Dist +

[petemoore]

After all that...time, trial, testing, tribulations, >troubles...for three days...
 Time for the build report.
 The first one [of this batch of Dist+'s] went 'together' quickly enough, still doesn't work...who knows...it's now         'finished'...
  After a couple of days messing with that, I started Dist+#2 [of this batch] had a miswire, found that, debugged for a day and found out it was a bad capacitor causing my troubles...it would fade in out  swell volume...'run' for a 15-30 interval then...fade...I tested the resistors with the OA out of circuit, found all values looked right tested voltages at faded and normal volumes to be 'correct' [about 45% of supply on input and output pins etc] ...decided it 'can't be' resistor problem, and started changeing all parts that were not 'resistor like', one at a time for2 min./till failure, starting from left to right..
  Tunrs out it was the output cap...at least it tested good for a 40 minute session...pretty dang certain that was it !!!
 I don't remember ever having a bad cap problem before...first time for everything.
 TL072 graces the socket there, and I have a NTE Ge diode and a NTE 158's diode the other way...much smoother than the Si's diodes...real nice and 'forgiving'...I thought I had another problem for a minute..the volume drop between Si's and GE's diodes is quite pronounced...
 I used a dual 500k's pots seriesed to 1 meg and the control works evenly'.
 Even longer story shortened: the Dist+ sounds great, the socketted caps on the second one made it easier to find the problem...like someone said...mistakes like this wouldn't happen if the circuit were breadboarded first...

[Jason Stout]

Pete, I can't imagine building without a breadboard..it scares me!

[David]

Pete!

After all those circuits you've built, you mean to tell us you don't breadboard first?  Man!  You're brave!  I breadboard everything!  I've found that stuff seems harder to build on breadboard, but I know for sure the bloody thing works.  When it's time to wire it up, that usually goes pretty well.

[RDV]

Me neither. I don't own one. I just start throwing parts on perf and an hour or two later I've always got a working circuit. I don't have any circuits waiting around to be de-bugged either. The Blackfire did throw me for a while though(cold solder joint).

Be Fearless

RDV

[nightingale]

pete~
if you have some red leds laying around.. throw them in your sockets for clippers.. usually led clippers are pretty harsh, but in my OD 250 clone they give a smooth sounding break up.. i think you might like it!

[petemoore]

I can always do another.
 I like to another also.
 The amp I gig is never setup near where I build and test the circuits with the re-tubed RCA Victor.
 Having them on perf with sockets, doing pre-tests and tuning on in the shop, then doing the final tuning and such after it's in the box with the bypass, with mounted board and sockets...N/P.
 The MkII is like much more sensative/finickey than the RCA, the mids high end standing out as having certain content that is only immediately noticable on the big amp...it's low mids and bass control deal with the tuning well 'enough down 'there.
 The main reason I should have gotten a breadboard, and should even more now, is that I could try different circuit fragments.
 Having no the breadboard exp. who am I to say: "It seems that for the 'casual DIYer [if there is such a thing] building some tried/true circuits, [and getting the guitar and amp to work] on solid boards lets one sample most of what can be done circuit wise while learning the basics."
 A resource like this has allowed me to get PDC to copping most all the tones I want to cop, factoring in  ability and financial resource I have available.
 I really don't see how perf with sockets can't be the exact same thing as a breadboard, except for being on a board that can be mounted in a box.
 Something about being able to just box it when I get it goin the way I want...it's enough trouble to get the darn thing built in the first place, much less the second.
 There's no way you could beat a breadboard in my estimation for circuit bending and combining fragments.
 It would be neat to have one...next time I get rich, it's "inked in for Monday".