Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

Is there a problem with the 1/4 inch sockets on these? Especially the input
one that must take a lot of guitar lead yanking. They are the flimsey
domestic, no name, hifi type things and used vertically at floor level so
any stage crud gets in them.
Intermittant through-signal drop and I cannot induce collectively or
individually and will have to check the internals of all 5 pedals plus
daisy-chain leads etc. Will probably change that first socket anyway,
whatever else found

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

On Apr 19, 9:10*am, "N_Cook" wrote:
Is there a problem with the 1/4 inch sockets on these? Especially the input
one that must take a lot of guitar lead yanking. They are the flimsey
domestic, no name, hifi type things and used vertically at floor level so
any stage crud gets in them.
Intermittant through-signal drop and I cannot induce collectively or
individually and will have to check the internals of all 5 pedals plus
daisy-chain leads etc. Will probably change that first socket anyway,
whatever else found

I'd probably try cleaning them first with contact cleaner or alcohol.
If they feel loose, I'd change them. Check for bad/broken solder
joints. Wiggle any internal wires and check for intermittents, or high
resistances. I haven't worked on one of these, but that's my general
route when working on something of that nature. Sometimes if it's
been wet, something spilled in it... the plating can start coming off
of the contacts on cheap jacks. So maybe check for that...

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

Sansui Samari wrote in message
...
On Apr 19, 9:10 am, "N_Cook" wrote:
Is there a problem with the 1/4 inch sockets on these? Especially the
input
one that must take a lot of guitar lead yanking. They are the flimsey
domestic, no name, hifi type things and used vertically at floor level so
any stage crud gets in them.
Intermittant through-signal drop and I cannot induce collectively or
individually and will have to check the internals of all 5 pedals plus
daisy-chain leads etc. Will probably change that first socket anyway,
whatever else found

I'd probably try cleaning them first with contact cleaner or alcohol.
If they feel loose, I'd change them. Check for bad/broken solder
joints. Wiggle any internal wires and check for intermittents, or high
resistances. I haven't worked on one of these, but that's my general
route when working on something of that nature. Sometimes if it's
been wet, something spilled in it... the plating can start coming off
of the contacts on cheap jacks. So maybe check for that...

lllllllllllllllllll


Although metal mounting bushes on these sockets, it discuises the fact that
all behind is flimsey plastic. The one taking the in-use strain had its tip
contact displaced outwards relative to the other one. Making contact, but
presumably not reliably under temperature change/ grime etc. I replaced both
with standard robust plastic bush sockets wired together and space made for
them , being somewhat larger. And checked the internals of the 3 out of 5
otherwise suspected pedals, and leads.

Looked inside the board output ones as well, because leads to them could
have been tripped over at some point.

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

On 4/20/2010 4:26 AM, N_Cook wrote:
Sansui wrote in message
...
On Apr 19, 9:10 am, wrote:
Is there a problem with the 1/4 inch sockets on these? Especially the
input
one that must take a lot of guitar lead yanking. They are the flimsey
domestic, no name, hifi type things and used vertically at floor level so
any stage crud gets in them.
Intermittant through-signal drop and I cannot induce collectively or
individually and will have to check the internals of all 5 pedals plus
daisy-chain leads etc. Will probably change that first socket anyway,
whatever else found

I'd probably try cleaning them first with contact cleaner or alcohol.
If they feel loose, I'd change them. Check for bad/broken solder
joints. Wiggle any internal wires and check for intermittents, or high
resistances. I haven't worked on one of these, but that's my general
route when working on something of that nature. Sometimes if it's
been wet, something spilled in it... the plating can start coming off
of the contacts on cheap jacks. So maybe check for that...

lllllllllllllllllll


Although metal mounting bushes on these sockets, it discuises the fact that
all behind is flimsey plastic. The one taking the in-use strain had its tip
contact displaced outwards relative to the other one. Making contact, but
presumably not reliably under temperature change/ grime etc. I replaced both
with standard robust plastic bush sockets wired together and space made for
them , being somewhat larger. And checked the internals of the 3 out of 5
otherwise suspected pedals, and leads.

Looked inside the board output ones as well, because leads to them could
have been tripped over at some point.

In my experience... "Bad jacks" in modern gear usually turns out to be
broken solders on printed circuit board mounted jacks. "They don't make
'em like they used to."

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

In my experience... "Bad jacks" in modern gear usually turns out to be
broken solders on printed circuit board mounted jacks. "They don't make
'em like they used to."



They also don't cost anything like they used to. Which is the point.
Why make something 5 times the price and lasts 10 years when it will be
obsolete after one?


This is the modern world.

