SOLVED Dream fuzz no LED

[Atom ant]

Hello all-
Built a dream fuzz today, and forst tey everything worked…except for the LED. I used a 3pdt breakout board with LED. It didnt work, so I wired it to the motherboard spot, still doesnt work. Swapped the polarity just in case, and still no go. The LED works, tested on my multimeter. Do I need to jumper one of the LED spaces if I use the other? (If i use the motherboard LED space, do I need to jumper the breakout board, or vice versa?

The pedal sounds incredible, otherwise.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Brett]

Can you share some pictures of your build so we can check out your wiring?

 

[Atom ant]

 

[Erik S]

I’m suspicious of this resistor.

It’s a 4.7k which is usually the value of the led current limiting resistor on ppcb boards, and this one has had some trauma.

 

[Atom ant]

Oh, wow. I should zoom in on my photos! I know thats the LED clr resistor, and was considering replacing just to rule it out as an issue. Looks like that might be the problem! Ill keep you posted

 

[Sturdag Lagernathy]

You'll have to jump the unused LED pad, as both are in circuit.

 

[Atom ant]

Temporary update-replaced resistor, reboxed, and no not even a sound now, not even bypass. Also, my solder sucker tip came off, shooting the spring across my workshop. Spent 30 minutes looking for it, then went to bed. Will try again tonight. My though is moving 24 gauge wire too much breaks the wire, and i will be looking at ways to fix that. Soldering wire to pcb sux.

 

[chris.knudson]

You'll have to jump the unused LED pad, as both are in circuit.

Are we sure about this? Seems to me if you just jumper the LED pad, you're sending your 9V power to ground. Looking at schematic, I don't see any ill effect of not populating the CLR or the LED on the main PCB, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

[chris.knudson]

and no not even a sound now, not even bypass

If you're not even getting a bypass sound (assuming your foot switch break out board is a true bypass board), that's where I would start -- check your jack wiring and foot switch wiring. Also check your DC input jack wiring. I can't really tell from the pictures, but it looks like your +9V is connected to the battery disconnect terminal and not the +9V terminal.

EDIT: Actually after looking more closely at the DC jack, I think it's right.

 

[Sturdag Lagernathy]

You will need to jumper the unused LED pad. You will still need a CLR, No matter which LED pad you choose. The CLR and the LED are both between +9v and the "SW" pad, so LED current cannot get to the footswitch if they are not populated or jumped.

 

[Atom ant]

Quick update-I rewired jacks, plugged in, and the LED came on….and wouldn’t turn off. Everything else worked, so progress? I DID jump the extra LED pad, and then cut the jump, because I thought that might be the reason the LED didn’t turn off. Nope, that wasn’t it. Still on. Removed the SW wire from the pcb, and still on. This indicates a short on the pcb correct? I am currently re doing ALL the offboard wiring with solid core, because i cant stand stranded wire. Will update when done. Any thoughts?

 

[Atom ant]

Final update- rewired off board wiring with solid core, jumped the extra LED pad, and all is good! When I replaced the CLR, i had a short from too much solder touching the next resistor, so that was where the not turning off issue was. Apparently you do need to jump the LED of using a 3dpt with a LED pad.

Thanks to Erik S. And Sturdag specifically. This is my 2nd pedal, and so lots more questions to come!

 

[Erik S]

Way to stick it out! Glad you got it going.