Ideas For Multiple Resistor Values - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 06:19:59 pm
content: Hello there,As you can see in the photo i have a resistor assortment that came with resistor values taped together. There are 10 resistors of each value and maybe more than 100 different values, so that's a lot of resistors.The problem is, the tape gets dried out over time and so the resistors start to come right off of the tape and fall so they can no longer be identified quickly by looking at the tapes. The tapes have 10k, 20k, etc., written on them but if the resistors fall off the tape it does not help at all.The question is, what do you think is the better way to store all these values. I'd like to be able to spot the value i need as fast as possible.I dont want to have to buy 100 little drawers though. Maybe they make plastic boxes with 100 little compartments, maybe you know of some.Thanks for any ideas.You can see many in the diagram that already fell off, and it looks like some are still taped up, but as soon as you pick up a bunch they fall right off.

author: duak
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 06:39:31 pm
content: You might consider ammunition storage cases. I bought a couple of Plano cases like the one in the attached image to store small drill bits. They should work well for resistors with longish leads.Cheers,

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 07:23:53 pm
content: Learn reading color codes?

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 09:44:57 pm
content: I have a couple of cases containing tubes of all standard E24 values from 10R to 1M and E12 from 1R to 10R and 1M to 10M, with a few extra odd values.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 10:09:51 pm
content: Quoteworks fine until your eyesight gets old and struggles to see those piddly little strips on 1/8th watt resistors.I use small storage drawers with individual draws for 100 ohm,1K 10k and 100k and everything else in drawers holding a range based around the e12 series.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2023, 10:51:22 pm
content: Here's an idea for this application that will also include your kids (if applicable).Team up with one or more of your local shops and ask them to collect the little cardboard tubes in the receipt rolls instead of throwing them away.When you have enough, glue them together in a honeycomb structure, I suggest seven rows, one per decade. How many you need across depends on your granularity (E6, E12 etc.).Glue a piece of carton across one end of the honeycomb.That's your storage.How you want to mark them or whatever is up to you. I'd probably just make a chart of the values and hang it above the array.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 12:51:38 am
content: That sounds very blue peter,have you got one you made earlier?

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 08:31:22 am
content: I've stuck 96 toilet rolls into a honeycomb covered it in sticky backed plastic, sprayed it with silver paint and hung the storage solution from a tree.Before I started this mega project, I experimented with 12,24 and 48 roll units. I also have a mobile solution strapped onto Petra's back.Saves me traipsing around the lab, all I have to do is whistle.Noaks is very jealous.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 10:41:07 am
content: Quote from: Benta on April 16, 2023, 07:23:53 pmIf you have a pile of 1000 resistors 10 of each value that's 100 values. Takes too long to sift through many of the resistors to find 4 that are 330 Ohms. The color code bands are very narrow too so hard to read even with a good LED flashlight. The brown band at the 'end' makes it a bit harder to read too because you have to look twice to figure out which end to start reading the code from. That brown band is for the "1 percent" marking.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 10:44:47 am
content: Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look into those ideas next.This wasn't a problem until the tapes got all dried out. Before that you could just pick up a bunch and look at the tape and see what value that set was.Often i need more than one resistor of a certain value too so i have to find more than one of that value, which makes it harder unless they remain grouped by the tape or some compartment or something.These assortments are not that expensive so it makes sense to buy them, as long as you have a good way to store them.Long time ago i used to use those slide out drawers and kept a few values in each drawer. That took up a lot of space because each drawer did not have that much in it.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 11:37:40 am
content: Quote from: Terry Bites on April 17, 2023, 08:31:22 amIt's unclear to me whether this is the "famous" British humour or too many visits to the pub.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 06:26:45 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on April 16, 2023, 10:09:51 pmI have a cheap auto-ranging pocket multimeter which I use for the very purpose of identifying resistors. It's obviously no good for mains, but I never use it to measure hazardous voltages.Quote from: MrAl on April 17, 2023, 10:41:07 amIf you have a pile of 1000 resistors, completely mixed up and unsorted. My advice is to bin them. It's simply not worth the time spent sorting them. I would happily shell out for some new ones, in packets marked with the values, than searching through a huge bin of random resistors every time. I suppose if you've got time on your hands, you could spend it sorting them, but I'd rather watch paint dry and spend the money.

