Question for the DIY Electronic guys:

  • Thread starter Thread starter Creamyapples1
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Creamyapples1

Creamyapples1

www.murphycabs.com
Over the past few months I've taken on a few different DIY projects, working on them here and there as free time allows. One of which is an effect pedal project from tonepad.com. I've got the PCB and already picked up my resistors, diodes and transistors (minus the 5.2V zener) but I've got a few questions about the caps and pots.

Small Bear Elec. has a selection of caps, I was wondering which type would best suit my needs:

Capacitors, Low Voltage Poly Film
Capacitors, Xicon High Voltage Poly Film
Capacitors, Mallory 150 Series Poly Film
Capacitors, Sprague 715 Series, Orange Drop
Capacitor, Sprague 716 Series, Orange Drop
Capacitors, Silver Mica
Capacitors, Electrolytic


Also, I need a 500k rev. Long pot and a 250k trim pot, and D2 on the Phase 90 requires a 5.1V zener which I can't seem to find on Small Bear, anyone have a place in mind?


And lastly, and most embarassing of all, but I want it to work, and I'm not too stubborn to believe that I remember much of this crap. When it comes to resistors, does it matter which way they face in the circuit?

Thanks in advance.


I'm working on the Green Ringer, and the Phase 90 pedal if anyone has any hints or tips for me.
 
I can answer the simple question: no, it doesn't matter what direction the resistors sit in the circuit. That matters on capacitors, diodes, gates, and some other things. Resistors are pretty simple little things.

As for your question about the selection of caps, what does the project call for? I can't really make a recommendation without knowing that.

As for finding the zener, I haven't used one since I was in college. I have no idea where they got theirs. Did you do a google search on them?
 
SonicClang said:
I can answer the simple question: no, it doesn't matter what direction the resistors sit in the circuit. That matters on capacitors, diodes, gates, and some other things. Resistors are pretty simple little things.

As for your question about the selection of caps, what does the project call for? I can't really make a recommendation without knowing that.

As for finding the zener, I haven't used one since I was in college. I have no idea where they got theirs. Did you do a google search on them?
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply!

The ringer calls for 3 - 0.047uf, 1 - 0.1uf and 1 - 100uf caps and the phase 90 calls for 6 - 0.05uf, 2 - 0.01uf, 1 - 10uf, and 1 - 15uf caps. They don't specify anything other than that.

I was able to locate the zener and the pots, just curious if there is a site I'm not aware of. When it comes to components, I'm not too weathered with who has good deals and who doesn't, more looking for a suggestion on a good place to order them.
 
No I don't know any good site for getting that kind of thing, sorry. But I do know all those caps should be pretty darn cheap. Shipping will probably be way more than the actual cost of the electronics. You might be able to find a local store that sells that stuff.
 
Surprisingly, the local Radio Shack didn't have alot of it, nor could they get it, according to the 4 different asshats I spoke to at different times, at two different stores. I remember about a decade ago, you could walk into radio shack with a broken circuit and they'd practically fall over one another finding the parts in store and half put it together for you.


Any clue on which caps to go with though? or are they all pretty much suitable for my needs?
 
Digikey is a great place for parts. http://www.digikey.com

Based on my experience, anything under 1uF is usually a ceramic capacitor. Anything 1uF or over is usually a electrolytic. The ceramics don't usually have polarity (plug them in either way) and the electrolytics have polarity (plug them in backwards and you'll toast it.)
 
If I was you, I'd email the guy at Small Bear and see if he'd recommend which parts you need. I can't get onto the site because their server is down right now.
 
Most caps 1uf or higher are electrolytic, and THOSE are the caps which you (with a few exceptions) need to put in the right way. I like the ones from BC electronics for low rated electros, and Illinos Capacitor (when I can get what I need) for the high rating ones.

Lower than 1uf and their are many posibilities. Ceramics are cheap, but they are inacurate, noisy, and their value tends to drift when they get hot. Film caps tend to be a bit more acurate, and quieter, and drift less. I, personally, like the Panasonic E-series caps. Your likely, in your adventures in guitar electronics, to hear people talking about how Sprauge caps sound better. Don't listen to them, because they are only repeating what they have heard on the internet and have no clue what they are talking about. I like the Panasonics because they are reliably made, not because they have some special voodoo magic. I've seen Sprauge Orange Drops which had leads which were not conected to anything inside the cap, and most of the Orange drops I've used were microphonic. I've only used a few Malory 150s, so I'm not sure about them, but their are guys out there who swear by them.

Silver Micas are usually only avalible in very small values (I think the highest one I have is a 1000pf, or .001uf). I like them, as they are quite acurate, and they seem to be well made.


In the end, though, the biggest issue with how a cap sounds (no matter what any one tells you) is the VALUE of the cap. The closer it is to spec, the better (so buy a cap meter), and the less drift, the better.


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"Cowards can never be moral."
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Oh, and Digi-Key is great. That's where I get the Panasonic caps.



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"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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