Next Build: BYOC's New Overdrive 2 Kit...

[vroomery]

A square eyelet typically is for certain capacitors. The longer lead on the capacitor is the positive end and it goes into the square eyelet. I'm not sure about the small eyelets though. I'm sure dvm will be able to help.

[duhvoodooman***]

+1 on the square eyelets--positive terminal of polar caps (electrolytics, tantalums) and diodes.

Those really small eyelets are generally "pass-throughs"--a way of connecting a trace on one side of the PCB to one on the other side. Take a look at that same eyelet on both sides of of the board (the instructions show both) and you'll see what I mean.

[EARNEST]

+1 on the square eyelets--positive terminal of polar caps (electrolytics, tantalums) and diodes.

Those really small eyelets are generally "pass-throughs"--a way of connecting a trace on one side of the PCB to one on the other side. Take a look at that same eyelet on both sides of of the board (the instructions show both) and you'll see what I mean.

Oh...shit...I was thinking BYOC was trying to confuse ppl...So most likely I won't be able to make the board on my own...?:

Like on this pic

[duhvoodooman***]

So most likely I won't be able to make the board on my own...?

These are sophisticated and very high quality double-sided PCB's with full through-plated eyelets. Really, I've never come across an effect PCB that can touch them, quality-wise. They'll stand up to a lot of thermal abuse--you can solder/desolder/resolder multiple times with no difficulty.

If you want a PCB layout to be able to make your own TS-style overdrive board from, there are TONS of them posted on the 'net. For example, THIS ONE at General Guitar Gadgets. But you won't get all the additional functionality & features of the BYOC design, including the separate onboard boost. But as long as you understand the GGG layout, you can add many of the same mods "off-board" using switches and pots. There's a ton of supporting documentation there on the GGG website.

[EARNEST]

These are sophisticated and very high quality double-sided PCB's with full through-plated eyelets. Really, I've never come across an effect PCB that can touch them, quality-wise. They'll stand up to a lot of thermal abuse--you can solder/desolder/resolder multiple times with no difficulty.

If you want a PCB layout to be able to make your own TS-style overdrive board from, there are TONS of them posted on the 'net. For example, THIS ONE at General Guitar Gadgets. But you won't get all the additional functionality & features of the BYOC design, including the separate onboard boost. But as long as you understand the GGG layout, you can add many of the same mods "off-board" using switches and pots. There's a ton of supporting documentation there on the GGG website.

what do you mean by full through-plated eyelets?:

P.S. The double-sided PCB of OD2 has the same track pattern on both sides? Or bottom side has 1 track layout, the other side has another layout?
cheers.

[tunghaichuan***]

what do you mean by full through-plated eyelets?:

The top pad is connected to the bottom pad by a metal tube, the hole is plated through. Some holes on PCBs are not plated through, so you have to solder both pads to ensure electrical conductivity.

tung

[duhvoodooman***]

The top pad is connected to the bottom pad by a metal tube, the hole is plated through. Some holes on PCBs are not plated through, so you have to solder both pads to ensure electrical conductivity.

tung

Exactly. Also, through-plated eyelets are very securely anchored in the board and it takes some really doing to "lift" them from the PCB. Single-sided pads are notoriously prone to lifting, particularly when desoldering/resoldering.

[EARNEST]

About the clipping section, can I put MOSFETs, germanium diodes and something else there?
Thanks

[ColPhorbin]

About the clipping section, can I put MOSFETs, germanium diodes and something else there?
Thanks

The mini toggle switch is an on/off/on thing. so theres always going to be two options and then the "off" part of the switch. I know you can't have LED and MOSFET at the same time, and i guess you have to choose between either germanium or silicon diodes. so basically your options are MOSFET/none/germanium, MOSFET/none/silicon, LED/none/germanium, and LED/none/silicon. Is there another interesting kind of clipping you had in mind?

[duhvoodooman***]

About the clipping section, can I put MOSFETs, germanium diodes and something else there?
Thanks

Yes, absolutely. There are three spots on the PCB to install clipping diodes, though two of them share the same position on the selector toggle switch, so you use one or the other of those. One of these two spots is specifically set up for a pair of MOSFETs, and I find they sound so damned good I just solder those in and dedicate that spot to them permanently.

The other clipping position I like to install eyelets in and then experiment with different diode combos there. You can go with LED's, germaniums, asymmetric silicon arrays, etc.--just go wild trying stuff untill you find one (or two, or three....) that you like.

Here's a photo of a partially completed OD2 with those diode spots socketed. They're the ones to the immediate left of that pair of black BS170 MOSFET's at the middle-right of the board. The entire boost section of this OD2 board is also socketed, so that I could switch between the linear silicon and MOSFET boost versions.

[EARNEST]

thanks, guys. you ve been very helpful. finally i got my breadboard, multimeter and other tools.
time to buy material.
few questions here.
1. can u recommend good ebay sellers where i can purchase FR4 at reasonable price (preferably, based on your own purchase/experience)
2. i live in Malta (EU) and I am planning to order around 100-120 euro worth components for future pedals (OD, chorus, phaser, etc). Most probably, I would buy off http://www.export.farnell.com. IF any Maltese here, maybe we could order more and share the shipping cost?
Malta
3. Eyelets...are they really important?
4. About that clipping section...I was thinking to try and install some cool switch that would allow more than 1/0/1 positions....

[duhvoodooman***]

1. Not me, but I'll bet Tunghaichuan could. But it's likely it'll be here in the US. Maybe some of your EU brethren will speak up.
2. There a small town called Malta about 20 miles north of here on I-87, but somehow I think you're referring to a different place....
3. Eyelets are a convenience, not an essential. A great time-saver if you plan to swap around a bunch of components, and they reduce the wear & tear on a PCB (esp. the traces) from repeated soldering/desoldering operations.
4. A rotary switch is a good way to go to get lots of different combos off a single switch. But they're bulky, so be sure to get an enclosure with enough room.

[EARNEST]

1. Not me, but I'll bet Tunghaichuan could. But it's likely it'll be here in the US. Maybe some of your EU brethren will speak up.
2. There a small town called Malta about 20 miles north of here on I-87, but somehow I think you're referring to a different place....
3. Eyelets are a convenience, not an essential. A great time-saver if you plan to swap around a bunch of components, and they reduce the wear & tear on a PCB (esp. the traces) from repeated soldering/desoldering operations.
4. A rotary switch is a good way to go to get lots of different combos off a single switch. But they're bulky, so be sure to get an enclosure with enough room.

1. ok, thanks, hopefully he will read this post
2. yeah...different place, i edited my previous post
3. Then I would need to get eyelets and some kind of a tool for it Hope I get the right size
4. I am planning [for now] to build 100% DIY pedal, so maybe even an enclosure is going to be hand built.
Cheers.:

P.S.
I tried to google PCB layout of OD2, but could not find it. Therefore, the only option left is to draw it by myself. If someone has it, I'll be grateful if you share it with us [me ].
Anyways, if I draw it, you think some ppl can help me out to debug it, since I am completely newbie in electronics