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Ampeg Fliptop in a stompbox......The Flipster.

#161
I wouldn't worry about it too much; the main reason it's taken me so long to debug is that I haven't had time to focus on it. I'm sure with some more focused time I could have wrapped it up quicker.

Be sure to test the value of each resistor before soldering it in; also test the functionality of each pot; also double-check the polarity of polar components such as the LED and a couple of the caps.

I'll probably be ordering a batch of multi-turn trimpots soon, so I'll post back to let people know if/when I have them and how much they'd cost if you want some.
 
#162
to VIN MM 79: I LOVE the second clip when slapping at eleven!!! this thing sounds really cool, but I haven't heard any clips of when you turn it on and off to compare with a clean tone

BTW you seem to use it in the effect loop, what about putting it in front of the amps??


cheers
 
#165
tonight I spent about an hour with the kit and I don't see how I'm going to be able to build it. I spent the whole time trying to identify the resistors by those $%& color codes--is there some trick to this? the instructions are excellent, but it's virtually impossible to tell the difference between blue, purple, red brown and black on these things, which are tiny and smeary and inexplicably blue themselves, throwing the whole color id thing into a cocked hat. In the past, I've bought resistors in packages and the label told me what was what.

I'm going to try a magnifying glass, but is there some trick to this I'm not getting? Do you guys just test them with the multimeter, and ignore the little unreadable stripes? is it just my 48 year old eyes? It looks to me like if I have any hope of building this thing I'm going to have to go to radio shack and buy a whole new set of resistors
 
#166
You do in fact need a magnifying glass. I use one with a light built in, it's a life saver. Also, note that the blue ones are 2% resistors with a five band code, whereas the tan/brown ones you're probably used to are 5%, with a four band code.
 
#167
Thanks!

I had one of those LED headlamps on, but it was nearly impossible to tell the colors apart and the bands weren't distinct at all. I'll try the magnifier and then if that doesn't work see If i can't get a bead on them with the multimeter
 
#168
PB+J said:
I'm going to try a magnifying glass, but is there some trick to this I'm not getting? Do you guys just test them with the multimeter, and ignore the little unreadable stripes? is it just my 48 year old eyes? It looks to me like if I have any hope of building this thing I'm going to have to go to radio shack and buy a whole new set of resistors
Click to expand...

Yup, the trick is to use the multimeter. I use the stripes to get close, but if I am at all in doubt, I measure. I find the blue/green/gray hardest to distinguish.

And yeah, I am still getting the hang of those 5 band resistors. Although I have some 2.2k that are all red. Those I don't have to measure ;)
 
#169
I've been following this thread and have decided that the flipster could well be the answer to my tonal prayers, however, whilst I've built and modded a few pedals myself, they've always been simple builds and in the main, build by numbers jobs. I possess a soldering iron and an ability to follow instructions and very little more.
So what I would like to know from those who have built one is; how easy is it? I've seen a lot of talk of setting bias for the jfets and this scares me a little. I don't have a meter and wouldn't know how to use one if i did!

Also, I see that a lot of you have breadboarded this, but that's not something I would do. I'd rather go the PCB route, but what's the quality of the OCL PCB like. I've built a BYOC DOD 440 clone recently and the PCB was outstanding quality. Also in the dim and distant, Mike at analogman sent me some NKT275s and a Sun Face PCB to build a fuzz face clone, and again, the PCB was superb. Are we talking military spec through plated holes etc with the OLC, or the kind of press n peel PCB that I could make myself (but hate doing and wouldn't want to again)?

Thanks in advance, and to all those who have posted pics and sound clips, thanks so much for reigniting my GAS!!!
 
#170
I have very little experience, so I can't tell if the PC Board is better or worse than others. So far I'm just populating the PCB board--I haven't soldered any components into place yet.

Negatives: It's a little annoying that the resistor values given in the directions don't match what I was sent in the kit. In two cases the third color was different from the spec. I assume (I looked it up) that the differences won't matter much. Mine also shipped with two screws for the case instead of four.

Positives The directions are excellent--very clear and easy to follow. The directions are well illustrated and include a lot of useful tips.

I have a multimeter which has been very useful so far. I'll update as I go along
 
#172
Examples of the good the bad and the ugly. The 2 green boards are an analogman PCB (with the trimpots) and a BYOC PCB (with the opamp and the photocoupler thingy). The other 2 are boards which I got via general guitar gadgets, and whilst perfectly good, they're not quite as easy to solder as the thru plated versions and don't feel like they'll last forever the way the others do!
Does the OLC look like either of these??

I can understand your annoyance at getting the wrong components. It sounds as if they've had a bad time recently, but at least from what has been explained in this thread, it sounds like they've done something about it. Seems they're pretty hot on the support package too.
 

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#173
The board on my kit looks like the boards on the right.

I re-read the instructions and they do say that some of the component values might not match up perfectly


Pedro, I'm trying to avoid my usual mistake, which is to rush. So I'll be taking my time. I just did some soldering, I'll maybe do some more tonight
 
#175
The OLC PCB is "acceptable", nothing more, it looks like the BYOC one. You pretty much have to use a multimeter to do the job right, and good ones are not expensive or difficult to use. Get one and don't sweat it, you'll figure it out quickly.
 
#176
bongomania said:
The OLC PCB is "acceptable", nothing more, it looks like the BYOC one. You pretty much have to use a multimeter to do the job right, and good ones are not expensive or difficult to use. Get one and don't sweat it, you'll figure it out quickly.
Click to expand...

Thanks I guess I will. I think I know someone I can borrow one from.

For the sake of accuracy, I should point out that the BYOC board is one of the green ones. The 2 yellow ones are from general guitar gadgets. They're ok but not great like the BYOC.
 

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