JAYPHAT Update

I'm posting the backside of my perfboard here because a few folks wanted to see what I did, even though I've admitted that I kinda hack away at these things. The use of velcro is apparent at the corners of the board as my method of securing it to the bottom of the box. I sort of built up a couple of layers to raise it up a little higher. I ran a bare copper wire along one edge as my grounding strip and where I needed to cross components, I left the insulating cover on the 22 gauge hookup wire. Might not be pretty, but it sure do work.

I still need a house that is emptier in order to really check out all my mics and amps with the Jayphat. I should be home alone at some point this week and I'll see what I can crank out. In the mean time let me share this website:

http://groups.google.com/group/harp-l/files

Stephen Schneider (aka HTownFess) has a number of uploads on the list where he is demonstrating just what tonal characteristics the Jayphat spits out. His tone is to kill for, with or without the impedance matcher. He shows just what incremental elements can be coaxed out of mics with the box in a number of different scenarios--lots of value there. Check out all the HTownFess uploads. Some of them feature his playing in a live club setting with Dave Nevling's band and illustrate just what a talent he is. The one's listed as DNBK feature Dave's playing. He is absolutely one of the best blues harp masters around--who deserves national recogition. Anyway--Check 'em out!

JAYPHAT Impedance Matcher--Last Part 2

Okay, now I can actually whoop (an Aggie term) with success. The Last Part post was kinda premature. I just thought that I had what I wanted. You see, when I had finished the last bit of re-wiring, it was late and night and I had everything toned down to low volume. Just the fact, though, that I was getting the box to emit a signal into the amp convinced me that I had solved all problems. The next day revealed that I had indeed counted those chickens too soon, because I was indeed getting a signal, but it remained a very looowww signal. So, I've been spending the days between the Last Part and today (intermittently) trying to troubleshoot the problem and came really close to giving up and yelling CALFROPE! I was ready to get up this morning and post my failed attempt here, but I gave it one more shot.

Stephen Schneider offered his advice several days ago and if I had really paid careful attention, then I would have caught the problem right off the bat--My INPUT signal was not wired through the .68uF capacitor correctly. I thought it was and kind of ignored what was happening there and went about doing this and that and the other. This morning I began to question where I had the signal going and looked into things to see that I screwed that up. A bit of re-wiring gave me a mic/amp impedance match that blew my socks off! It was performing exactly as I had remembered Stephen S's magic box did.

The photo here has been added to fulfill a request for me too provide a view of the inside of the box. Ignore my hacking/soldering job. The perfboard and the battery clips are velcroed down. I don't know if that is Kosher or not and if it presents a problem, then I'll do some epoxying or something.

I've only run it through my Kalamazoo amp with my JT30 MC151 crystal and it was impressive there. I'll report back as I try out different mic/amp combinations. WHOOP! Anyway--

JAYPHAT Impedance Matcher--LAST PART

SWEET SUCCESS--

Patience is not a virtue that I possess. Just the opposite as a matter of fact. Someday I just need to face the fact that I just don't have the patience needed to deal with these SIMPLE projects (in the hands of competence). I spent a good part of my day pulling my hair out and trying to troubleshoot just what I did to screw up such a simple task. There were a number of things that I did and re-did to get this thing doing the do, so I don't know exactly what I undid that did it. I know the JFET was wired wrong and corrected that first off and I think one of the leads on the 5uF cap was also tie up in the wrong spot and I'm pretty sure that I corrected a ground problem somewhere during the day and at some point the darn thing began working. It does exactly what it is design to do--beefs up my crystal mics. Hurray! I didn't have time for an extensive trial run, but what I hear was worth the effort.

