Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Hi, all. I'm new to this hobby, and I'm currently building the BYOC Blue Overdrive pedal (this will be my 4th pedal). The mod kit was sold out, so I sourced the different parts separately based on the instructions, and so far things are going relatively smoothly. I have the board populated and the appropriate components swapped with the mod parts. (This is my stepping stone project to building without full kits.)

However, I haven't seen any gut shot pictures of a completed build with the fat mod included. I'm getting a little tripped up on what the wiring to the toggle switch is supposed to look like with the capacitors and wires. The illustration in the pdf is helpful for explaining how to piece them together, but I'm having a hard time imagining the caps just...floating there? Rather than being board-mounted.

Does anyone have any images they could share? I did a quick search of these boards but couldn't find anything. Sorry if this isn't the right spot to ask this. Thanks!

I strongly recommend using an on-on DPDT toggle switch rather than the SPDT shown in the Blue OD mod instructions. This allows you to mount the caps across the end pairs of lugs rather than "hanging" them between the switch and PCB as shown in the instructions . The two middle lugs of the DPDT switch then connect back to the two eyelets of that 183 cap position on the PCB. Here's what mine looks like:

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

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

Thank you! That's incredibly helpful. Mounting to the switch lugs makes a lot of sense and seems more straightforward than what's shown in the mod instructions.

That said, I have a follow-up question: Is there a major downside to the "hanging" method with the SPDT switch? I was hoping to add the switch to the top of the enclosure rather than the side, and I'm not sure I have room for the DPDT switch between the pots with both capacitors mounted to the lugs as you've shown.

It just simplifies the installation and you don't have to worry about the cap leads overbending/breaking or shorting against something on the PCB. And it looks a lot neater/more professional, IMO.


The challenge with a top mount is having enough room between the bottom of the PCB and the top of the enclosure to install the switch so that the lugs don't short against the solder joints on the PCB. I'm not sure that a SPDT will offer any advantage in this regard, because I'm pretty sure the total height of the lugs and switch body is the same--1/2" for the mini-toggles I've always used. That's just about how much room you'll have between the PCB & enclosure. I wouldn't try to shoehorn the switch in between the Level & Tone pots, but would mount it to the right of the Drive pot. If you go with this top mount, I would mount the caps straight out from the switch lugs rather than bending them up 90 degrees as I did, and then install the switch so that the toggle moves vertically rather than horizontally. Insulate the bottom of the PCB immediately above the switch with electrical tape.

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

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

Completely agree on the professional/neatness factor. I'm a bit of a total perfectionist and I like things to be tidy, so I'm with you there.



Thank you so much for your insight. The clearance is the issue I'm encountering now. Unfortunately, being new to this hobby, I didn't make the connection that the previous top-mounted toggles I'd done were PCB-mounted, so I foolishly drilled the hole in the enclosure already without taking the additional clearance into consideration. Won't make that mistake again! So now I'm trying to make it work anyway. (Hole is to the right of the Drive, as you mentioned.)

I discovered that if I added a couple washers on the pots on the inside (there's still enough thread on the outside to tighten the nuts), and then bent the solder lugs on the SPDT* down slightly (maybe that's ill-advised?) then I think I can manage enough space. Especially with insulating the bottom of the PCB.

*Don't have a DPDT switch on hand. Planning on grabbing one later today to see how it works with the space.

Plan B (or maybe C, at this point, ha!) is to go with the side-mount switch as I should have done all along and fill the extraneous top hole with a second LED.

Just wanted to say thanks again for your photo and insight! Also thought I'd post this on the off-chance you saw this again, or if anyone else has the same questions/challenges I did.

I successfully implemented the toggle switch on the top of the enclosure. I managed to find an extremely small-bodied, small-lug DPDT toggle switch at a local shop. I was able to solder the caps directly to the switch like in your pic, and I bent them downward to stay out of the way. I added a washer to each pot (on the inside of the enclosure) to lift the board just slightly, but I probably wouldn't even have needed to do that with how small the switch was. Still, to be safe, I used some electrical tape on the back of the board.

The pedal works flawlessly and I'm super happy with the mod overall. Thanks again, really appreciated the visual reference.

Excellent! Glad to see you were able to make it fit!

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

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

Very good implementation! Enjoy that pedal.

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Scott

My band, Austin Hollow