tauzero Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 I've recently bought second-hand an EHX C9 organ sound pedal, which initially tested out OK. However, at rehearsal when I tried using it, my swelling organ was cut off in its prime. A little experimenting then showed it was an unreliable connection to the output jack socket. I've done a bit more diagnosis since then. There are two output jacks, one dry and the other a mix of effect and dry. Both sockets behave similarly. It's not the lead, this has happened with several different leads. I think that the tip can be moved out of contact with the, er, contact. All of the springy contacts are, indeed, springy. I'm using Neutrik and Rean plugs. The sockets show no sign of moving on the PCB. The guilty sockets are at the top. I suspect that the little dips in the contacts for the tip are losing contact if the plug is moved a bit. This is going onto a pedalboard so hopefully there shouldn't be an issue over jack plugs moving, but I would like to solve it. I'm tempted to try bending the springy contact down a bit to make it a more positive contact. Has anyone else encountered a similar issue, and managed to solve it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy_r Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 8 hours ago, tauzero said: I've recently bought second-hand an EHX C9 organ sound pedal, which initially tested out OK. However, at rehearsal when I tried using it, my swelling organ was cut off in its prime. A little experimenting then showed it was an unreliable connection to the output jack socket. I've done a bit more diagnosis since then. There are two output jacks, one dry and the other a mix of effect and dry. Both sockets behave similarly. It's not the lead, this has happened with several different leads. I think that the tip can be moved out of contact with the, er, contact. All of the springy contacts are, indeed, springy. I'm using Neutrik and Rean plugs. The sockets show no sign of moving on the PCB. The guilty sockets are at the top. I suspect that the little dips in the contacts for the tip are losing contact if the plug is moved a bit. This is going onto a pedalboard so hopefully there shouldn't be an issue over jack plugs moving, but I would like to solve it. I'm tempted to try bending the springy contact down a bit to make it a more positive contact. Has anyone else encountered a similar issue, and managed to solve it? hi don't know if this will help... i've found that very occasionally the shape/position of the recess round the jack tip on some leads means that the dip in the springy socket connection aligns with the recess on the jack tip in such a way as to make for intermittent connection (ie slightly pushing or pulling the jack in the socket can make contact, but the slightest nudge and its no go) my long term solution (where feasible) was to change out the socket to a different brand, but i've certainly used the careful tweaking of the offending connection strip using 'snipe-nosed' pliers to add a slight downward 'V' profile to that strip (handy being the end one!). Need to watch out for affecting any switching action at that lug - and not tweak it so much that other leads jam and twist the connection good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 Looks like a lot of white bushing... With the lid off try a plug, then remove the chrome nut and try again... I recon its the depth of socket / jack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy_r Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 2 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Looks like a lot of white bushing... With the lid off try a plug, then remove the chrome nut and try again... I recon its the depth of socket / jack ...the jack sockets are all soldered to the PCB, so there won't be any relative re-positioning Could move the whole board** towards input sockets by reducing the bushing, but then output socket(?) would need extra gap (**assuming other controls have some leeway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 (edited) ^ I get that... but will confirm the contact and 'fussy' Jack plug length... Those sockets usually come with 2 or 3 red fiber washers to use depending on chassis thickness... i think the star grounding washer - although a great idea and design touch, may just of made the jack requirement a little long... Hence take the chrome nut off to feel how a jack seats... Edited November 21, 2023 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 On my old RedSub amp, the headphone jack was the same design and went dodgy and would sometimes mute the amp even if nothing was plugged in (due to the spring contacts not staying in contact with the plug removed). I didn't muck about with trying to bend the contacts at all, I just went straight to replacement. Thankfully it was on a wee daughterboard, so it was a pretty simple remove daughterboard, desolder socket, solder in new socket, reinstall daughterboard, job's a good 'un. This'll be a bit more of a pain to get to the solder points (removal of pots and footswitch etc.) but better than gutting an amp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy_r Posted November 21, 2023 Share Posted November 21, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: ^ I get that... but will confirm the contact and 'fussy' Jack plug length... Those sockets usually come with 2 or 3 red fiber washers to use depending on chassis thickness... i think the star grounding washer - although a great idea and design touch, may just of made the jack requirement a little long... Hence take the chrome nut off to feel how a jack seats... ...agreed, re. checking jack seating with external nut/collar removed - still little scope for correction Edited November 21, 2023 by sandy_r 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted November 21, 2023 Author Share Posted November 21, 2023 8 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Looks like a lot of white bushing... With the lid off try a plug, then remove the chrome nut and try again... I recon its the depth of socket / jack When I was experimenting, I had the lid off and was able to see where the plugs went in the socket. They were positioned with the tip in the right place. However, I have now tried removing the chrome nut and washer under it, and with the plug pushed fully in, it's even worse. With the plug positioned at its optimum, so the spring contact is central in the groove of the tip, it's still at least as unreliable as with the nut and washer in place. I've bent the contacts and it's a bit of an improvement, still not 100% though but should be OK on a pedalboard. I shall seek out replacements for the sockets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Guitarist Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 Have you tried cleaning the contacts with de-oxit? There may well be a tiny bit of corrosion/contamination in just the wrong spot, especially on a used item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Guitarist Posted December 2, 2023 Share Posted December 2, 2023 Other possibility I'd suggest is that you may have a dry solder joint to the PCB and slight movements of the socket cause issues. That would be worse when the nut is removed as the socket is then more free to move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basstone Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 It may be a combination of corrosion on the socket contacts, loss of contact pressure or a bad joint on the board. It may be worthwhile removing the board, taking the sockets off the board and then removing the connections from the socket body. They are a firm push fit and you don't need to get them all the way out just enough to inspect and clean the contact area and bend them down to increase the contact pressure, or at this point just fit new high quality replacements. When re-soldering them it is also worth cleaning any coating from the PCB tracks around the jack solder pads and spreading the solder connection a bit wider. This with help strengthen the join and mitigate against any track breaks which are most likely right on the jack solder pads. Having done all the above you should have eliminated most of the likely causes of the problem. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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