty certain you won't have a connection but see f t reads 9vs

[frogman]

In your first picture the resistor in the middle that I believe you intend to goto v+

Isn't actually connected since you don't have a jumper across the sets of V+ (the broken rows of 5 many times aren't actually connected together and require a jumper between them)

I was unaware of this! I did try jumpering every set of 5 together and still dont have sound, however I may try reconstructing the board from scratch again with this in mind!

You might want to test before reinventing the wheel.

Assuming that's meant to be 9v put you multimeter black lead to ground of you power source directly if possible. Then touch the red lead to that leg of the resistor going to 9v track. I'm pretty certain you won't have a connection but see f t reads 9vs

I may have mis-interpreted what you meant... I thought you meant that every 5 -/+ rows need jumpered together... When im pretty sure its only the slightly larger gap in the middle of the board and the two different sides that needs jumpered, making 4 different sections that need jumpered together...

[pappasmurfsharem]

In your first picture the resistor in the middle that I believe you intend to goto v+

Isn't actually connected since you don't have a jumper across the sets of V+ (the broken rows of 5 many times aren't actually connected together and require a jumper between them)

I was unaware of this! I did try jumpering every set of 5 together and still dont have sound, however I may try reconstructing the board from scratch again with this in mind!

You might want to test before reinventing the wheel.

Assuming that's meant to be 9v put you multimeter black lead to ground of you power source directly if possible. Then touch the red lead to that leg of the resistor going to 9v track. I'm pretty certain you won't have a connection but see f t reads 9vs

I may have mis-interpreted what you meant... I thought you meant that every 5 -/+ rows need jumpered together... When im pretty sure its only the slightly larger gap in the middle of the board and the two different sides that needs jumpered, making 4 different sections that need jumpered together...

No that is what I mean every gap basically means disconnected.

However I believe somebody mentioned before that their boards power rail segments are connected. All I know is every breadboard I've used they are not.

So yes on the plus and minus sides there are two rows of five a small gap two rows of five another gap and so on.

Those gaps represent a disconnection.

I was just saying before you start from scratch make sure that's true. But I'm pretty sure it is.

[pappasmurfsharem]

I've been typing on my phone so just to avoid any confusion this is what you need to do to make sure all your V+ and GND rails are connected.

Jumpers like in the following picture.

[MaxPower]

My breadboard looks exactly like that one and it has continuity along the power rails.  I assumed the unbroken blue and red lines that run along the power rails were meant to indicate as much.

[Blitz Krieg]

transistor #3/output

that resistor at the steep angle, looks like brown green yellow, does it have the full length of its lead or was it clipped/broken off at some point?