Using the Triad to Supply
9.6vdc to Other Pedals
The 2.1mm "Boss" standard jack on the rear provides 9.6vdc power, allowing the Triad to supply power to connected tip negative 2.1mm 9vdc pedals.
To power more than one pedal, a daisy chain or parallel power cable must be used. Both Boss and Visual Sound offer standard 2.1mm tip negative daisy chain cables. As users inform me of other known good sources I will list them here.
Up to 300ma worth of pedals can be powered safely by the Triad. As the average guitar pedal uses between 30ma and 50ma of power, with big hogs like the Boss twin pedal series taking 200ma, the Triad can easily power the average sized board.
Notice the plug in the 9.6vdc jack. This is there to prevent the user from accidentally plugging the 9vac supply into the 9.6vdc jack. This plug just pulls out, but please read this information before you remove it:
It is important that the Triad owner never plugs the 9vac supply into the 9.6vdc jack. Doing so will release the magic smoke and smell terrible, but the repair is inexpensive and easy.
Note: The information below only applies to
Triads sold before Sept of 2007
As there was no way to use power jacks that would prevent the 9vac from going into the 9.6vdc jack without using rare and hard to find plugs, I put in a protection diode. This diode will prevent the Triad circuit as a whole from being damaged if you plug the AC supply into the DC jack, but in doing so, this diode will give up its life (in a spectacularly smelly way).
The diode pictured is a 1N4002 though one can use a 1N4004 or 1N4007 as well.
It costs about $0.30 new, and can be purchased at Radio Shack. I will gladly send Triad owners
replacement 1N4002s as needed, though buying one locally will usually be faster.
Any tech or person with moderate soldering experience can replace this diode. To make such a replacement as easy as possible, I left this diode on the bottom of the PCB. The diode can be replaced without removing anything other than the bottom cover (held in place by four screws).