BYOC Germanium Boost User manual

Build Your Own Clone
Germanium Boost Kit
Instructions
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Warranty:
BYOC, Inc. guarantees that your kit will be complete and that all parts and components
will arrive as described, functioning and free of defect. Soldering, clipping, cutting,
stripping, or using any of the components in any way voids this guarantee. BYOC, INC
guarantees that the instructions for your kit will be free of any majors errors that would
cause you to permanently damage any components in your kit, but does not guarantee
that the instructions will be free of typos or minor errors. BYOC, INC does not
warranty the completed pedal as a whole functioning unit, nor do we warranty any of the
individual parts once they have been used. If you have a component that is used, but feel
it was defective prior to you using it, we reserve the right to determine whether or not the
component was faulty upon arrival. Please direct all warranty issues to:
[email protected] This would include any missing parts issues.
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Return:
BYOC, Inc. accepts returns and exchanges on all products for any reason, as long as they
are unused. We do not accept partial kit returns. Returns and exchanges are for the full
purchase price less the cost of shipping and/or any promotional pricing. Return shipping
is the customer’s responsibility. This responsibility not only includes the cost of
shipping, but accountability of deliver as well. Please contact
[email protected] to receive a return authorization before mailing.

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Tech Support:
BYOC, Inc. makes no promises or guarantees that you will successfully complete your
kit in a satisfactory manor. Nor does BYOC, Inc. promise or guarantee that you will
receive any technical support. Purchasing a product from BYOC, Inc. does not entitle
you to any amount of technical support. BYOC, Inc. does not promise or guarantee that
any technical support you may receive will be able to resolve any or all issues you may
be experiencing.
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That being said, we will do our best to help you as much as we can. Our philosophy at
BYOC is that we will help you as much as you are willing to help yourself. We have a
wonderful and friendly DIY discussion forum with an entire section devoted to the
technical support and modifications of BYOC kits.
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www.byocelectronics.com/board
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When posting a tech support thread on the BYOC forum, please post it in the correct
lounge, and please title your thread appropriately. If everyone titles their threads
“HELP!” then it makes it impossible for the people who are helping you to keep track of
your progress. A very brief description of your specific problem will do. It will also
make it easier to see if someone else is having or has had the same problem as you. The
question you are about to ask may already be answered. Here is a list of things that you
should include in the body of your tech support thread:
1. A detailed explanation of what the problem is. (more than, “It doesn’t work, help”)
2. Pic of the topside of your PCB.
3. Pic of the underside of your PCB.
4. Pic that clearly shows your footswitch/jack wiring and the wires going to the PCB
5. A pic that clearly shows your wiring going from the PCB to the pots and any other
switches(only if your kit has non-PC mounted pots and switches)
6. Is bypass working?
7. Does the LED come on?
8. If you answered yes to 6 and 7, what does the pedal do when it is in the "on" position?
9. Battery or adapter (if battery, is it good? If adapter, what type?)
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Also, please only post photos that are in focus.
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Copyrights:
All material in this document is copyrighted 2014 by BYOC, Inc.

Germanium Boost Kit Instruction Index
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Parts Checklist……………………….................…....page 6
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Populating the Circuit Board…….................…...…..page 8
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Main PCB Assembly..................................................page 16
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Wiring……………………………….........................page 20
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Installing the Transistor/Finishing u………….......page 25
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Operation Overview...................................................page 27
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Schematic....................................................................page 28

This is what your kit should look like when it’s complete. Your kit may come with
different color capacitors, switches etc. Don’t be alarmed by this. They all still do
the exact same thing.

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Res i sto r s:
Parts Checklist for Germanium Boost Kit
1 – 3k9 (Orang e/ Wh ite/Blac k /B rown /B rown)
1 - 4k7 (Yellow/Purple/Black/Brown/Brown)
2 - 470K (Yellow/Purple/Black/Orange/Brown)
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Visit www.byocelectronics.com/resistorcodes.pdf for more information on how to
differentiate resistors.
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Capa ci to r s:
1 - .0047 film cap (may say “472” or “4n7” on the
body)
1 - .01 film cap (may say “103” or “10n” on the
body)
1 - .033 film cap (may say “333” or “33n” on the
body)
1 - .1 film cap (may say “104” or “100n” on the
body)
2 - 47uf Aluminum
E lect rolyt ic
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Visit www.byocelectronics.com/capcodes.pdf for more info on how to differentiate
capacitors.
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Transistor:
1 - TO-1 Socket (3-pin)
1 - OC44, OC75, OC76 or CV7003 PNP germanium
t r a ns i s t or
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Trimpots:
1 – 100K Tr i mpot
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Potentiometers: SNAP THE SMALL TABS ON THE TOP OF THE POTS OFF WITH A
PAIR OF NEEDLE NOSE PL I E RS
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1 - A10k audio (logarithmic) t aper

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Ha r dwa re:
1 – SPDT On/Off/On Toggle
Sw itc h
1 - predrilled enclosure w/ 4
s c r e ws
1 – Germanium Boost circuit
board
1 - 3pdt
footsw itc h
1 -
knob
1 - AC adaptor
jac k
1 - ¼”stereo
jac k
1 - ¼” mono
jac k
1 - battery
snap
1 - red
LED
4 – rubber
bump e rs
2 – lock washers (for in and out
jac ks)
hook-up
w i r e

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Populating the Circuit Board
Step 1: Add all the resistors. Resistors are not polarized and can be inserted in either
direction.

