AMZ Booster Question

[Ofek Deitch]

Hi everybody !

Which diode am I supposed to use in the AMZ Booster?




Will a 1N4739 do the job?

Thanks!

[Levispeights]

I don't see why it wouldn't.  I have personally used an 1N5239 to great success but the 1N4739 should work just as well. 

[garcho]

1N4739 = 1 Watt tolerance

1N5239 = 0.5 Watt tolerance

[Ofek Deitch]

I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to electronic stuff... sooo could you please explain a bit the whole "tolerance" thingy.. ?

THANKS 

[garcho]

Think light bulbs. A traditional Tungsten filament 10 Watt light bulb doesn't get as hot or bright as a 100 Watt light bulb. That's because Watts measures energy produced over time. More energy, more 'work', more heat, per second, more Wattage, more light. If 100 Watts are produced in something that is only capable of handling 10 Watts, it'll melt or start on fire or evaporate or what-have-you. Electrical components are rated for Wattage because it's uneconomical and wasteful to produce only components that can handle the highest levels of heat. Engineers use the lowest rating that is still safe in order to save money and PCB/enclosure space. For instance, the current and voltage going into your household lamps are obviously much higher than in your booster pedal, so a 100 Watt diode isn't necessary. From Jack Orman:

A zener diode is connected from the transistor's gate to source in order to protect it from static charges or over-voltage inputs.

I wouldn't worry too much about the wattage rating in this case; a 1 Watt 1N4739 will probably be fine. I'm a noob, too. I've built this pedal a few times as gifts for friends and I use one on every gig I play; I've never had a problem. Maybe someone else can chime in about how to do the math to know for sure how much Wattage this Zener diode needs to be capable of withstanding.

[Ofek Deitch]

Ok thanks! I'll try the 1 watt diode then...