Stuff

[music6000]

When your morning starts with this…



…I dunno, but my morning DID and it sucked (yeah yeah punny ). To boot, it was used to remove a leaf-pin socket, which I only use when practical. This was for an ATTINY so yeah makes sense….only I get to the last pin and there’s no pin? -Let me interject that I am long overdue for a lens prescription update for my astigmatism but I’m not playing that card…I just wasn’t paying attention.

Soldered seven pins before noticing there was no eighth !

That would never happen with a Machine Pin Socket!

 

[fig]

This thing says is also tests transistors. Have you tried that? Does it give you any more info than the T7? or T1?

I haven't gotten to that part , but it does test transistors ( or TR from their menu above ). Zeners, optocouplers, LEDs, CD40XXX, etc.
I want to have some level of confidence in these tests before giving any sort of to it, and since I have a boxful of Peak testers and breadboards, I figured it was an interesting task. I'll compare some transistor results to the DCAPro, T1, T7, and my DMM/BB rig.
I'll focus on common readings we use...Vgs-off for matching fets, HFE (gain), and/or whatever other useful readings it might yield. I kind of have doubts of it doing any extensive testing based on the price-point, but I've been wrong once before.

 

[fig]

That would never happen with a Machine Pin Socket!

I agree. I try to only use sockets where a decent probability exists to swap components. The crazy thing is, the very next day Michael reported doing the same thing.

We had a spring socket vs. machine socket discussion, and here are the takeaways (as I remember them anyway);

Machined IC Socket
Pros - sturdier pins; better casting
Cons - round hole - square pin; cost

Spring IC Socket
Pros - cost, easy insertion
Cons - Flimsy pins, inconsistent casting

I have both in the bin, but from now on I (and probably Michael) will pay closer attention if using the latter.

 

[MichaelW]

I agree. I try to only use sockets where a decent probability exists to swap components. The crazy thing is, the very next day Michael reported doing the same thing.

We had a spring socket vs. machine socket discussion, and here are the takeaways (as I remember them anyway);

Machined IC Socket
Pros - sturdier pins; better casting
Cons - round hole - square pin; cost

Spring IC Socket
Pros - cost, easy insertion
Cons - Flimsy pins, inconsistent casting

I have both in the bin, but from now on I (and probably Michael) will pay closer attention if using the latter.

I only got them because I ran out of the machined ones building the bloody Phase II with its 8 zillion ICs. Amazon by 7am next day baby!!! I got my order of machined ones in a few days later and will save the leaf ones for emergencies.

 

[MichaelW]

I only got them because I ran out of the machined ones building the bloody Phase II with its 8 zillion ICs. Amazon by 7am next day baby!!! I got my order of machined ones in a few days later and will save the leaf ones for emergencies.

So I’ve been buying these from Amazon.

I can’t find a darn thing wrong with them. And you can’t beat the price. Takes about 3 weeks to arrive from China though. I should just buy 100 next time and be done with it.

 

[fig]

So I’ve been buying these from Amazon.

I can’t find a darn thing wrong with them. And you can’t beat the price. Takes about 3 weeks to arrive from China though. I should just buy 100 next time and be done with it.

I haven't seen those. I ordered some, so if they suck, I can blame you right?

 

[MichaelW]

I haven't seen those. I ordered some, so if they suck, I can blame you right?

Absolutely! I have big shoulders......and I live far enough away.......

 

[fig]

I haven't gotten to that part , but it does test transistors ( or TR from their menu above ). Zeners, optocouplers, LEDs, CD40XXX, etc.
I want to have some level of confidence in these tests before giving any sort of to it, and since I have a boxful of Peak testers and breadboards, I figured it was an interesting task. I'll compare some transistor results to the DCAPro, T1, T7, and my DMM/BB rig.
I'll focus on common readings we use...Vgs-off for matching fets, HFE (gain), and/or whatever other useful readings it might yield. I kind of have doubts of it doing any extensive testing based on the price-point, but I've been wrong once before.

Update: This tester provides no readings beyond , so I'd say it's probably not really worth the expense, other than for the illusion of confidence in a given IC.

I think that given the braintrust "on-tap" in the membership, it would be feasible to believe a multi-tester of organic design could be had, that would meet the needs of the DIY audio community while keeping the cost to a minimum. Calling all smart people!

 

[fig]

Gather ‘round children, to hear a most gruesome tale of graphic noobility at it’s finest.

