Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Everything seems to be fine with the pedal, the LED comes on and sound is coming out when on and off with just a slight difference in sound when the pedal is on. When I adjust the mix pot it makes a lot of loud static and all the way counter clockwise to the phase side there is no guitar, it's like a volume knob. Is it just the potentiometer or could it be other things too? If I need to send pics let me know, thanks

Hi - welcome to the forum!

The static indicates there is either DC voltage on the pot, which could be from a short or a bad cap, or a bad pot (very unlikely). The fact that you don't have any signal when the mix pot is CCW indicates your Phase section is not working. Please upload clear pics of each side of the pcb, cut them down to about 900 pixels wide so they fit on the screen, and include pics of all wiring too.

Have you dialed in the trim pot, and do you get any popping when you switch the phase toggled switch?

The trilm pot has been dialed very slowly and nothing changed and there is a popping the I switch the toggle switch. here is some pics and I do apologize about the quality, hopefully these will still help. let me know if you need better pics, I'll borrow someones camera.

last pic

Okay. Can't see much from those pics, but it roughly looks like everything is in place. Your symptoms indicate the mix pot is working fine, the input and output sections are fine, but there is signal blockage in the wet signal path. This is more than likely a cold solder joint; happens very frequently. The best thing you can do is to remove all IC's from the sockets and reheat each solder joint on the board.

The wet signal components include R4 through R23, C2 through C10, and IC's 3 through 5. Pat special attention to all of those components.

When I can find time I work with this... I got rid of the scratching pot by reheating all the solder joints like you said but the switch is still popping and I can't get any phasing. I dialed the trim pot slowly and still no difference. There is also a slight distortion when it's on.
thanks, sorry I'm slow with details.

I understand you don't have the static anymore, but does the mix pot still work like a volume control? Or are you getting clean signal at both ends now?

not a volume control anymore, there is no difference when dialed all the way clockwise or CCW.

Okay, the best way to figure this out going forward is either with an audio probe/signal tester or voltage readings. Do you have either of those things?

I do have a volt meter

Take voltage readings from IC3 and IC4 and the middle lug of the depth pot with the depth pot at 50% rotation. The depth pot reading should move up and down (oscillate).

IC pins are orientated like this:

Here's a voltage tutorial if you need it: http://www.ladyada.net/learn/multimeter/voltage.html

Well, this problem seems to be all over the place, weak sounding, quite unnoticeable phaser efrfect, I'd say BYOC is time to come up with a solution, or begin issuing refunds, I can admit my lack of ability to build pedals (although have built and modded many) but there are at least 10 thread with this similar problem being mentioned, sooo....

yes, I've opened my own thread about this issue...

I don't understand why you added your comment to this thread. In this thread, the OP's mix pot was not working and he then had another problem with his build. Please try to keep comments in the support lounges constructive and applicable to the problem that the original poster described.

Regarding your comment: This is not the easiest BYOC kit, it is a very popular kit, a lot of inexperienced builders take on this kit perhaps before their skills are up to the challenge, and there have been many, many kits built successfully without a 'weak' sounding phase. It's misguided to look at a few builds with similar problems, jump to the conclusion that there is some inherent design flaw, and gripe about the company issuing refunds. These are not Lego kits.

Your comment does nothing to add to the value of this thread, and is frankly outside of the positive atmosphere we work hard to cultivate around here.

I'm sorry if I offended anyone by stating my point of view, but that's the way I feel, I have a food joint for a living, If I get one complaint about the quality of it, I may believe it's the costumer, If I get ten complaints about food being too salty, then I shall humbly take a look at my cooking process.

I still believe it's time BYOC to take a look at this "low phase effect problem" it seems a very common topic in then forum, and I may be a lousy builder (Which I believe I'm not) but when there are tens of threads about it, maybe there's a design flaw or something.

Since I'm overseas I had to buy my kit on eBay and if it does not work after checking everything, then I will ask for a refund, what's wrong with that?

I only object to this discussion in this thread. We try to keep the support threads narrowed down to the subject at hand so that users can find the information they are looking for without threads being cluttered up by other discussion. I'm quite familiar with the issue you're speaking to, but neither your issue with your build or the OP's issue in this thread deals with the weak phasing brought up in other threads. In this thread, the builder reported a problem with his mix pot. Once the mix pot got cleared up, it was discovered he had no phasing. No phasing is an entirely different issue than weak phasing.

That's all I'm trying to say - please do not tag onto other support threads unless the issue you're speaking to is relevant. This thread is not dealing with a weak phase when the circuit is built correctly; it's dealing with build errors. Also, there are separate lounges you can use to discuss when you have a grievance. The "Praise, Complaints, & Suggestions" lounge is a good one: http://www.buildyourownclone.com/board/index.php

I'll let this ride for a couple days, but Intend to delete these last few posts in order to keep the thread relevant.

I'd really like to hear back from the OP on thr status of voltage readings and get the build working.

Regarding comparing this to the restaurant biz, apples to oranges no? The folks in your restaraunt are not cooking the food themselves with you providing only the ingredients. BYOC's fully built phasers (sold by axeandyoushallreceive) do not have these issues. And as mentioned there are hundreds built successfully. People don't post tech support questions when they build a working phaser...

As requested please leave this thread to the OP getting help with a build issue. Thank you.

Sorry about all that bullshit and me taking so long, I'm gonna try to get back to the pedal this weekend...... too busy lately