The Grand Wazoo
Active member
- Build Rating
I finally finished my Protoboard build. I was waiting for PCB 1/4” jacks. For some reason, I thought it would take the solder lug version of those jacks. It doesn’t.
Very easy build compared to many others. This was my first experience soldering SMD components and that went well.
I made a huge mistake by sticking down one of the Busboard breadboards without interlocking it to the other one. I thought the genders of the slip joints were reversed. I was wrong. So I pried up the one that was stuck to the PCB. Well here’s some news. Busboard uses double sided tape as the bottom of their breadboards. As a result, I have an intimate knowledge of the innards of the Busboard BB830. Since the only non-conductive two sided tape I had on-hand was much thicker than the Busboard variety, I had to remove the backing of the other one so they were both the same height and interlocked (my … fastidious … nature would not allow a bi-level breadboard). Were any of you aware that the power rails are interlocked, as well? Separate and distinct from the main breadboard. Anyway, it’s together. The build was great except for my own stupidity.
I don’t understand why Busboard would create an un-reversible situation where the inherent value, the very purpose, of the product is the ability to undo and re-do things.
I used female pin headers instead of male pin headers because I’m certain that I will short things out one day with power exposed like that. It’s a me thing.
The first circuit that I built (before the jacks arrived because they weren’t needed) was the RG Keen transistor tester to check leakage and hFE on some 2N404A’s that I have. Sadly, only one had an hFE of 90. The others were 32, 35, and 46. The 90 is going to a Duocast. For the others, I’ll probably breadboard a Rangemaster and play with the lower gain values.
The terminal blocks are perfect for SPDT toggle switches, by the way. That was how I was applying base current to the transistors in the RG Keen tester. Oh! And I got a ZIF socket to make IC and transistor swapping easier.
Whatever is next, I’m happy to have this tool available.
Very easy build compared to many others. This was my first experience soldering SMD components and that went well.
I made a huge mistake by sticking down one of the Busboard breadboards without interlocking it to the other one. I thought the genders of the slip joints were reversed. I was wrong. So I pried up the one that was stuck to the PCB. Well here’s some news. Busboard uses double sided tape as the bottom of their breadboards. As a result, I have an intimate knowledge of the innards of the Busboard BB830. Since the only non-conductive two sided tape I had on-hand was much thicker than the Busboard variety, I had to remove the backing of the other one so they were both the same height and interlocked (my … fastidious … nature would not allow a bi-level breadboard). Were any of you aware that the power rails are interlocked, as well? Separate and distinct from the main breadboard. Anyway, it’s together. The build was great except for my own stupidity.
I don’t understand why Busboard would create an un-reversible situation where the inherent value, the very purpose, of the product is the ability to undo and re-do things.
I used female pin headers instead of male pin headers because I’m certain that I will short things out one day with power exposed like that. It’s a me thing.
The first circuit that I built (before the jacks arrived because they weren’t needed) was the RG Keen transistor tester to check leakage and hFE on some 2N404A’s that I have. Sadly, only one had an hFE of 90. The others were 32, 35, and 46. The 90 is going to a Duocast. For the others, I’ll probably breadboard a Rangemaster and play with the lower gain values.
The terminal blocks are perfect for SPDT toggle switches, by the way. That was how I was applying base current to the transistors in the RG Keen tester. Oh! And I got a ZIF socket to make IC and transistor swapping easier.
Whatever is next, I’m happy to have this tool available.