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

On 4/20/2010 1:05 PM, Gareth Magennis wrote:
In my experience... "Bad jacks" in modern gear usually turns out to
be broken solders on printed circuit board mounted jacks. "They don't
make 'em like they used to."



They also don't cost anything like they used to. Which is the point.
Why make something 5 times the price and lasts 10 years when it will be
obsolete after one?

It shouldn't be that much more to build in some quality, especially when
most stuff is built offshore with CHEAP labor. But I'm willing to pay a
little extra for quality AND domestic production (I'm in the U.S.).

One problem is that most consumers don't know the difference between
flying leads and a circuit board. And we're being trained to accept
"land fill waiting to happen." But musicians are learning!

With gear that sees gigs, with amps and effects that you intend to
keep... I think there's a big advantage to chassis mounted jacks,
switches and pots (compared to PCB mounted). Most of my gear has them,
and most of my gear is over 10 years old (because I'm not a huge fan of
digital effects).

I've never been inside of one of these
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_BnLEgCC45Is/SB...Q/IMG_9974.jpg
but if I owned one, I'd make sure that the nuts on the jacks were kept
tight. There could be little mini boards with the jacks soldered to
them. If there was, they'd get tossed when I had to open it up.

How would you like to be in the middle of a gig, and have somebody kick
a cable and break the solder? I'm not saying that it's built like that,
but if so -- BAD DESIGN.

OP may have assumed that the jack was bad, when it was really just a
solder on a board. If he soldered in a new jack, he may be doomed to
the same experience (especially if the nuts aren't kept tight).


This is the modern world.

I'm one that values quality over "land fill waiting to happen." I hope
that's the next "modern world."

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

Jim inse@ttle wrote in message
...
On 4/20/2010 1:05 PM, Gareth Magennis wrote:
In my experience... "Bad jacks" in modern gear usually turns out to
be broken solders on printed circuit board mounted jacks. "They don't
make 'em like they used to."



They also don't cost anything like they used to. Which is the point.
Why make something 5 times the price and lasts 10 years when it will be
obsolete after one?

It shouldn't be that much more to build in some quality, especially when
most stuff is built offshore with CHEAP labor. But I'm willing to pay a
little extra for quality AND domestic production (I'm in the U.S.).

One problem is that most consumers don't know the difference between
flying leads and a circuit board. And we're being trained to accept
"land fill waiting to happen." But musicians are learning!

With gear that sees gigs, with amps and effects that you intend to
keep... I think there's a big advantage to chassis mounted jacks,
switches and pots (compared to PCB mounted). Most of my gear has them,
and most of my gear is over 10 years old (because I'm not a huge fan of
digital effects).

I've never been inside of one of these

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_BnLEgCC45Is/SB...7ld0wxQ/IMG_99
74.jpg
but if I owned one, I'd make sure that the nuts on the jacks were kept
tight. There could be little mini boards with the jacks soldered to
them. If there was, they'd get tossed when I had to open it up.

How would you like to be in the middle of a gig, and have somebody kick
a cable and break the solder? I'm not saying that it's built like that,
but if so -- BAD DESIGN.

OP may have assumed that the jack was bad, when it was really just a
solder on a board. If he soldered in a new jack, he may be doomed to
the same experience (especially if the nuts aren't kept tight).


This is the modern world.

I'm one that values quality over "land fill waiting to happen." I hope
that's the next "modern world."


footprint space 12x13x27mm, so small, a justification for use, logo
something like HT curved to fit inside an absent semicircle and type numbers
variously e/b/a/h/g. Sighting through the barrel the tip contact should be
in line with the centreline (centre of ground contact) but the stressed one
was 2 to 3mm off line. The rear plastic closure square will come away on
releasing the pawl. Grotty PbF-looking soldering on the output interboard
ribbon cables

Both i/p sockets (as daisy chained so either could be used for lead
in)replaced with manly ones.

Another amp roday will have a manly 1/4 inch chassis mount socket replacing
the pcb mount failed one.

--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://diverse.4mg.com/index.htm

Boss BCB-60 effects pedal board
 

The amp in front of me , from a combo , so can resonate with the speaker,
not just i/p socket but most of the pot solderings have failed, 7 yearold
conventional solder. The large heatsink is bolted to the chassis but not
the pcb, only anchored via the pot + socket solderings. Board resonates and
breaks the solder. Either requires standoffs and holes drilled or simpler,
running hot melt glue on the pot side of the board over the pot pins and
board for mechanical holding.
I only ever replace pcb mount i/p 1/4 inch sockets with wired in chassis
mount ones , usually upside down and wires crossed over.

Most amps seem to be disigned well electroniucally but lack mechanical
and/or thermal/aerodynamic design, so often IMHO



--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://diverse.4mg.com/index.htm