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 06:57:18 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on April 16, 2023, 10:09:51 pmMaybe I'm just in denial about getting old... but I'm fairly convinced the average quality of the color stripes has fallen precipitously, too -- some combination of poor pigments and/or insufficient opacity. Even under magnification, I find most cheap ones (as these kits are likely to be) just have various shades of muddy brownish stripes. I can usually recognize which is which if I already know what I think a value is and am just confirming it, but if I look at one w/o any context feel like I'm likely to misinterpret at least one color. The blue body background of metal film seems to make things even worse.

author: MasterT
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 07:09:10 pm
content: For breadboarding, where I don't need manny values - mostly 1k 10k 100k decade line in use, I start to buy resistors different makers. Body of the resistor itself has different colour, for example Vishay has red-brown pallete, Stackpole - green, and Yaggeo blue. Than no preblem if some of them mixed up.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 07:20:19 pm
content: Quote from: MasterT on April 17, 2023, 07:09:10 pmPlease don’t give people the idea that it’s primarily the brand that defines the color. It’s not. It’s the type of resistor. Carbon film resistors are tan, metal film resistors are blue. Pink are fusible resistors.Green is often inductors, not resistors.

author: MasterT
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 17, 2023, 10:20:04 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on April 17, 2023, 07:20:19 pmI was talking about metal film resistors, 1% 250mW 100ppm. Manufacturers define the colour, there is no rules.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 07:15:25 am
content: Quote from: MasterT on April 17, 2023, 10:20:04 pmI never said there are rules. But the fact remains that beige for carbon film and light blue for standard metal film ARE what practically all manufacturers use (including Vishay and Stackpole — I checked). Other colors are used to indicate special characteristics, like Vishay using the reddish-brown to indicate high voltage.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 09:13:47 am
content: Quote from: Benta on April 17, 2023, 11:37:40 amHa ha, now that's funny. I do appreciate some humor stuck in now and then, keeps things a little lighter.I dont have enough of any one value to use something as large as toilet paper rolls though.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 09:19:52 am
content: Quote from: Zero999 on April 17, 2023, 06:26:45 pmHi,Yes that makes sense, but i hate wasting these resistors too even though not that expensive really. Next time i will be sure to buy some that are sorted in a better way.I also got a little lucky here, some of the packs had tape that still held some of them together. That made it a bit faster to sort because i just had to grab that one set and stick in into a little plastic bag. Oh yeah, i ended up going with little plastic bags made for i think jewelry. Stick 10 in a bag and slip a little piece of paper in the bag with the value. The little bags are then stuck into a plastic box with compartments, one compartment for each range of values (1 to 9.9 Ohms goes in the first compartment, 10 to 99 in the second compartment, etc.).BTW, it takes a long long time to measure the resistance of many small resistors.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 09:23:09 am
content: Quote from: abeyer on April 17, 2023, 06:57:18 pmHi,Yes, many of them even have the first stripe on the very end of the resistor rather than on the cylindrical part where they usually are.Also, the white and gray look similar so hard to tell which is which sometimes.Some of the stripes are much thinner than others too, hard to read even with glasses. Need a really good light.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 09:24:34 am
content: Quote from: MasterT on April 17, 2023, 07:09:10 pmHi,Yeah that makes sense. I keep some resistors separate for quick use like that too, but this is a major collection so i have many values to keep in good order so i can find them when needed without taking an hour for each one.

author: MasterT
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 10:23:03 am
content: Quote from: tooki on April 18, 2023, 07:15:25 amMy advise is to buy resistors from different makers if there is a chance, very likely they outlook differently. It's greatly simplifies breadboarding, and even after project soldered and assembled it easy to spot what the values were installed in some parts of the circuits.Regarding resistors from fake-express market - I stop buying them long ago, I think it's epoxy compound coloured like metal film.In essence, quality of electronics component greatly depends on a market where you shop, not on a colour. For someone still didn't realize it, it would not make any differnece what kind of resistors they have - carbon, thick film etc,

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 11:27:10 am
content: In the photo, a whole lot is still identifiable. Move them over to separate bins immediately.For the ones that came loose: set aside fifteen minutes a day for measuring them and putting them in the right bin.My guess is that within a week, you've ordered the whole bunch.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 06:22:07 pm
content: Quote from: RAPo on April 18, 2023, 11:27:10 amHi,Yes i started doing them a little at a time. I ended up using little plastic baggies.It went a little faster than i thought because some of the tapes were still stuck somewhat, so some groups were still together. I still have some to do though, but here is a pic of what i ended up with. The baggies are very cheap and you can see through them, although i still added labels inside each bag.The ones in the photo are 180 Ohms as the label indicates.I got this set because i went in half with someone else, we split the pack 50/50. From now on i will order them with different packaging but now i could probably just buy the way i normally do, from a reputable outlet and buy several of one value and just a few values, not a whole set of them.Incidentally, these resistors have steel leads. I never, ever, got resistors with steel leads until i got this set.

author: mendip_discovery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 06:51:30 pm
content: I thought some of those test tube sized glass jars would be a nice way to store them but at ~70p each it starts to add up as a neat way to store them.https://www.ampulla.co.uk/shop/glass/glass-vials-specimen-tubes/10ml-slim-glass-specimen-tube-16mm-stopper-cap/I am starting to build up a nice selection and I was thinking pf designing something for the 3d printer to do. I have got as far as Gridfinty for the layout.

