How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Moderator: Ghost Hip
Forum rules
The DIY forum is for personal projects (things that are not for sale, not in production), info sharing, peer to peer assistance. No backdoor spamming (DIY posts that are actually advertisements for your business). No clones of in-production pedals. If you have concerns or questions, feel free to PM admin. Thanks so much!
The DIY forum is for personal projects (things that are not for sale, not in production), info sharing, peer to peer assistance. No backdoor spamming (DIY posts that are actually advertisements for your business). No clones of in-production pedals. If you have concerns or questions, feel free to PM admin. Thanks so much!
-
Officer Bukowski
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3307
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:13 pm
How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Hey guys! I just got a soldering iron yesterday and I'm working on my first build by myself. It's a "Super Ego" pcb from culturejam.
So I've got a mixed bag of components here and I'm not sure how to understand what goes where. Culturejam kindly sent me a layout and schematic. And the schematic says things like "R1 1K". So I know where R1 is supposed to go, but I'm not sure how to tell which resistor is 1k, etc.
Can someone help me out? I'm assuming the little stripes are some kind of code but I don't understand how to read it. Thanks!
So I've got a mixed bag of components here and I'm not sure how to understand what goes where. Culturejam kindly sent me a layout and schematic. And the schematic says things like "R1 1K". So I know where R1 is supposed to go, but I'm not sure how to tell which resistor is 1k, etc.
Can someone help me out? I'm assuming the little stripes are some kind of code but I don't understand how to read it. Thanks!
I make pedals. SHARK TANK
- LaoWiz
- Supporter

- Posts: 2035
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:03 pm
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Resistors are color coded but that can be confusing and time consuming at first. I would suggest that you buy a digital multimeter. They can be had for as little as $20. The one I bought takes measurements for resistors, hfe readings for transistors, capacitor readings, voltage, etc. It was probably about 60 to 70 bucks.
These come with probes, one probe to one side of the resistor and the probe to the other side. Pretty easy and an important diy tool. If you buy kits, sometimes the resistors are marked with the value in individual bags. If they aren't you should get a multimeter. If you can't afford one at the moment, google resistor color codes and you can find a chart that will help you...
These come with probes, one probe to one side of the resistor and the probe to the other side. Pretty easy and an important diy tool. If you buy kits, sometimes the resistors are marked with the value in individual bags. If they aren't you should get a multimeter. If you can't afford one at the moment, google resistor color codes and you can find a chart that will help you...
Most active on Instagram
Mo Destinations:
Laowiz Big Cartel
Reverb Shop
Ebay Shop for Vintage Parts, Test Equipment, vintage radios
Shark Tank
Build Archive
Mo Destinations:
Laowiz Big Cartel
Reverb Shop
Ebay Shop for Vintage Parts, Test Equipment, vintage radios
Shark Tank
Build Archive
- MEC
- HERO

- Posts: 4651
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:04 pm
- Location: Old North State
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Officer Bukowski wrote:Hey guys! I just got a soldering iron yesterday and I'm working on my first build by myself. It's a "Super Ego" pcb from culturejam.
So I've got a mixed bag of components here and I'm not sure how to understand what goes where. Culturejam kindly sent me a layout and schematic. And the schematic says things like "R1 1K". So I know where R1 is supposed to go, but I'm not sure how to tell which resistor is 1k, etc.
Can someone help me out? I'm assuming the little stripes are some kind of code but I don't understand how to read it. Thanks!
Calculators:
http://samengstrom.com/24614782/en/read/4_Band_Resistor_Color_Codes
http://www.ealnet.com/m-eal/resistor/resistor.htm
Chart:


http://youthministry.bandcamp.com/
http://remainstheband.bandcamp.com/
Achtane wrote:FUZZ ALL DAY MAN FUZZ IS GOD ALL OTHER EFFECTS ARE SHIT
Caesar wrote:Dude, can you get the fuck out of my b/s/t thread with your bullshit.
PumpkinPieces wrote: This isn't America, this is I Love Fuzz.
Mudfuzz wrote:Remember when we were all just a bunch of weirdos that liked fucked up shit and not just a bunch of nerds buying bling to impress each other online?
- culturejam
- Supporter

- Posts: 2381
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:25 pm
- Location: Nueva Yersey
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
If I'm at my bench building, I use the basic colors to get me in the ballpark and then a DMM to test and verify. That's if I'm pickup up a random part. I have all my shit sorted by values in bags, so usually that's not an issue.
Last edited by culturejam on Tue Jul 26, 2011 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Disclaimer #1: Co-Founder, Product Developer at Function f(x).
- darthbatman
- committed

- Posts: 424
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:11 am
- Contact:
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
pretty good acronyms for the color code
http://www.acronymfinder.com/BBROYGBVGW.html
http://www.acronymfinder.com/BBROYGBVGW.html
- morange
- FAMOUS

- Posts: 1389
- Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:50 pm
- Location: Bellingham, WA
- Contact:
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
darthbatman wrote:pretty good acronyms for the color code
http://www.acronymfinder.com/BBROYGBVGW.html
Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly
Oh that Violet.
-
Officer Bukowski
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3307
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:13 pm
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Thanks guys.
I'm kinda stumped by these last three. Also, does this look right so far culturejam? I think I may have put the ceramic disc cap in the wrong place.

