Ok, to sum up that mess above ^^^

The LED circuit connects to the Trem circuit at +9V, ground and the collector of Q3.

It works... sorta..

With R1 LED connected to Q3 trem it adds a "thump thump thump" as the trem oscillates.
Also some added hiss in the signal.

I tried adding a low value cap between Q3 and R1. Doesn't work. LED won't blink.

Need some ideas here...

Thanks! 

Trem Circuit...

http://www.modkitsdiy.com/sites/modkitsdiy.com/files/product_files/the_trill_tremolo_schematic_1.pdf

So in my circuit newbishness I built the Trill Tremolo from MODKitsDiy.

http://www.modkitsdiy.com/pedal/trill_tremolo

Turns out they have a Mod for the Mod kit....       :cheesy: 

Actually more than one mod...

They have...

DC power jack add... Mod

LED add... Mod

Intensity control... Mod

(Ok, enough already, they see the bad humor) .... Did I say that out loud?

I've already done the DC jack and the Intensity control.
Waiting for a 3PDT stomp switch to get here so I can add the LED... but wait...
Why have a boring plain old glowing-not pulsing LED when you could have....
....a pulsing LED.

There is already an oscillator circuit right there!
Just need to tap into it somehow...

Here's the schematic for the Trem...

http://www.modkitsdiy.com/sites/modkitsdiy.com/files/product_files/the_trill_tremolo_schematic_1.pdf

I tried to interface an LED with a 2N3904 BJT but could not get it to work.

EDIT; I hooked onto the collector of Q3 in the trem circuit.

No matter what I did it would either load down the circuit and kill the oscillation, or the LED was so dim you could barely see it.

Ok, new plan, try a JFET. PF5102

The schematic attached below is what I came up with.

Can anyone tell me why/if this..
A. is a bad idea
B. won't work properly
C. has potential trouble spots
D. has circuit design errors

Also, where to connect to the 3PDT switch (when it gets here) to kill the LED at the same time as the effect.

I was thinking to put the switch on the 9V line going to the LED circuit.

If I were to put the switch on R1 of the LED circuit, it would kill the pulse but the LED would stay lit.

I have bread-boarded the LED circuit and clipped it into the Trem circuit at power, ground and the collector of Q3
it seems to work...
But I did not actually plug a guitar and amp in to try it.
EDIT; actually I have now plugged in a guitar and amp and the Trem still works, so far...

Thoughts? Opinions? Help? 

Thanks!

EDIT 2; Here is their plain old boring, non-pulsing LED add schematic.

http://www.modkitsdiy.com/sites/modkitsdiy.com/files/product_files/led_add_schematic2_2.pdf

Quote from: Lauren on September 14, 2014, 09:20:44 AM
I can't figure out the quote feature...it just takes the whole post and won't let me select a small portion. LOL. 

Notice when you quote a post at the top there is a

[quote etc etc followed by another bracket]

text here...

then it ends with...

[/quote]

Delete, backspace, cut anything INSIDE the

[quote etc etc]

delete stuff here... and keep what you want...

[/quote]

The snippet MUST begin with the top [....] and MUST end with [/quote]

I can't find the  "it will go on its side horizontally between "i" and "j",... what is the "it" please?

Quote from: Lauren on September 14, 2014, 09:20:44 AM

How do I tell the -ve end from the +ve end?  Is it by using the arrow on the body that is pointing toward one end?  I don't see +/- signs anywhere on the component itself.

Which component please? 

Edit; Oh, the capacitor?
Notice the arrow has a minus sign *-* inside the arrow.
That is pointing to the -ve end.

Quote from: Lauren on September 14, 2014, 09:09:53 AM
Can you please tell me what color the bands are on R3?  I can't make it out from the pic and there are a couple in my batch that look similar. 

Thanks!

R3 is brown, black, black. gold. 

Quote from: Lauren on September 14, 2014, 08:57:13 AM
I noticed that all of the resistors have a copper-colored band.  In galaxiex's pics, I noticed two out of 3 times, the copper band in on top, but once, it's on the bottom.  Just making sure it doesn't matter.

Those pics really saved me from trying to figure out which were the right resistors from my huge pile!!   :tu:

Nope, it doesn't matter which way the resistors go, but as Roly pointed out in a previous post,
it's an aesthetic thing to have them all installed the same way.

Since I was just "trying things on for size" I didn't pay attention to which way the R's were installed.
When I get to soldering I like to do as Roly says... and install them all the same way.
Usually top to bottom and/or left to right.

Quote from: Roly on September 14, 2014, 05:18:24 AM
:lmao:
One of our "locals", John Castellain, jus' jammin'.  Nat is so tight, great "feel" drummer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlC3I6s3VRA&list=UUBBzPG5q5ltCoCyU9vWvwdg

Cool!    :dbtu:

Quote from: Roly on September 14, 2014, 05:18:24 AM
..........What with "tapatalk".......

Yep, that's why I asked. 

Quote from: Roly on September 14, 2014, 05:18:24 AM
{Good pix BTW, well lit and crisp.  :dbtu: }

Thanks! 
Other times, forums, places, I have seen folks ask for help and upload pics that are....
dark, grainy, blurry, out of focus and with a poorly contrasting badly cluttered background.
(can't even make out what the thing is, never mind trying to help with it) 
WTF, Don't they *look* at the pics before uploading???   :grr

I'm by no means a pro photographer (tho my brother is) and I don't really have an eye for it,
But I hate dislike very much, lousy photos.
I know a bad one when I see it. So I try.

