Noob feeling like an idiot - could use some assistance...

[nickbungus]

For measuring nearly any component on a budget, you cant do much worse then one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M328-LCR-T4-Mega328-Transistor-Tester-Triode-Capacitance-ESR-Meter-MOS-PNP-NPN/401919588980?epid=0&hash=item5d94463a74:g:wmkAAOSwNhJdjGgH

[ElectricDruid]

For measuring nearly any component on a budget, you cant do much worse then one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M328-LCR-T4-Mega328-Transistor-Tester-Triode-Capacitance-ESR-Meter-MOS-PNP-NPN/401919588980?epid=0&hash=item5d94463a74:g:wmkAAOSwNhJdjGgH

Yep. That's the eBay budget Chinese knock-off version of this device (which I _think_ was the original...correct me if I'm wrong):

https://www.peakelec.co.uk/acatalog/dca55-atlas-dca-semiconductor-analyser.html

Either way, it's nowadays an obvious application of a cheap microcontroller and the features that you can add to it are "a simple matter of programming" to quote R.G. from some time ago Still a damn useful bit of kit any which way.

T.

[m7b52000]

These cheap devices also measure transistor pinouts. Immensely useful!

[bmsiddall]

I never use colour codes/capacitor codes- i measure everything first with my multimeter (Peak meter for the trans.).  Not foolproof if you are expecting 470 k but pull out a misfiled 470R as i did recently. 

[Grendel2000]

Thanks for the help everyone - here's the follow up (sorry for the delay):

Here is the diagram I am working from:


I have read (hopefully correctly) and installed only on resistor so far as shown here (the 33k resistor at R2):


I have photos and meter reading of two more resistors that were provided that I'm not sure how to read...

#1 (5 Band: orange/orange/black/black) - my app says this is 330 Omega symbol (Ohms - correct?)


Meter reading for #1:


Why does it read as a decimal of K/thousands instead of just removing the decimal?   This is extremely confusing trying to quickly get reads...  Am I missing something here?

#2 (5 Band: brown/black/black/orange) - 100k Ohms - correct?


Meter reading for #2:


This one makes perfect sense...

So the 100k can go in R3.  But why is the 330 Ohm (assuming I read that correctly) even in the bag?  It doesn't correspond to anything on the diagram.

Ok - let me have it (and Thanks!).

[Marcos - Munky]

Yep, you don't have any 330r on the layout you're following. Probably it was sent to use instead of the 220r resistor. Did you found any 220r (red red black) resistor?

[Grendel2000]

Not yet.  Stopped after my brain melted because I wanted to make sure I wasn't completely screwed up before investing more time.

[Marcos - Munky]

You're going the correct way.

Just to add, you've started with blue resistors, which as I said are harder to read because some colors blends. And also started with 5 band resistors, which are harder to read than 4 band resistors. So you've already had a nice start by correctly identifying those ones!

[Grendel2000]

Thanks!

[bluebunny]

For those of us without 72-inch plasma screens:

[IMG HEIGHT=nnn] . . . [/IMG]   

[Grendel2000]

For those of us without 72-inch plasma screens:

[IMG HEIGHT=nnn] . . . [/IMG]   

Sorry / thanks!

[Grendel2000]

Ok - a few more questions:

- Are the 9 pins on the foot switch supposed to be oriented a certain way?  I don't see any markings anywhere to indicate that any specific orientation is "correct" to match the diagram so I'm wondering if the switch can be placed either way so long as all of the wires are attached correctly relative to one another according to the diagram. What's the deal there?

- In the diagram the capacitors at C1 and C2 Bothe have clearly marked indicators for a positive side.  I got that squared away (long leg = positive) but the third one is a different type (orange rectangle marked "WIMA 0.1 100") with eggs of equal length.  Since the diagram shows no positive symbol anywhere near C3 can I assume that either orientation is ok?

Thanks!

[willienillie]

You'll want to orient the stomp switch so that the lugs are "side to side" (_) and not "up and down" (|) to match the wiring diagram.  The WIMA box cap is not polarized and can go in either direction.

[Grendel2000]

You'll want to orient the stomp switch so that the lugs are "side to side" (_) and not "up and down" (|) to match the wiring diagram.  The WIMA box cap is not polarized and can go in either direction.

Thanks Willienillie!  Clarification on the switch - I get the side to side thing, but is there a correct "up" vs "down" orientation or is it fine either way so long as the lugs are horizontal?

[Marcos - Munky]

As long as the lugs are horizontal, you're fine. This is the only orientation switches needs.

[Grendel2000]

As long as the lugs are horizontal, you're fine. This is the only orientation switches needs.

Perfect - thanks you very much!

[Grendel2000]

Well that went poorly...

Suddenly I can't seem to manage to heat anything up well enough to get the solder to stick at all.

I put thorn on the lug and it's definitely getting hot - so much so that the plastic around it is melting and allowing it so lean when pressed against.  Still - I just can't get the lug hot and the solder to melt at the same time.  I had no issues whatsoever attaching the resistors and whatnot to the board - that went amazingly well but now I can't get a single wire attached to the first lug.

Any advice?

[PRR]

> I just can't get the lug hot and the solder to melt at the same time.

Do you have bare tinned copper jumper-wire on the bench?

Looks like solder but won't melt on an iron.

[Grendel2000]

> I just can't get the lug hot and the solder to melt at the same time.

Do you have bare tinned copper jumper-wire on the bench?

Looks like solder but won't melt on an iron.

Nope - just solder.

[willienillie]

It's good to wet the iron tip with a little solder before each joint.  That helps the heat transfer from iron to lug, more surface area contact.  If your iron is too hot, it will repel solder and probably oxidize the tip.  If it is too cool, you won't be able to make the joint quickly enough, and the plastic stuff around the lug will melt as you've seen.  If your lugs are leaning over in the melted plastic, the switch is probably ruined, sorry to say.