the erratic clutch deluxa pedal builds barely makes sound

[johnson]

Hello forum!
So last week i have build the erratic clutch pedal.
https://www.modkitsdiy.com/pedal/erratic-clutch-deluxe


it's a weird pedal to begin with, but i've got a problem with it. in order to get it to even make sound, i have to really dig in the strings of the guitar, and then it barely crackles. I have put a booster pedal before it, and that allready helps a lot.
now my question is: is it possible to change a value of one of the components to make it word without a booster? maybe it is easier to just put a booster circuit in front of it? i don't really have deep understanding of how the pedal works, so i couldnt really figure it out myself.
Thanks in advance!

[duck_arse]

Hello forum!
So last week i have build the erratic clutch pedal.
https://www.modkitsdiy.com/pedal/erratic-clutch-deluxe


it's a weird pedal to begin with, but i've got a problem with it. in order to get it to even make sound, i have to really dig in the strings of the guitar, and then it barely crackles. I have put a booster pedal before it, and that allready helps a lot.
now my question is: is it possible to change a value of one of the components to make it word without a booster? maybe it is easier to just put a booster circuit in front of it? i don't really have deep understanding of how the pedal works, so i couldnt really figure it out myself.
Thanks in advance!

johnson - why do I want to call you Eric?

never mind that - first things first. contact one of the moderators and ask if they'd move this thread to the building your own main thread, millions more people will see it there.

second - whatsit? we need a circuit of what you've built to say what you'd need to change. scratch that, I followed the link. possibly you only need a buffer stage at the front - otherwise, you may have a build error causing badness. we'd need you to post voltage readings from around the transistors.

third - ! I'm glad it's you and not me digging into that nest of resistors. what is that build method called?

[bluebunny]

what is that build method called?

Fearless. 

[johnson]

sorry for my messy build methods. i didnt have all the right values of resistors so i had to sometimes use multiple.
As far as the transistors go, they all seem to be getting the correct voltage, als all ground connections seem fine.
However, i'va had something weird happen. I replaced the 240k resistor wich goes from the right log of the middle potmeter to ground. when i treid it again the pedal worked like it should for about 2 seconds, after it went silent again. after checking the resitor seems to have decreased in value. did the circuit somehow blew up the resistor? i'm clueless...

[bluebunny]

Did you measure the resistor while it was still connected to the rest of the circuit?  If so, then your reading would be expected to be out.  And you didn't blow it up (you would have seen smoke/flames/charring and felt heat).

A little Ohm's law:

The familiar V=IR is also expressed as I=V/R.  So even if you had put the 240K resistor directly across your battery, you would have a current of only 9/240000 amps going through it.  Now power is V x I, which is 9 x 9/240000 watts.  Which is a tad over 300uW (millionths of a watt).  Your 1/4W resistor wouldn't even notice. 

Something else is afoot...  We probably need to see the underside of your board too.  And be quite sober to marry it up with the arrangement on top.

[johnson]

Did you measure the resistor while it was still connected to the rest of the circuit?  If so, then your reading would be expected to be out.  And you didn't blow it up (you would have seen smoke/flames/charring and felt heat).

A little Ohm's law:

The familiar V=IR is also expressed as I=V/R.  So even if you had put the 240K resistor directly across your battery, you would have a current of only 9/240000 amps going through it.  Now power is V x I, which is 9 x 9/240000 watts.  Which is a tad over 300uW (millionths of a watt).  Your 1/4W resistor wouldn't even notice. 

Something else is afoot...  We probably need to see the underside of your board too.  And be quite sober to marry it up with the arrangement on top.

nope, i got the resistor out and it measured wrongly, howeever, after replacing it the problem is still there, so i think it just had an off tolerance or something. I do noticed that i used 25v rated electrolytic capacitors instead of the specified 50v. could that be a source of this problem?
also, picture from the underside below. I did allready run over the circuit though, and i dont seem to have any bad connections or shorts. It also makes the sound that it should, it just doesn't respond to a low guitar level signal. anyone got some ideas?

[bluebunny]

I do noticed that i used 25v rated electrolytic capacitors instead of the specified 50v. could that be a source of this problem?

Not unless you're powering this from a 26V battery.   

So how "out of tolerance" is this 240K resistor?

[johnson]

I do noticed that i used 25v rated electrolytic capacitors instead of the specified 50v. could that be a source of this problem?

Not unless you're powering this from a 26V battery.   

So how "out of tolerance" is this 240K resistor?

since i didn't have a 240k, i soldered a 220k and a 22k together. when i got it out, the 220k measured at 160k, so i think it was just a bad resistor. but still, after replacing it nothing changed

[digi2t]

what is that build method called?

Fearless. 

I dunno.... lots of it looks like point to point.

[duck_arse]

any progress on this, johnson?

[BetterOffShred]

Probably not a lot of help, but looking at the schematic it uses an On/On/On double pole toggle, which come in 2 different patterns, you may want to check the throw pattern on yours as well. 

It doesn't have a ton of components did you bread board it first ?

Let us know