ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear

Other ADA Gear => ADA Effects => Topic started by: Robin on May 31, 2021, 02:31:40 PM

Title: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on May 31, 2021, 02:31:40 PM
Well, that subject line looks a bit odd, doesn't it?  Anyway, I just picked up an A/DA flanger, and I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out how old it is.  I've looked all over this forum for the schematics as I understand that that's one way to date these effects, but I can't find them.  So, here are the details about my flanger:  it uses a wall wart, the Threshold knob is slightly smaller than the other knobs, and there is a sticker on the PCB inside that says "222294." Other than that, the case looks like it's been thrown out of a moving car, but the flanger sounds sweet as can be.  Any info anyone could give me would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: rnolan on June 01, 2021, 01:11:19 AM
Yes it does look a bit odd LoL I've dated a few women but never a flanger...  I suspect there are some members that can help you put a date/year to your gadget and maybe MJMP can help with a schematic  :dunno: .  Maybe post (attach) a pic, we do like pics here (particularly Dante).  A/DA are making the flanger(s) again, seems they were quite popular (https://www.adaamps.com/products), it seems they were originally made in 1977 and 1978 when the world was a less complicated place.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Harley Hexxe on June 01, 2021, 12:37:40 PM
Hey Robin,

          The fact that that one uses a wall-wart instead of a hard wired AC cord would seem to suggest it may be from 1975-1976, unless someone modified it for a wall wart. The ones made in 1977 and up had the AC cord on them. This one sounds like it may be one that was built at the time of the Final Phase which still retains the wall-wart. For all we know, you might even have a prototype.

        Let's see if MJMP can make any sense out of that.

Harley 8)
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: MarshallJMP on June 02, 2021, 01:15:59 PM
You can usually date by looking at the manufacturing dates on the IC's. Can you take a pic of the pcb (top side) and post it?

Also does it have the SAD1024 BBD or the NE3010
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on June 02, 2021, 08:29:04 PM
Thanks for all the replies so far.  I've attached pictures of the front and back of the unit, the front and back of the PCB, and a close up of a chip that says "Reticon" on it.  They're on a couple of posts because there are too many of them.  Now, having taken it apart and reassembled it, I hope it still works!  (And as I said before, the case itself looks like it was thrown out of a moving car...onto a dirt road...in a gravel pit.)  Please let me know what you all think.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on June 02, 2021, 08:30:39 PM
Here are the other two pictures.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on June 02, 2021, 08:53:28 PM
One other interesting thing about this pedal is that the case itself has 3 holes drilled in the metal for footswitches.  The flanger, of course, only used the middle one and the other two are covered up, but the other two holes correspond to where the footswitches on the Final Phase would be at.  So, apparently, A/DA used the same case for both pedals.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Harley Hexxe on June 03, 2021, 12:53:54 PM
It does have the SAD 1024, but it's still kind of odd that it has a DC power supply plug. I've never seen one like that before.
The solder joints look original.

You are correct though, ADA did use the same case for both pedals, they just attached the appropriate label plates.

Harley 8)
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on June 03, 2021, 01:37:36 PM
Harley, why would it be odd that it has a DC power supply plug?  The really early A/DA flangers had SAD 1024 chips and also used a wall wart power supply, did they not?
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Harley Hexxe on June 03, 2021, 03:05:47 PM
Hey Robin,

        I believe all the flangers were AC powered. No AC adapters to break or lose. A lesson learned with the Final Phase.

Harley 8)
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Robin on June 03, 2021, 04:49:33 PM
Hey Harley,  do you mean AC powered as in the cord wired into the unit?  I actually do know that the very early flangers used a wall wart.  I've read that in a couple of other places, and you actually said in a post on this thread.  Am I not understanding what you're saying here?
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: MarshallJMP on June 04, 2021, 11:36:43 AM
From the schematics I have all the SAD1024 flangers used a wall wart. In the '79 schematics I see the option for either a buit in transformer or the wall wart. By that time they also used the MN3011 BBD.

Looking at the pics it seems it's from mid '78.So an early unit.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Harley Hexxe on June 04, 2021, 12:17:21 PM
Hey Harley,  do you mean AC powered as in the cord wired into the unit?  I actually do know that the very early flangers used a wall wart.  I've read that in a couple of other places, and you actually said in a post on this thread.  Am I not understanding what you're saying here?

Hey Robin,

          Yes I do mean the AC cord hard wired into the pedal. Those are the only ones I've ever seen, even in the old Guitar Player magazine ads.
           Funny, I didn't know they made wall wart versions of these. At least the mystery is solved, yours is more than likely an early one. So, if you carefully tape off the face plates, and spray paint it black, it'll look like new again.
          In my previous comment about the wall wart, I said it had to be an early one, or maybe even a prototype, but I wasn't sure about it. Apologies if I confused anyone.

Harley 8)
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Del10134 on November 05, 2021, 06:35:09 PM
I have the same problem trying to date a A/DA Flanger. Mine also takes a wallwart but has the MN3010 Chip on a 10185P Board. The unit is  Serial number
22 4283.
Can any body help me date this thing
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: MarshallJMP on November 06, 2021, 02:54:57 AM
Post a pic of the component side of the pcb so I can have a look.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Del10134 on November 06, 2021, 06:48:25 AM

Thanks , here are inside shots.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: MarshallJMP on November 06, 2021, 11:57:05 PM
From what I can see I guess late '79 early '80.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: Del10134 on November 07, 2021, 06:02:02 AM
From what I can see I guess late '79 early '80.

Thanks,
 I guess what had me really confused is that the serial number is very low and I have seen ones with higher numbers with the Renticon.
It has hand written 12v on the plug in. Do you think that was a mod later. I thought these things were 18v.
Title: Re: Dating a Flanger
Post by: MarshallJMP on November 08, 2021, 06:29:44 AM
Well you need 18V in and it will make 15V out of it. Can you take a pic of the entire board so I can have a look. Just want to know if it has a 7815 or LM723 voltage regulator?