
DS1 Cap polarity help!
Moderator: Ghost Hip
Forum rules
The DIY forum is for personal projects (things that are not for sale, not in production), info sharing, peer to peer assistance. No backdoor spamming (DIY posts that are actually advertisements for your business). No clones of in-production pedals. If you have concerns or questions, feel free to PM admin. Thanks so much!
The DIY forum is for personal projects (things that are not for sale, not in production), info sharing, peer to peer assistance. No backdoor spamming (DIY posts that are actually advertisements for your business). No clones of in-production pedals. If you have concerns or questions, feel free to PM admin. Thanks so much!
- BlindtoFaith
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm
DS1 Cap polarity help!
I am not sure which way to put the electolytic cap in C5. Please help. I put it in and the pedal sounds really quite and wonky. It gets really loud when you hit the strings hard. 

- McSpunckle
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3848
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:20 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
Usually with capacitors, the negative side is marked on the board and on the cap. There's a line on the cap, and either a square hole, a "-", or a shaded in spot.
- BlindtoFaith
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
What would a cap that was put in the wrong way do/sound like? Hahaha
- McSpunckle
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3848
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:20 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
With capacitors, it's not quite the same as diodes and the like. The polarity is because they'll break otherwise. It might do what yours is doing (needing more voltage to get through). But, really, I'm not totally sure. Heh.
After googling the schematic.... it's a .47uF cap, right? It's just a coupling cap. You could realistically replace it with a film cap that's a bit lower in value and be fine. Something .1uF or higher. You could probably get away with even smaller and not hear a difference.
After googling the schematic.... it's a .47uF cap, right? It's just a coupling cap. You could realistically replace it with a film cap that's a bit lower in value and be fine. Something .1uF or higher. You could probably get away with even smaller and not hear a difference.
-
mysteriousj
- committed

- Posts: 455
- Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:44 pm
- Location: NZ
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
Yeah.. If you get the polarity wrong on an electrolytic it will probably after time short, then heat up and either leak or explode. I can't believe I haven't tried to do this on purpose yet, apparently it's quite fun 
And a general rule: +ve side of the cap goes to the largest V

And a general rule: +ve side of the cap goes to the largest V
- BlindtoFaith
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
largest V?
- BlindtoFaith
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
what does it mean if I tap the solder side of the borad while the pedal is on and it gets louder than fades out? Hahahah. I checked everything and it seems as though I got it all right. WTF?
-
mysteriousj
- committed

- Posts: 455
- Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:44 pm
- Location: NZ
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
BlindtoFaith wrote:what does it mean if I tap the solder side of the borad while the pedal is on and it gets louder than fades out? Hahahah. I checked everything and it seems as though I got it all right. WTF?
Do you touch it with your finger if so that usually means a grounding problem, cutting on and off probably means a loose connection somewhere?
BlindtoFaith wrote:largest V?
Largest voltage.

- BlindtoFaith
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm
Re: DS1 Cap polarity help!
mysteriousj wrote:BlindtoFaith wrote:what does it mean if I tap the solder side of the borad while the pedal is on and it gets louder than fades out? Hahahah. I checked everything and it seems as though I got it all right. WTF?
Do you touch it with your finger if so that usually means a grounding problem, cutting on and off probably means a loose connection somewhere?BlindtoFaith wrote:largest V?
Largest voltage.
Now to find it. Hahahah