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Hello again,
My Crown Jewel has worked perfect from first fire up and immediately became my main overdrive pedal...this thing is killer!!!

However the other day it started humming very loud under two scenarios...

1) both boost and drive are engaged while the voltage toggle is in the 9v position.
boost and drive function fine when used separately, i only get the hum while using both sides, no matter which way the before/after switch is in. Also which ever effect is "last" its volume control effects the hum.

2)if the voltage switch is switched to 18v both sides hum while used alone or together. same scenario with the order switch no effect on the noise but whichever is last the volume reduces the hum with the signal...

Guitar signal is present and all knobs work under all conditions...

The only modification i have done is removed Q4 to remove the pause while switching. The effect function just fine after i removed the transistor. As far as i know nothing "happened"...

To me the hum sounds like when there is a grounding problem....but i dont see any grounds being switched and the switching is working properly...I checked the toggle switches and they are functioning correctly and there are no solder bridges..i checked obsessively with my continuity meter...

odd to me is i get he hum while in 18V mode when using the boost which is at 9V and there is no connection on the boost pcb and the 18V pad...i tired another boost module that has worked in the past and i had the same issues...

not really sure how to test the mcu ...voltages all test correctly on the opamps, charge pump and the 5V regulator...

Im stumped...could it be a damaged charge pump or mcu adding noise even though they are are functioning in their duty??

any help or advice in direction to do more trouble shooting is greatly appreciated...at this time i do not have a way of taking pictures unfortunately...

sorry for the long post figured i list all the steps i have tried...
thanks for any help out there!!!

Try re-flowing all of the jack wiring (DC jack included) at both ends of each wire. Wouldn't hurt to do the footswitch connections, too.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I re-flowed all the jack connections and checked for continuity and still getting the hum unfortunately.

Have you recently changed power adapters? Have you recently added any digital fx to your rig?

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

I only use a voodoo labs power plus and i have not i have not changed out any other pedals on my board since adding the crown jewel...

I tried removing the charge pump and still get the hum in both switch positions.....I also tried pulling the MCU but then switching does not work so it got me no where,,,haha,,,

What about if you pull the boost channel module?

What if you pull the boost channel module and use a wire to jumper the in and out sockets?

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

will try that this evening and report back my results.
Thanks for your help!! Its greatly appreciated!!!

ok got some results that i think narrow it down a bit...

With the boost board out i get no hum and the overdrive side works as it should. When i engage the boost i get no sound as would be expected and the hum is still absent.

However with the in and out jumpered on the boost module sockets the hum comes back.

I checked all the surrounding connections for solder bridges and broken traces and reflowed the solder joints. I also checked continuity for all the parts in that area and it checks out...

Does the first/last switch make any difference here with the jumper? How about the 18/9v switch? Please describe what happens with all possible combinations of boost on 9v, boost off 9v, boost on 18v, boost off 18v, drive on 9v, drive off 9v, drive first boost second 18v, etc. Sorry for the tedium. This is a real head scratcher.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

I enjoy the tedium hahah no problem there!! I enjoyed the pedal functioning more though hahaha

Thank you for taking the time to help me out...head scratcher for sure!!


I will test under all those conditions as soon as i can.


Thanks again!!

sooooooolast i left this thing last night it was buzz o rama...
i set up to do the next round of tests and the hum is gone in all scenarios including with the boost module installed...

nothing changed same power source cables amp and guitar.
so i am assuming its a bad solder joint

I am moving any parts i can around the pots everything to try to find where the short is/was..i am going to keep trying to find a cold solder joint or lifted trace but if it keeps working i will put it back in the enclosure and see if bolting the pots flexes any bad joints and all brings the noise back...

thanks again for the help,,,the fact that its working fine now has me even more befuddled...

So i realized that i had used a different jack on my power supply when i hooked it up and the hum went away...i switched it to the the original socket and the hum came back...

not sure what that means

i used the same jack for another pedal and the other pedal worked fine...

bizzare

Curious

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

It means don't use that jack in this pedal! (I don't know what it means either!)

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

haha yeah

What is the current draw of this effect with the relays engaged? the jack that was making noise has a 100mA rating... the one that works has a 250mA rating...

Page 26 of the CJ instructions says 80mA.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2