Be still! Where was I? Oh, minding my own business building a cool pedal and coming up with what I thought was a fairly clever graphic. My previous submission (Pharmacist / Doc Robert) turned out really well, but honestly all I did was describe my idea to a kind and patient soul who produced the end result. Rather than rinse and repeat with a proven method, I chose to do something stupid and fiddle with file and fate. The result? Disaster. I give you Iteration 1.1a of my aptly-named “DiPSHiT”, aka the PedalPCB Double Pendulum Stereo Harmonic Tremolo…

You’ll notice right away that the LEDs are drilled BELOW the presumed “i”s ….kinda hard to overlook…

But wait….There’s more!

I also decided to zig when zagging was needed.

End Of Part 1

Now, go contain yourselves

There‘s a Part II in it for you…

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

well I must say I'm thoroughly impressed by the DPSHT design, and even happier to be seeing more stereo goodness! Part 2, eagerly awaited!

 

[Deperduci]

so... knowing you'd botch it from the get go...

I dare ask, how does itsound? rotating speaker wtfdude or farting in a large public bathroom?

 

[fig]

Part Duece

At least partially undaunted, the noob shakes off this train wreck as a one-off sorta thing. Noobs are known for this sudden burst of false confidence when faced with utter failure, to safeguard against otherwise being destroyed by the truth.....hey...literary license okay?

One of the issues not shown above was the foot switch alignment. I had already attached it to the pcb but mis-measured my mod, so when the "thing" arrived, I unsoldered and re-positioned to fit the enclosure (so it'd be right for the replacement enclosure). That's why it fits in the pic. This proved to be a fatal blow but I'll get to that.

The replacement enclosure was ordered, and a couple weeks later I checked the status which read;

REJECTED: SERIOUS ISSUES WITH GRAPHICS, love Hugo.

Okay I added the "love"...but I could definitely feel it.

At this point, the graphics noob decides to punt, and orders a plain-drilled box to put and end to the nightmare and be able to hear this wonderfully intriguing pedal. You see, it had been tested for functionality only at this point.

A couple more weeks go by and a shiny box with holes arrives. I grab the guts and shove them in...nope. Wrong drill file. The jacks are perfect, the LEDs are perfect but once again, the footswitch is now where it should have been on the previous enclosure. #&#^$*^

To put a donk on this story, while desoldering the footswitch the second time, two pads were unable to take the abuse. No pictures of that carnage...or aftermath.

Here is the only known gut-shot and an end to this ill-fated fiasco. Will I rebuild? Perhaps...but these wounds run deep...

Thanks for reading and laughing along with me, at me. Feel free to unleash well-deserved flaming. (then go build something)

 

[Feral Feline]

Well Fig, I'm sure it can be salvaged, even if it won't be pretty anymore. Call the little phoenix a build with "mods" with "added character".

At least all your little sausages lined up nice and neat for the party.

 

[fig]

At least all your little sausages lined up nice and neat for the party.

fitting, eh?

 

[fig]

LOTS happening here at Fig Labs. Relatively speaking. I mean, it was pretty quiet all night while I was asleep but things are moving now! I’ve had two cups of coffee and a break already. Why, I’ve made at least a dozen posts already

I cracked open the PICKit 4 that came yesterday only to realize it was an in-circuit debugger and not the PIC programmer. So I ordered a PM3 this morning (used, because they must be made of platinum or something). This is relevant to all of you who have (or will) receive pcbs from me that require a microcontroller. I’m working on it .

 

[fig]

Update: USPS says today.

Now for the weather: Missed it by one day! Yesterday was the first day of fall here, but it was 92F. This morning, I stepped outside as usual and it’s f-ff-fffff-fffiffffty t-ttttt—two.

 

[Deperduci]

I noticed tht in the north end, 20th, was low 80's, get up on 22 and brrrrr... was down to 40 at like 5am... did some imaginary divine being look at the calendar and say "summer's done, time to turn the boiler off" ?

 

[fig]

Guitar pedals? Not today! I picked up my old LP flipped over to the bridge HB dropped the tone knob back to near nothing, plugged straight into my faithful BJR with these magic settings and rocked out. Serious therapy

 

[swyse]

Guitar pedals? Not today! I picked up my old LP flipped over to the bridge HB dropped the tone knob back to near nothing, plugged straight into my faithful BJR with these magic settings and rocked out. Serious therapy

I forgot those go to 12, great power, great responsibility.

 

[fig]

I forgot those go to 12, great power, great responsibility.

The MASTER is there to tame the beast within, but the growl doth remain ever so menacing