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Step 2: Add the TO-1 Socket (3 pin)
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Step 3:Add the film capacitors. These are non-polarized so it can go in either direction.
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Step 4: Add the 100k trim pot. The trimpot only has 3 leads. The space on the PCB has
5 holes. Do not be alarmed by this. The extra holes are the so that this space can
accommodate several different brands of trimpots. There will only be one way that your
trimpot will be able to fit into the PCB. This is how you should insert it.
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NOTE: This trimpot is for biasing the transistor. After you have finished building your
germanium boost, you will want to adjust this trimpot. Just use your ear. Dial it in for
the cleanest, least gated sound. Unless you want a gated fuzzy boost.

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Step 5: Add the aluminum electrolytic capacitors. These ARE polarized, meaning there
is a positive and negative end. The positive side will have a longer lead and goes in the
square solder pad. The negative side will have a shorter lead and a stripe running along
the body of the cap, and goes in the round solder pad.

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At this point your board should look like this:
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Step 6: Add the battery snap. Thread the solder ends of the battery snap into
the strain relief holes from the bottom solder side of the PCB and out through
the top. Insert the solder ends of the battery snap wires into the topside
of
their respective solder pads. Solder on the bottom side of the
PCB.
Remember the red wire goes in the “+” hole and the black wire goes in
the “-
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hole.

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Step 8: Add wires to the IN, OUT, RING, and two Ground eyelets. Start by cutting
four 2.5” pieces of wire, and one 1.5” piece. Strip 1/4” off each end and tin the ends.
Tinning means to apply some solder to the stripped ends of the wires. This keeps the
strands from fraying and primes the wire for soldering. Solder a 2.5” piece of wire to
each of the IN, OUT, and Ground eyelets on the PCB. Solder the 1.5” piece to RING
eyelet on the PCB. Load the wires in from the top and solder on the bottom of the PCB.

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Main PCB Assembly
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Step 1: Mount the AC adapter jack to the enclosure. Your kit may come
with either an external thread or internal thread. Don’t get confused by this.
They still function exactly the same. You just thread the external nut on the
outside and the internal nut on the inside. The picture below is of an internal
nut jack.

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Step 2: Connect the TIP (negative) terminal of the DC adaptor jack to the
eyelet on the PCB labeled “-“. Connect the SLEEVE of the DC adaptor jack
to the eyelet on the PCB labeled “+” farthest to the right. Connect the battery
disconnect terminal of the DC adaptor jack to the second eyelet on the PCB
labeled “+” located in the middle of the other two eyelets . See diagram on
the next page.
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Step 3: Flip the PCB over so that the bottom or solder side is up. Insert the
A10k potentiometer, Toggle Switch, and the LED into the bottom side of the
PCB. DO NOT SOLDER ANYTHING YET!!! The LED will have one
lead that is longer than the other. THIS WILL GO INTO THE SQUARE
SOLDER HOLE.

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Step 4: Hold the PCB in one hand so that the component side of the PCB is
in the palm of your hand and the bottom side with the pots, toggle switch
and LED is facing up. Now use your other hand to guide the predrilled
enclosure onto the PCB assembly so that the pot, toggle switch, and LED all
go into their respective holes. Once the PCB assembly is in place, secure it
by screwing on the washers and nuts for the pot and toggle switch. Only
tighten them with your fingers. You do not want them very tight yet.
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Step 5: Turn the entire pedal over so that the component side of the PCB is
facing up. Lift the PCB up off the pot and toggle switch about 2mm just to
make sure that the back of the PCB does not short out against the pot. Make
sure the PCB is level and symmetrically seated inside the enclosure.
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Step 6: Solder the pot, toggle switch, and LED. You will solder these parts
on the component side of the PCB (topside or the side with the silkscreened
layout). After you have soldered them in place, be sure to tighten up their
nuts.

Wiring
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Stereo (input) Jack
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Mono (output) Jack
Step 1: Install the 1/4” jacks to the enclosure. Be sure to add the internal
tooth lock washers. The lock washers go on the inside of the enclosure. The
flat washers and nuts go on the outside of the enclosure.