I'm kinda stumped by these last three. Also, does this look right so far culturejam? I think I may have put the ceramic disc cap in the wrong place.

I make pedals. SHARK TANK
-
Officer Bukowski
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3307
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:13 pm
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Also.. Sorry about the low quality pic. That's the best my iPhone can do. If you need me to tell you the color of the stripes on any of the resistors I can.
Also that's not my penis, my pants were just kinda bunched up for sitting down.
Also that's not my penis, my pants were just kinda bunched up for sitting down.
I make pedals. SHARK TANK
-
Officer Bukowski
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3307
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:13 pm
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
I need help with C1, C7, R6, R8, & R10. And I'm not sure if that ceramic disc cap is wrong.
I make pedals. SHARK TANK
- MEC
- HERO

- Posts: 4651
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:04 pm
- Location: Old North State
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Sweet boner!
What are the resistor color bands on the ones you can't figure out and what are the values listed as for R6, R8 and R10?
What are the resistor color bands on the ones you can't figure out and what are the values listed as for R6, R8 and R10?

http://youthministry.bandcamp.com/
http://remainstheband.bandcamp.com/
Achtane wrote:FUZZ ALL DAY MAN FUZZ IS GOD ALL OTHER EFFECTS ARE SHIT
Caesar wrote:Dude, can you get the fuck out of my b/s/t thread with your bullshit.
PumpkinPieces wrote: This isn't America, this is I Love Fuzz.
Mudfuzz wrote:Remember when we were all just a bunch of weirdos that liked fucked up shit and not just a bunch of nerds buying bling to impress each other online?
-
Officer Bukowski
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3307
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:13 pm
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Yellow, purple, black, brown, gold
Gray, gray, black, green, gray? This ones really hard to tell
gray, gray(?), red, yellow, gold
R6 820K, R8 1K5? I don't even know what that means. I'm a real noob. R10 22K
I had two other 22K resisors but used them on the board. R10 kinda looks like a resistor for the LED so maybe the value doesn't matter that much? I really don't know what I'm talking about haha. Show me the way oh DIY masters.
Gray, gray, black, green, gray? This ones really hard to tell
gray, gray(?), red, yellow, gold
R6 820K, R8 1K5? I don't even know what that means. I'm a real noob. R10 22K
I had two other 22K resisors but used them on the board. R10 kinda looks like a resistor for the LED so maybe the value doesn't matter that much? I really don't know what I'm talking about haha. Show me the way oh DIY masters.
I make pedals. SHARK TANK
- eatyourguitar
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3127
- Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2010 12:37 pm
- Location: USA, RI
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
morange wrote:darthbatman wrote:pretty good acronyms for the color code
http://www.acronymfinder.com/BBROYGBVGW.html
Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly
Oh that Violet.
my dad said they teach this in the navy, seriously
WWW.EATYOURGUITAR.COM <---- MY DIY STUFF
- McSpunckle
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3848
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:20 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
I ordered some switches from MPJA (Not highly recommended), and it came with this nifty business card thing:
I keep it handy, but honestly on these smaller resistors, I usually just measure them. If you have a kit with a bunch of loose resistors, it's not too bad to measure one, then find the ones that match it. But sitting there trying to read the colour codes kinda sucks and you'd really save time just measuring the resistors.
I keep it handy, but honestly on these smaller resistors, I usually just measure them. If you have a kit with a bunch of loose resistors, it's not too bad to measure one, then find the ones that match it. But sitting there trying to read the colour codes kinda sucks and you'd really save time just measuring the resistors.
- MEC
- HERO

- Posts: 4651
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:04 pm
- Location: Old North State
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
Yellow, purple, black, brown, gold = 4.7k
Gray, gray, black, green, gray = 88m
gray, gray, red, yellow, gold = 8.82m
These are the values for the colors you listed. They don't appear to match what you need.
If you have trouble reading/seeing the colors buy glasses/multimeter.
Gray, gray, black, green, gray = 88m
gray, gray, red, yellow, gold = 8.82m
These are the values for the colors you listed. They don't appear to match what you need.
If you have trouble reading/seeing the colors buy glasses/multimeter.


http://youthministry.bandcamp.com/
http://remainstheband.bandcamp.com/
Achtane wrote:FUZZ ALL DAY MAN FUZZ IS GOD ALL OTHER EFFECTS ARE SHIT
Caesar wrote:Dude, can you get the fuck out of my b/s/t thread with your bullshit.
PumpkinPieces wrote: This isn't America, this is I Love Fuzz.
Mudfuzz wrote:Remember when we were all just a bunch of weirdos that liked fucked up shit and not just a bunch of nerds buying bling to impress each other online?
- morange
- FAMOUS

- Posts: 1389
- Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:50 pm
- Location: Bellingham, WA
- Contact:
Re: How to understand resistors and whatnot?
The colors don't mean anything. They're there just to fuck with you.