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Topic: Using/wiring 1/4 in jack for batt on/off on stomp boxes, etc |
Walter Bowden
From:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2015 9:41 pm |
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I need some advice about using a stereo 1/4 in jack as a battery on (when plug inserted) battery off ( plug removed) as most battery powered stomp boxes are wired.
I have a CanaKit tone generator circuit board that I want to use to as a sound source for trouble shooting amp problems and tracing audio/pa setups. It has terminals for Hi Z output and 9V + and - solder points. In other words, it just uses 1 jack for audio output. It is powered with a 9V battery and I connected the negative battery lead to the jack terminals that are normally open unless a 1/4 in plug is inserted which completes the circuit.
It worked fine last night but when I tried to use it tonight it seemed the battery drained overnight and is only putting out about 2 to 3 volts. I feel like I'm missing something obvious but would appreciate any advice or redirection to help me figure this out. I will try to post a pic of the box and circuit board. All help is appreciated and best wishes, Walter
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Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 7 Apr 2015 10:08 pm
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There's a difference between stereo jack and mono switching jack.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Apr 2015 10:46 pm
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Walter,
The stereo jack (Switchcraft 12B) should work fine for battery on - off. Did you leave something plugged in to the jack overnight? If so, do you know how much current the tone generator draws? Judging by the photo, there is not much to it, and it shouldn't draw much.
Craig Baker 706-485-8792
cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com
C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 3:56 am
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From your picture, I see the board connected to the 'ring' of the stereo jack and the battery connected to the ground lug. This is bass-ackwards! The board probably has another ground connection through one of those mounting screws... reversing these two wires should fix you up.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 4:15 am
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Oooh, I plead too busy driving to notice it works like that. Duhhh.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 7:01 am
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| Lane- can you please explain the difference between a stereo jack and a mono switched jack and can a stereo jack be used in place of a mono switched jack? |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 7:41 am
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The switched jacks have a separate set of contacts that are made (or broken, they're available both ways) when the plug is inserted. Which is what I was thinking was needed.
What Craig just opened my eyes to was using a stereo jack to power up a circuit when a plug goes in.
Signal to tip (of course)
Ground to sleeve (of course)
The clever bit I overlooked is battery negative to Ring. When you plug a MONO plug into the stereo jack, you connect the negative pole of the battery to ground.
Plugging a stereo plug into a jack thus configured won't do anything helpful, since the sleeve (and the negative battery terminal) will stay open.
IF you wire the switching this way, a stereo jack will work, but it's less flexible than a switching jack (and switching jacks are also available in stereo, so the back side is a FOREST of lugs.
Jim, unless you were trying to make me think (which I enjoy doing) why not ask Craig, he does this stuff for a living?
Craig, do I have it all understood right?
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
Last edited by Lane Gray on 8 Apr 2015 7:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Craig Baker
From:
Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 7:44 am
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Hi Jim,
Not trying to pass myself off as Lane, but here is a drawing of a mono switched jack. The switch contacts are shown at the top and are completely isolated and insulated from the signal connections. The contacts close when the plug tip pushes on the teflon bushing. (top left arrow)
All the best,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792
cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com
C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 8:05 am
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Thanks to you both  . I'm designing a circuit board that employees multiple jacks- only one of which will be used to open/close a 9v circuit- the others will be std. monos. Rather than using different jacks I thought I should just order the stereo PCB jacks for everything- the multiple contacts might help stabilize the jack in the PCB- and just print the PCB w/o un-needed connections to the rest of the circuit as the stereo jacks are roughly the same cost as the mono jacks- make sense or is there fallacy to my logic? |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 10:00 am
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Jim, as long as there's no chance someone will use a TRS cord, go for it. Standard is to have the power switched on the input jack.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 10:09 am
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| Thanks for the reply |
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Walter Bowden
From:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 4:43 pm
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Hey guys. Thanks so much for this information. Craig, I made sure I didn't leave a plug inserted after testing it the 1st night so it somehow drained as currently wired.
The circuit board has DC + and DC - solder connections for power and output signal & shield solder points to connect to an output jack. As I have it currently wired the + batt wire goes directly to DC + point on the circuit board. The - batt wire goes to the sleeve tab on the jack. I have also soldered the output shield wire to the tab as well. The signal red wire is soldered to the tip tab on jack. I soldered a black jumper wire from the jack ring tab directly to the DC - solder point on the circuit board.
I am still a bit confused as to how to correct this battery drain problem but sometimes I can make things harder than needed. If nothing else I can see where soldering the battery lead directly to the sleeve on the output jack effectively grounds it to the whole aluminum box it sits in. I took a couple of more pictures that may be easier to tell whats going on and again, all of your help and knowledge is much appreciated. Walter
_________________
Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 6:36 pm
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Your problem is that you ran negative to sleeve. Sleeve is ground, so it's ALWAYS closed, regardless of whether there's a plug in the jack or not.
Run negative battery terminal to RING. Then insertion of the plug closes the circuit, since a mono plug shorts ring to sleeve.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 7:29 pm
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And, just for redundancy's sake, also run a lead from SLEEVE to board ground.
But it's probably tied to ground somewhere, so with battery negative going to sleeve, there's no switching happening.
Swap the two black wires.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 8 Apr 2015 9:43 pm
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Switch the two black wires on the jack.
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Walter Bowden
From:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2015 4:44 pm
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Thanks fellas. I'm heating up the Weller now. Best wishes, Walter
_________________
Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 8:02 am
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Or,,,, drill a hole and install a mini switch?
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
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Walter Bowden
From:
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2015 5:32 pm
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Problem solved with you guys suggestions. It took longer for the solder iron to heat up than reversing the black wires.
John, I had tried using a mini switch on an earlier version of the tone generator but kept forgetting to turn it off and draining the battery. Plug activated on/off seemed more dummy proof to this dummy.
SGF members have helped me again and I appreciate all the input.
Best wishes till I need some more good advice. Walter
_________________
Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical |
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