Troubleshooting a Boss CE-2

[gearhead63]

I use a USB web cam and zoom it in REALLY close to look at solder joints. Works better than a magnifying glass, plus I can take a pic!

[Audiotexan]

Here's a Boss service Note on that unit. Not sure it will help.
Here's a site that has a bunch of BOSS Service Notes and schematics.
Boss -Service Manual Download|Circuit Download|Download Drawings|schematic download|route map download|free download user manual

Just as an FYI, I'd treat that site with kid-gloves.

I'm always kind of leary of Chinese sites like this (Russian too for that matter) due to the prevailing virus/trojan attacks etc.

1. The link you provide above defaults to a chinese IP addy.
2. When I try to check things with the FlagFox plugin (which I've found to be highly reliable) it comes back blank (as in: will not resolve), but with a UK flag. []Geotool

Also, I couldn't find a way to download a single file from this site..at least from a 'non-member' standpoint. Definitely not registering with the above in mind...seems dodgy to me.

If I'm missing something obvious, I *can* be taught! lol
Just wanted to give a heads up on the couple of oddities though.

/ontopic: congrats on the fix! =)

[J M Fahey]

Teaching nothing but I was able to download the Dynacord Eminent schematic.
Just it does not download straight away, you click on it and a new page opens talking in somewhat broken English that for PDF files you need Adobe Acrobat, for rar you need Winrar and so on.
Within that page there's a link saying download file now, you click it and it comes.
I had to unRAR it .
Checked the folder it created to download, found nothing else.
I un RARed, moved the schematic to a proper area and deleted the empty folder.
So somewhat klunky but nothing out of the way.
YMMV of course.

What they apparently expect is that you want a lot (or all) the schematics, so you become member and ask for a CD (paying for it, of course).

[Audiotexan]

Tried with both FF and IE browsers..

Teaching nothing but I was able to download the Dynacord Eminent schematic.
Just it does not download straight away, you click on it and a new page opens talking in somewhat broken English that for PDF files you need Adobe Acrobat, for rar you need Winrar and so on.
Within that page there's a link saying download file now, you click it and it comes.

You definitely helped! At least that gave me confirmation of which page to look at and see what I was missing.

Well, after trying to see failing to find the magic link in two different browsers...I finally realized there's no underline, or blue color (denoting a link) only if you happen to mouse over the highlighted area, does it go red, and indicate a link. *facepalm*

Well hidden (as plain text) with everything else under the sun labelled as "download" so as to get you to click on "something else" -extraneous links highly suspect especially so when you combine the given the file sizes (641k, 657k) with the fact they're both EXEcutables, from two "different sites" but are being served by the same "dde.de.drive-files-b.com".



I did manage to finally find the 'trick' to getting files safely (embedded link in #5 as above) but it sure looks littered with traps.. Good stuff there though as was stated above, just tread carefully and don't mis-click!!

Could just be my paranoia kicking in.. but I learned long ago, when it comes to sites like these, better to suspect first, then eat crow later. Beats having to wipe a system (or spend hours trying to avoid a sys-wipe and picking the virus out by hand).

[fedevespa]

Hi everybody,

I hope I can get your help I have built a CE-2 clone, which was working perfectly. Suddenly, it stopped working and I have the same problem as stoneattic: I get the signal, but it is clean and no chorus is present. I already tried the following things, as recommended by Mark Hammer and 52 Bill:
1) I replaced IC1 and IC2, but nothing changed;
2) I measured the voltage on Pin 3 of Depth and Rate, and I do not have a constant voltage (as stoneattic), but it changes between 8,3, 5,4 and 3,2 V in "loop"
3) On C20, I read 4,5 V or 9,15 V; the voltage stays constant at 4,5 V, and suddently varies to 9,15 V.
3) I checked the resistors around IC2, and I read 0 ohm on R29, which should be 33k

Since I am not really into electronic, I cannot figure out the problem myself. Do you have any advice for me? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Fede

[stoneattic]

I would suggest reflowing all the solder joints. In my limited experience at least half the time it's a bad solder joint.

[fedevespa]

I would suggest reflowing all the solder joints. In my limited experience at least half the time it's a bad solder joint.

Thank you! I will check them.. It's gonna take a while

[jennyand]

Hi everyone,

I received a MIT green label CE-2 today and it doesn't work. This is the first time this has happened to me and instead of instantly sending the thing back I tried to get it to work all day. No happy end, unfortunately ...

This is what it does: When powered with a tested battery the LED goes on and off when pressed. Not too bright though, but I'm used to that with older pedals. So far, so good. With the guitar plugged in there's a very weak signal coming through, but only with the amp turned up to the max (which would normally be insanely loud). also this very weak signal always sounds the same no matter, if the pedal is on or off. so there's clearly something wrong.

When powered with a regular 9V power supply (in a daisy chain, of course) all it does is hum, this time quite loudly, no matter if the LED is on or off. No signal is coming through at all. Just hum, about the volume the guitar signal would be (so not as super quiet as with battery).

Any ideas? Please save my day!

[52 Bill]

Welcome to the place. Seeing that your problem is nothing like the earlier ones, why not start a new thread for your pedal?

Based on you description, the problem seems to be power supply related. When using the battery, does the battery start to get hot or warm? Have you measured the dc voltage of the battery by itself and when installed in the pedal? And more importantly the voltage after it passes through the wall adapter socket.

Have you checked the solder connections at the wall adapter socket? Have you tested the protection diode?