Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Pure pants-flappin' pleasure.

Nice!!!


But I have to ask you something...and this is something I see quite a bit here. Why do you (and other people) put the current-limiting resistor on the PCB and then not use it? I see that all the time on the layouts I've done.

Looks real nice, love that X partern, with the subtle yellow and bruised black finish, right up my alley!






Because we populate without thinking.....

I nearly pulled it out before I posted too

Often there is a considerable interval between when I populate a board and box it up.
When I build I'll populate as per the bom, starting with (all) the resistors. And I'll do them one value at a time, 5x 10k, 4x 4.7k etc

When boxing time comes, usually I'll place the Led(s) first as they're the lowest lying...then worry about the pots and board... at which point comes...oh, yeah- it's a madbean board or one of yours, it's got the CLR...but I'm using an ultra bright led, I might have used something a bit stronger than 4.7k...will I desolder?... probably can't be arsed.

Generally I find it a bit inconvenient to have the Led attached to the board if I need to pop the board in and out too.

So there it is, no really good reason, just a combination of lack of planning, lazyness and habit.

Ah, I see.

I find having the CLR on the board to be really time-saving. But I think I must be one of the few, because almost everybody but me wires the CLR manually off-board (whether there is space on the board for it or not).

Maybe I'll start leaving off the value on the schematic and BOM so that people will *have* to stop and wonder why and realize it's a CLR.

Put a value in the BOM, say 200R-20K. Tell people it affects say the high end. Love to see the responses to that!

Looks great - like it's been around since the eighties!



Or put a note pointing out it's the CLR and people should leave it out it they're wiring one off-board.

Wait, you mean like this:






None of this should take away from Ben's very nice build, of course. I just wanted to ask about the CLR thing. I see it a lot and I decided I'd pick on Ben a bit.

super clean build, as usual! The finish is really nice. Not exactly relic'd, more like weathered. Do you ever make any sound clips for your builds?

Lovin' the look on this one B! Very cool! How did you do the lettering on there?

I deserved it, the offending resistor is the wrong color and sticks out like a third nipple.

The finish was a bit of an experiment, part EVH tape, a few colors of paint and some wet&dry. The lettering is scratched on by hand.
I have done a few youtube clips of some of my more unusual builds, there's some links over at my website

Nice work...really like the box on this one.


I read the note on my Whisker build a hundred times, fully intending on NOT using the on-board CLR, then threw it on there anyways , so I used it.....think I even used the correct value (I usually go for an uber-low value as I like my LEDs to pierce retinas )

Maybe "CLR" on the board itself...closer to dummy-proof...???

Sorry for the thread derail, bro. It really is an excellent build.

Credit is due to you CJ, it's a nice board, straightforward build and sounds great!

Nice work. cool enclosure too man. I have one of these, and just got three more boards from CJ. I love the tone. Can wait to get the new ones built.

Awesome build as usual Ben. I just love your stuff man.

CJ, in thinking about this I thi k it is just as simple as not paying attention in my case. I just solder all the resistors in and then when it comes time to do the LED I think crap is the CLR on there and I just go aww f it, I'll toss a 1k atrached.

Lazy plain and simple

Very pretty build! CJ, I like the CLR on the board, like you.

Ben, the finishing is just WOW
What do you have under the board as short-protection?
CJ, I love havin the CLR on board as well. Just silkscreen CLR on it, cuz people are to lazy to read below the BOM

I use thick double-sided tape to hold the board and prevent it shorting to the pots.