SSS with Boost and B&N Blender

[frets]

EDIT: moved to Guitar Wiring, as this concerns a problem directly in the wheelhouse of that board. 8/18/22 9:16pm PDT - sumgai

Hi Guys😸😸😸,

I’m having trouble with a new harness I’ve come up with (as the group groans).  It’s simple enough, a passive boost harness.  The problem is, when SW1 is in the down position, the volume is weak.  Like half of what is should be.  The boost works great.  It’s just that lack of volume when SW1 is down.  What have I done wrong?  Thanks!

[unreg]

Just learned that when SW1 is down, it uses your 7.5H thing.

…according to: guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/3651/fun-toggles-push-pull-switches

I don’t think it’s a capacitor bc those are measured with F. (I was instructed to use a capacitor to solve a pin-1 problem on my pedal, but nm.)

What is measured with H? I guess you’ve already checked each solder spot for a continuity of 0.0 and a resistance of 0.0 ohms.

Sry, this helps none. Just was curious about your H thing.

[Deleted]

So as I can see UP should be ok

DOWN the signal has to fight a transformer (one side of it) to get to ground

I can only guess the plan was

Pickups --> transformer --> Volume


But it's going
Pickups --> transformer ---> Ground

-----

F = Farads and Capacitors
H = Henry's and Inductors/Transformers and Pickups

[newey]

Aug 18, 2022 13:52:54 GMT -5 frets said:

boost works great.  It’s just that lack of volume when SW1 is down.

As shown on your diagram (and as noted by @angellahash) the Push/pull "up" is your normal operation, the output goes to the right-hand switch common lug, The black jumper wire then connects it to the jack. Push/pull "down" again, as per your diagram, would be the boost.

Now, that's as per the diagram, I don't know how you wired it IRL. If you followed the diagram, then what you're hearing with the P/P up is not the boost, it's the normal operation. The lack of volume with the P/P down is probably, as @angellahash said, due to the way the transformer is wired.

I would think one would want the "boost" setting to be activated by pulling up, with the down setting to be the normal operation in any event.

[Yogi B]

Aug 18, 2022 15:23:59 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

I can only guess the plan was

Pickups --> transformer --> Volume

But it's going

Pickups --> transformer ---> Ground

I think the plan is to do both, since there's not just an electric path through a transformer, but a magnetic one too. That is: use the transformer as a transformer, in order to boost the output voltage.

---

frets: if you do indeed have the switch wired upside down, then it sounds like: rather than the transformer working as a step-up as intended, you have it wired as a step-down with the primary & secondary swapped.

[frets]

How embarrassing. I embarrass myself more with each problem. So I’ve got it backwards and the transformer it’s wired incorrectly.

I’ll have to play with the wiring on the transformer. Maybe it can’t be done to get the boost?

Okay, thanks guys😸😸😸, I’ll be back with a new wiring.

[frets]

Gang,
If I locate the transformer on the upper lugs of the switch (pot upside down), with the primary lead on the right side and the secondary on the left side (with the two respective back leads going to ground), will that fix the issue or just move the step down? I probably should diagram it out. I’m just following Yogi’s train of thought here. And if so, it would be just a simple swap of the transformer from bottom to top?😸😸😸😸😸

[frets]

Happy Sunday Guys😺😺😺

Oleksandr Usyk is STILL the World’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion of da World (go Ukraine!!)

Okay, back to business…
Attached is my revision (thanks to Yogi and Angellahash) for the SSS passive boost and 7 sound harness.  It is verified and works great😻

This harness does provide a significant boost when SW1 is engaged.  I have tried it with three lesser Henrie audio signal transformers (1.5, 2.6 and 4.2H)  and the boost is not as significant as a 7.5H (I also tried a 10H with no significant appreciable audible difference). I deem the 7.5H to be the perfect amount of boost.  According to my simple analyses (via recordings on my phone) the boost came out being + 10dB in multiple trials.