It's just an old cheap little point and shoot Kodak but It seems to do ok.
The only bad thing about the camera is the files are HUGE and I have to convert them (every one!) for uploading.
I use Buzz 3D media converter, free download.  Can batch convert so it's not so bad...

Quote from: Roly on September 14, 2014, 05:18:24 AM
Are we there yet?   

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

So I'm still gonna fix this amp... 

But I've been busy over in this thread... 

http://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=3561.0  :tu:

Only enough room on my bench for one project at a time... 

"Alright, this is a blues riff in B, watch me for the changes and try to keep up...."  :lmao: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox1pkvNHZko

The 100uF cap you have is an Axial type, compared to mine which is described as a Radial type.

Axial; the leads exit the cap along it's axis. Make sense?

Check the pics. 

See how I bent the minus - lead so it is now "sorta" like a radial cap and allows me to install it on the close-spaced + - rails?
Easy peasy. 

Your axial cap may not look exactly like the one I show, but I bet it's similar. 

I don't know if you have absorbed all the previous posts. There is alot! to take in.
Nice thing about this is you can go back and review.
Please don't feel like you "have to keep up".
Take your time, do what you can at YOUR pace, not ours.
You are learning so much that is completely new to you, it can be (probably is) overwhelming.
Go back and review, re-read posts, all the way back to the beginning if you like.
I've done that a couple times already, just to get a "feel" for how this thread has progressed.

Edit; you are viewing this on a full size computer monitor, right?
Not a hand held device?
I've looked at this thread on my i-phone and it's hard to see stuff.
At least a laptop with a decent screen?

So... carrying on...

Here's some pics to show how I took Roly's suggestion to mark the places where parts go.
Felt-tip pen, on each place where a lead goes.
Makes it MUCH easier after I remove parts, to then place and solder them one-at-a-time. 

Please note the last pic LR 018

I have moved C2 the 100uF cap to a different location.
The important things to note are that the circuit will still work if I solder it there.
Notice it would still be electrically connected to the same things, to wit the + and - rails.
To re-state; It doesn't matter where the parts are placed, as long as they are properly connected to where they need to go.

Next post, that pesky 100uF cap you have, that doesn't match mine.

Quote from: Lauren on September 13, 2014, 09:13:32 AM
And OMG, how do I figure out which resistor is which from my ridiculous collection???

That may take a bit of learning. 
No problem, Google search for "resistor color code" and you will get a chart that should help.
Find one you like and print it.
From there I bet you can figure it out,  if not, we will help. 

Wikipedia has one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_color_code

Quote from: Lauren on September 13, 2014, 09:11:34 AM
Possible roadblock:


C2: 100uF Mine does not look like galaxiex's; it has leads (?) coming out of both ends.  Do I need to exchange it for something else?

No need to exchange. we can work with it.
Will show you later...

Quote from: Lauren on September 13, 2014, 08:59:31 AM
How do I delete a post I started to draft and then changed my mind on?? It doesn't give a cancel option that I can see.

Just click on something else, e.g. the home button at the top of the page, that will take you out of your draft and you can start over.

Quote from: Lauren on September 13, 2014, 08:52:33 AM
Good morning!  Thanks, galaxiex, for posting step by step pics...Using then along side Roly's diagram is helping me get started.  Soooo, I just realized that your diagram is only using 1/2 the board, up until the solid line of pads (sorry...I tried to go through the thread to find the correct terminology, but there's too much info for me to find it.  LOL).  If you were sitting with me right now, you'd be laughing at how often I am saying, out loud, "Ohhhh!" as I reread what you've written and actually put things together.  It makes a lot more sense when it's actually necessary to understand for the build. 
I actually understand now how you labeled the board, too.  Sorry for saying they didn't match!  Even with all of your explanations as to why it does, it was not until this moment (actually working on it) that the light bulb went off. At least it did, right?  :dbtu:

I ordered a Helping Hand that should be here on Monday.  I think this is definitely a necessary tool, as [someone--sorry, again I can't find you in the thread!] mentioned earlier.  I am curious as to whether you trim the ends off of things like the capacitor, since the are so long.  Don't worry--I'm not cutting anything.  Just wondering.

Taking pics as I go, too.  Will post when I have something that looks like galaxiex's.  :tu:

Hi Lauren, and good morning! 

Yup, actually working on it, things come to light, compared to all the "thinking" and theory.
Hands-on, that's the ticket! Visualization of the concept/project takes shape with doing. 

Helping Hands really helps. When I first started doing this (electronics) I resisted buying one. (dunno why....  :duh)
Then a friend needed something electronic built and she bought me a Helping Hands as payment for the work. 
That is the one you see in the pictures. And now it is my most often used tool.

Trimming the long leads...
After soldering the parts in place we will trim the leads then.
(yuch, my english teacher would roll in her grave at that "sentence")  :lmao:

Cheers! (with coffee, mine might have Bailey's in it) 
Dale

Pics LR 011 to 013

Here I have placed the 3 resistors.

Uh oh, R3 is not in the exact same place as the drawing.
No matter, this is what Roly was talking about several posts up...
Things don't always go according to plan.
This won't matter, we can still make the connection when we get to soldering the parts in place.
You could bend the leads on the resistor to make it fit to match the drawing.
I deliberately left it like this to illustrate the point Roly made.

That's all for tonight.
More tomorrow.  We get to soldering!