Mucho thanks to my com padre Stephen Schneider for feeding me advice and sort of reminding me that I could figure it out. I was ready to toss it all in a drawer last night and not think about it for awhile. Anyway--

JAYPHAT Impedance Matcher--Pt. 5

...OF MICE and MEN (or DRATS!)--

Part five sucks! Son, John ask if we could travel over to College Station and take in a movie with his sister, Erica, so I finished slapping the Jayphat together and just had time to plug it into my amp for a test run. Zilch, nothing, nada--no signal what-so-ever was being emitted. So, I left for the movies and have temporarily re-named my box the Jaysplat. I am glad that we took in Get Smart for the matinee. It was quite hilarious. Hollywood is really trying to get us babyboomers to recall our youth, from our comic book heroes to cheesy TV sitcoms. I THINK I'll have time to troubleshoot my missteps in my wiring (film at 11). Anyway--

JAYPHAT Impedance Matcher--Pt. 4

Gettin' There--

Plan was for Part 4 to be the finished box with test run results posted. Life gets in the way sometimes. Yesterday, I figured that I would run to Radio Shack after church and pick up the 10 ohm resistor that I needed, get back home and finish up the Jayphat. My wife mentioned that she would like for me to travel over to Round Top and pick up an antique table that she wanted to buy for a good deal. It needed work, but she said she would really look forward to re-finishing it. Okay, run to Round Top, swing by Radio Shack and finish project. BUT, the Radio Shack here doesn't do business on Sunday.

So, I had to make that run today and sandwich it in with a trip to my Son's orthodontist (so he could be miserable for awhile with additional metal added to his mouth), the recycle center, the grocery store and the hardware shop. Then, my assistance was needed with sanding the new/old table top, teaching a round of driver's ed to my son, visiting with my mom who dropped by to see the new/old table and playing a few rounds of promised ping-pong with my son who was in misery. I manage to solder up the components to the perfboard and at this point have quit there. I may jump on connecting up the jacks, switch, pot and batteries tonight, but I'll probably wait until tomorrow. Just a little weary right now. So, this 2-3 hours project is becoming a 3-4 day activity. This is retirement? Should finish it off tomorrow. Anyway--

JAYPHAT Impedance Matcher--Pt. 3

SCREWUP#s 1&2--

Decided to call this thing by its name, the Jayphat. A fellow by the name of Greg Schlacter designed the one that I've heard Stephen Schneider use that was impressive. Over on the http://www.tedweber.com/ harp forums, Bruce Saunders discusses his build and includes some very informative information in his posts there. He also mentions an alternative buffer box which he has built that has similar functions.

So, the photos above illustrate my first and second missteps in this project. Thinking that I had just the right size bit for drilling out the switch reminds me of the old carpenter's credo--measure twice/cut once. So, the hole for the switch is larger than need be and should be about the same size as the hole to the right that I drilled for the pot. At least I checked the hole before I drilled the pot hole with the same bit. Oh, well--pretty much par for me.

I layed out my components on the perfboard (I'll cut it where the masking tape is stuck) and gaff #2 sprang out at me, and I hope anyone reading my parts list below (which I'll note) catches the mistake. For some reason I ordered a 10K resistor when a 10 ohm value was needed as a connection to the switch (must be some voodoo about that switch). So, I'm on hold for the moment until I can track down a resistor that'll work. Anyway--

DIY Impedance Matcher--Pt.2

BEST LAIDS PLANS...

Mouser always amazes me with their customer service. These parts were ordered Monday and arrived by US mail today--so I guess its too late to back out now. I remembered that I forgot add another part that is not on the Mouser list and that is a perfboard that I had gotten from Radio Shack at some point. The switch that is pictured above may have come from there also.

By the way, this is my first built of anything electronics. I've fooled around with modifying the amps that I've mentioned on this blog, but I pretty much consider myself a hack at this stuff. My soldering skills are questionable, but as long as things work and keep working then I'm happy--it is just a good thing that the evidence of my work gets enclosed somehow. Which brings me to the point of this post.

The photo above is basically my layout plans for the components that will be attached to the box after I drill a few holes. They are just kinda posed up there right now. I haven't cut the perfboard (seen partially exposed on the right) to fit the enclosure yet and I probably won't do much more than talking about it in this post until tomorrow (that's the plan). I do have isolation washers for the Switchcraft jacks. So, my plan is to stick the switch and pot along one side opposite the batteries. I'm thinking about velcroing the battery holders to the bottom of the box and seeing how that'll work. Might figure a way to velcro the perfboard in also. I don't know, because I'm gonna wing it here. ANYBODY who wants to jump in and stop me from doing something stupid, feel free. Anyway--here me go!