Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

User avatar
laurie
Posts: 1633
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:07 am
Location: Canada
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Multi Platinum

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by laurie » Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:30 pm

Most of the mechanical stuff is done. Up to over 6 hours work now. What was I thinking?

Powered it up and tested. Bypass works fine, the LEDs do what they should, but there is no sound coming out when the effect is engaged. So now comes the actual difficult part...

The knobs I had in stock are for "D" shaft pots. The icky ones on the pedal below are all I have today. One day I'll swap them out.
.
20230227_120157 SML.jpg
20230227_120157 SML.jpg (200.68 KiB) Viewed 1643 times
.
20230227_120207 SML.jpg
20230227_120207 SML.jpg (158.15 KiB) Viewed 1643 times
.
20230227_120226 SML.jpg
20230227_120226 SML.jpg (133.14 KiB) Viewed 1643 times

User avatar
laurie
Posts: 1633
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:07 am
Location: Canada
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Multi Platinum

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by laurie » Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:30 pm

20230227_120800 SML.jpg
20230227_120800 SML.jpg (248.75 KiB) Viewed 1643 times

User avatar
Gasgano
Posts: 280
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:27 am
Location: Montreal, QC
SBZ: Silver

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by Gasgano » Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:19 pm

Pepe wrote:
Mon Feb 27, 2023 1:18 pm
WOW! How did you clean it? In this picture you don't see too many traces of the previous damage anymore!
This is sorcery man. If I did not know your background in building pedals ans such I'd say it's not the same board haha.
"People who are late are usually in a better mood than the people waiting for them to show up."

User avatar
Pepe
Posts: 1671
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:19 pm
Location: Germany
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Double Platinum
Contact:

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by Pepe » Mon Feb 27, 2023 9:26 pm

Okay, I assume that you're going to check the transistors in the next step. Some of them seem to have literally bathed in battery acid and I doubt that this prolonged their life.
Pepe at YouTube and Instagram

User avatar
laurie
Posts: 1633
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:07 am
Location: Canada
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Multi Platinum

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by laurie » Mon Feb 27, 2023 10:32 pm

Pepe wrote:
Mon Feb 27, 2023 9:26 pm
Okay, I assume that you're going to check the transistors in the next step. Some of them seem to have literally bathed in battery acid and I doubt that this prolonged their life.
Yep. Now it is back together I'll track the signal through the pedal.

User avatar
BearBoy
Posts: 512
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:36 pm
Location: UK
SBZ: Gold
Bossarea: Silver

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by BearBoy » Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:51 am

laurie wrote:
Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:30 pm
... but there is no sound coming out when the effect is engaged.
Well, it is supposed to be a noise suppressor?






I'll get my coat... :oops:

User avatar
Pepe
Posts: 1671
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:19 pm
Location: Germany
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Double Platinum
Contact:

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by Pepe » Tue Feb 28, 2023 11:44 am

:lol:
Pepe at YouTube and Instagram

User avatar
laurie
Posts: 1633
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:07 am
Location: Canada
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Multi Platinum

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by laurie » Tue Feb 28, 2023 12:56 pm

BearBoy wrote:
Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:51 am
laurie wrote:
Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:30 pm
... but there is no sound coming out when the effect is engaged.
Well, it is supposed to be a noise suppressor?






I'll get my coat... :oops:
:?

User avatar
Pepe
Posts: 1671
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:19 pm
Location: Germany
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Double Platinum
Contact:

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by Pepe » Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:00 pm

Short question: did you check the potentiometers already? In some settings the NS-2 works as a heavy gate, maybe something is stuck to this position due to a failing potentiometer or solder joint.
Pepe at YouTube and Instagram

User avatar
laurie
Posts: 1633
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 2:07 am
Location: Canada
SBZ: Multi Platinum
Bossarea: Multi Platinum

Re: Lest we forget - NEVER leave a battery in a Boss pedal for "years"

Post by laurie » Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:21 pm

Pepe wrote:
Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:00 pm
Short question: did you check the potentiometers already? In some settings the NS-2 works as a heavy gate, maybe something is stuck to this position due to a failing potentiometer or solder joint.
Pots are good. I removed them from their PCB, cleaned and tested them, then resoldered them to the board. Then tested continuity all the way back to the main board.

I think I will have missed a failed component on the main board... there were so many I had to replace already because the acid had eaten through the the joint between the component lead and the component body.

Or it will be a failed solder joint. Where the component lead goes through the PCB it forms a tiny "well" for the acid to pool. I've fixed a bunch of joints already where the acid ate through the component lead and it no longer made contact with the solder.

Post Reply