Please help with 1st build...again

[mindwave_21]

Ok, now that I've got the stereo jack instead of the NC mono jack, and now that I've wired the DC jack correctly (I think, because in mouser's catalog, I hooked up the negative to the inner core and positive to outer core #163-4304)...I still can't get this pedal to pwer up correctly.  It seems to short when I touch the ring (negative battery) input to the chassis when the output jack is touching the chassis with ground...but that still doesn't go to the pedal.  Please help me!  I'm not getting anywhere with this thing...did I wire the 3pdt wrong, I just did it the way it was shown in the GGG tubescreamer schematic...
Oh yeah, and thanks for all the help.

[mindwave_21]

Ok...bump...and
I checked the jack lugs with a multimeter.  From the ring negative to the DC jack positive (basically the battery connectors) I get 9V.  However, when I put negative to the ring and positive to the tip, I get like 0.25V.  Did I wire the input jack incorrectly again?  The longer one is the tip, right?  I checked almost everything, but I still don't see what's wired incorrectly.  Why is there such a drop in the voltage from battery to ring to tip?

[petemoore]

IIRC this breaks the ground when the efkt input has no 1/4'' mono plug in it.
 Connect the Ground to ground on the jack [this should ground the box if it's metal], not the battery negative though, that would go to the sleeve, so when the plugs in there it touches the sleeve contact of the jack and the ring [ground] of the jack, and the input goes to the efkt or input of the bypass switch.
 Cct ground is always connected to the box, ground is made from the battery by way ot the shank tube on the plug when inserted, as is the tip [signal] connection from plug tip to jack

[mindwave_21]

Thanks Pete.  I tried your suggestion, but now I think I'm pretty much back to square one.  The power turns on and off and goes to effect regardless of an input plug...However, the voltages across the transistor are different values now...possibly because I exchanged the mono input jack with a stereo (the output jack is still mono though)...
Does it always have to be this annoyingly frustrating?  :cry:  

By the way,
is this
  \/''''''''''''''''''''''' the ring and
/\.................... the tip?

[zener]

Have you seen the DIY FAQ above? There's a pic there of a stereo jack. I can't tell from your descriptions if you're not getting the signal through the effect or you're not getting any power from DC jack or battery, or both.

Take note that the DC jack's negative is in the circuit's ground and the battery's negative is in the RING of the stereo jack. The purpose is to cut power from the battery whenever you take out the plug from the input.

Also check the DC jack and the stereo jack (and evrything you may suspect) for continuity. Make sure that the lugs aren't touching each other. Just recently, I put in a faulty stereo jack which ring and sleeve touches each other where the lugs are bent. I just bent the lugs away from each other.

[zener]

Thanks Pete.  I tried your suggestion, but now I think I'm pretty much back to square one.  The power turns on and off and goes to effect regardless of an input plug...However, the voltages across the transistor are different values now...possibly because I exchanged the mono input jack with a stereo (the output jack is still mono though)...
Does it always have to be this annoyingly frustrating?  :cry:  

By the way,
is this
  \/''''''''''''''''''''''' the ring and
/\.................... the tip?

Hmmm. Granting that you wired the batt's negative into the RING of the stereo jack and as you said there's power regardless of input plug, it suggests that batt's negative is connected to the circuit ground all the time.

As I said, check the lugs for continuity, something might be shorting from there. I've just experienced that recently. :wink:

[mindwave_21]

Granting that you wired the batt's negative into the RING of the stereo jack

EDIT:  I can't get a consensus on what is what from this site and GGG.  Aron says that the two
/\.............. and \/'''''''''''''''''''''' are the tip and ring, while JD says that these are the tip and sleeve, while the innermost ring of the jack is the ring.  Right now, I have it wired Aron's way, but it doesn't seem to be working quite right (something is shorting so battery is always on and effect gets power with or without a cable plugged into the input jack.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...sorry for being a spaz
end of EDIT

Anyways, here's the wiring diagram from GGG...
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/diagrams/ts_lo_808.gif
thanks for all the help so far, but it's still giving me a hell of a time...

[zener]

No. The sleeve is the base of the symbol in the diagram. Here's the ground connection. When you insert a plug, the plug connects the sleeve and the ring.

Seems you're confused with that stereo jack.

It's very easy you know.

Granting that you don't have any issues regrading with circuit alone, then it's just the wiring.

Look at your plug. When you insert it in a stereo jack, trace which of the three lugs of the jack is connected to the tip of the plug. Now, the ring is the one that gets in contact in the middle of the plug. That is where you connect the batt's negative. The remaining lug is of course the sleeve. You connect it to the circiut's ground.

[aron]

Please check out this thread in the beginner's forum.

I have a picture that shows you how to wire the jacks, 3PDT etc....

This is common wiring for any negative ground circuit.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=970

I suggest that if you still feel confused about it, try asking someone around you for help if possible. That way you can bounce ideas off someone else.

[mindwave_21]

Ok!  I've got the effect to work!  (There was a part of the pcb that wasn't connected because I accidentally broke the trace...but now it sounds great!)

[Peter Snowberg]

Congratulations!

Take care,
-Peter

[Sic]

woo! Gratz!

[petemoore]

Sometimes get the cable and jack, and use the DMM on it. see what actually goes where using the beep mode.
 Because there are three lugs on stereo jacks, they can be used in different ways [like this].
 IIrC from readings correctly these stereo jacks were around for after 9v Guitar devices were being produced before they were used in this way to break battery to cct connection.
 I don't know what the original designer would think of this application, they were designed to be used in conjunction with a three connector [tip / ring / sleeve in that order] plug.