sound to light units.

I've seen a few people asking how to make lights flash to music, and I've always suggested a sound to light unit to do the job. I know you can buy them pre-made fairly cheap, but they may be harder to modify in a way to blend in with the car for those who want that. Well I just picked up one of THESE today at my local electronics store. This would be easy to switch between on/off/flash by using a DPDT switch to either use the circuit, or bypass it. I just thought I would put this out there for those who have shown an interest before.

Well I got it all put together, but I think I messed up the trim pot by over heating it because it doesn't have much effect, and the lights just kind of flicker all the time, no matter how little noise is in the room. I was having issues with my soldering iron, the tip is dirty and my paste sucks. any ideas here?? can you ruin a trim pot by getting it too hot? everything else should be fine.

With your meter set to Ohms.  Check the resistance between the 2 connections that are side by side.  Turn pot full CCW and check again.  Turn pot full CW.  Check again.  One or more of those readings should be the same as the value of the pot.  With the pot still full CW, check from one of those legs to the one on the other side of the pot.  Leave the lead on the lone connection and move the other lead to the leg on side of where it is now.  One reading should be a dead short and the other should be close to the value of the pot.  Now turn pot full CCW and repeat.  Should get the same readings, just opposite leg will show the short and the other will now show the value of the pot.  There may be other components paralleled with the pot.  If it is a 10K pot, you may only read 6 or 7K.  But the dead short thing is more critical of the pot working properly.Let's Go Brandon Brown. Congratulations on your first Xfinity Series Win. LGBFJB

ok i'll have to check a bit later, the pot is 220k. If i jump the two connections side by side, the leds will light up about halfway, and it will flash with noise, but they never turn off. if i jump one of the side by side connections to the single connection the leds turn off, and do nothing..... or they light up very dimly and do nothing. when turning the pot, the lights will behave erratically, flickering on and off, and just simply turning off for a brief period while the knob is being turned. I'll bust out the meter in ab it and check that, I've got a tire rotation to do, some inspection on my brakes/suspension and check my spark plugs, as well as other daily tasks.

should i test it with the power on or off??

I would say off, but since you have already shorted out every possible combination with it on.  I guess you will be safe metering it when it is on.   But no, turn it off before checking it.  If it is on there will be voltages present that may affect the readings.Let's Go Brandon Brown. Congratulations on your first Xfinity Series Win. LGBFJB

using 2m setting on my DMM. Turn pot full CCW; .136 Turn pot full CW; .136 With the pot still full CW, check from one of those legs to the one on the other side of the pot.

Leave the lead on the lone connection and move the other lead to the leg on side of where it is now. "left" side reads .136 "right" side reads 0, One reading should be a dead short and the other should be close to the value of the pot. Now turn pot full CCW and repeat. "left" side reads 0 "right" side reads .136 136 is a rough average value, it would mostly be 136, most times steady, but sometimes jumping around by 1 or 2 points, and once or twice it was a totally different reading, like 175. I think shes dead.

Your pot is fine.Let's Go Brandon Brown. Congratulations on your first Xfinity Series Win. LGBFJB

really.....hmm.... I removed the pot, plugged it in, and the lights stay dimly lit, like really dim, and have no reaction to sound. I may have a short elsewhere then?