JHS Honeycomb Deluxe workalike?

[irmcdermott]

Can we put our heads together figure out a way to do something like the Honeycomb? I've searched but haven't found any thing like it in the DIY realm yet.

How difficult would it be?

[culturejam]

I suspect it's the "improved EA Trem" by runoffgroove, with a switch to toggle between two different speed knobs. Add a bi-color LED to indicate which speed knob is active. Oh, and wire the speed pots backwards. Done.  

[irmcdermott]

i figured with it being JHS it would be a clone of something.

Is there an easy way to add the "Fast/Slow" switch that they have on the inside?

I just have a buddy interested in something similar and I'm trying to see how close I can get.

[culturejam]

Yeah, the fast/slow thing is just swapping one resistor out.

Look at this:
http://www.runoffgroove.com/eatremolo.html

The one you want to toggle is the 1K connected to the Speed pot. Higher value = slower, as I recall.

[irmcdermott]

you. are. the. man.

thank you for that. when i'm back home from being on the road in 2.5 weeks, i'm breadboarding this.

[irmcdermott]

and, it looks like Dragonfly has all the info needed on the DIY galleries

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/The-Mod-Zone-_/

[irmcdermott]

Alright,

Maybe I'm the only one interested in this. Since JHS posts guts on their site, I did a quick count of components and looks like the EA tremolo on GGG is what they used for this (18ish resistors, 4 transistors, etc.). So I transferred the GGG schematic into EAGLE and added things like:

- Fast/Slow switch - set this up right now as an external SPDT because I think that would be better. Haven't tested any of this, but resistor values are based on the stock 1k, and Dragonfly includes a 50k resistor in his "EA Tremolo Half-Speed Mod"
- Added the Pulse LED into the schematic, using the ROG schematic as a reference.
- The footswitch to change between the two Speed pots, including the Bi-Color LED to let you know which knob you have selected. The LED in the schematic has a common cathode. This can be a DPDT or a 3PDT.

No layout yet. And I won't be back at my house to test this for another 2.5 weeks due to being on the road, but I thought that I would post what I've worked on so far. If anyone see's anything goofy, let me know. Felt it necessary to put all those links because I'm 100% about giving credit where credit is due and other than adding a few switches into the schematic, none of this is my original work.

Love this community.

Ian

EDIT: ERROR IN THE SCHEMATIC. The LED in there is a common anode, not cathode. I'm adjusting that and will re-attach.
 

[Guitafuzz]

  Hi Ian there is a another improved that you can add to this project and you can view it at GEO it calls "Vibmatic"  http://www.geofex.com/FX_images/vibmatic.pdf

this is another link http://www.pisotones.com/EA-Tremolo/MBC/Vibmatic/Vibmatic.htm whre you can find this mod.

[irmcdermott]

This is unverified until I get home and test it in a couple weeks, but I'm attaching a unverified Build Document with the PCB artwork in case anyone feels like giving it a shot.

Attached is the overlay image for those just wanting to see, and also the build doc with all of the information. Looking forward to hopefully stick a verified sticker on it. And once I do, I'll post it in the Member's Projects area.

The only area of concern that I have right now is the spot where the 1uF film caps are. If you use the Panasonic ECQs, they may not fit, or it will be EXTREMELY tight. At only 1.5" tall, the board can be adjusted to spread those out a bit.

Also, I need to add this in the build doc, but on my layouts I typically include three extra ground pads in addition to the one standard by the +9V supply. I typically run the ground from my DC jack to that one (it's the labeled one. That then leaves one for the input jack, output jack, and one to go to your switch. I find that this tidies up my wiring a bit overall.

Should someone build it, keep me updated!

Here is a link to the final project's thread.

Ian

[raulduke]

Good stuff dude.

I'm just in the process of boxing up my EA trem that I have done.

The EA trem is my favourite trem by far, as it doesn't get too 'choppy'.

[irmcdermott]

Thanks! I can't wait to get home and test this... after the other two builds i need to finish 

[culturejam]

That is a really nice layout. 

[irmcdermott]

Thanks CJ. Hopefully it works

[irmcdermott]

While I await my return home to test my layout, I was looking at the gut shots of the Honeybee (linked below), I notice that there are (I think) 3 extra caps in there. Obviously, without having the pedal in hand, or a better picture, I may be asking the impossible, but any idea what they might be doing? Even just a specualtion. The extra electrolytic is close to a 1N400x looking diode, and is close to the DC jack, so that's probably a PS filtering cap. I don't exactly know where in the circuit the other two are, maybe the white caps up in the corner. Anywho, does anyone have one of these pedals?

Ian

[irmcdermott]

This is now verified. There is a link above to the new thread in the Member's project section.