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2023, 07:00:44 pm
content: My sources tell me that Petra may have been dead at the time I did this. So was it shep?Both crap techs anyhow.

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 12:13:39 am
content: Quote from: Benta on April 16, 2023, 07:23:53 pmTo be fair these look like the cheapo resistor packs, and to save on $0.00000000000000000000000000001 per resistor they use the same paint for brown, orange and red.To the OP, don't spend more on storage than parts are worth. A cheap way to organise resistors like this is to use envelopes, which I then put into $2 kitty litter trays. You can write on the envelopes, put them in order of values, and flick through them like an old library card system.Most storage systems are way disproportionate to the value of parts inside them.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 01:29:56 am
content: Quote from: John B on April 19, 2023, 12:13:39 amSMD for the win:https://www.aidetek.comThey sell both empty cases and populated kits.As the OP ended up with, envelopes or small zip lock bags (they can be ordered with a white stripe for hand written labels) sitting in a cheap or repurposed box is very reasonable for through hole part storage.

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 02:33:01 am
content: Here's how I organise my SMD collection, which is much larger than my through hole resistors nowadays. Another thing to remember is how expandable the solution is, when you purchase another value and have to slot it all in. I leave them in the anti static bags because they're already labelled and there's a few types. 0805, 1206, MELFs. Only cost me a bit of tape, hot glue and a few manilla folders. Free bunnings boxes FTW

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 11:52:11 am
content: Quote from: John B on April 19, 2023, 12:13:39 amHi,See Reply #23. I found tiny 2x3 inch plastic baggies you can get 100 for $3 USD.

author: hli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 02:04:00 pm
content: I use sevon of these boxes. Perfect when you have a E12 series - each box has 20 compartments, which means you have some left for more specific values. I use 1 box for each decade. They can hold something like 200 resistors per compartment. Its not the most space-saving solution, but the values are easily retrievable.(Edit: I bought these from Conrad in Germany:https://www.conrad.de/de/p/tru-components-sortimentskasten-l-x-b-x-h-250-x-180-x-24-mm-anzahl-faecher-20-feste-unterteilung-1-st-1564901.html,but when you search for 'TRU COMPONENTS box 1564901' you can find other sellers as well)

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 02:29:30 pm
content: My needs are simple and this assortment has carried me for a very long time:https://www.jameco.com/z/00081832-Jameco-ValuePro-540-Piece-1-4-Watt-5-Carbon-Film-Resistor-Component-Kit_81832.htmlI have two values per drawer.If I need intermediate values or higher wattage, I buy them for the project and dump the leftovers. I don't have room for a cabinet that could hold 100 values and sorting through a random pile is a waste of time.These days I usually use SMD resistors and the only reason the having the axial version is for breadboarding.

author: Martinn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 04:47:40 pm
content: I have this kit (see pictures), might behttps://de.farnell.com/multicomp/mf0w4ffe006kit/widerstand-kit-0-25w-1-e6-0207/dp/9342362Very handy.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 11:25:33 pm
content: Quote from: hli on April 19, 2023, 02:04:00 pmHi,Oh nice. I could not find boxes that nice they fit good in the compartments.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2023, 12:06:01 am
content: Quote from: Martinn on April 19, 2023, 04:47:40 pmHi,Looks like they came that way, that is very handy. I'll probably get the other resistors i need in packs like that but maybe less at a time i dont usually need that many of one value anymore, just maybe 10 to 20 for each value.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2023, 12:08:12 am
content: Quote from: rstofer on April 19, 2023, 02:29:30 pmYeah i forgot about Jameco. I have ordered from them since the 1970's i think it was. Havent ordered much from them recently though. They have some good stuff.Some of the other places went out of business like BgMicro.

author: hli
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2023, 11:21:07 am
content: Quote from: MrAl on April 19, 2023, 11:25:33 pmI added a link to where I bought them, and the article number to my post.

author: dobsonr741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2023, 02:27:24 pm
content: Plastic baggies into business card binder:

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2023, 02:56:10 pm
content: https://www.adafruit.com/product/432

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2023, 09:33:45 am
content: Quote from: dobsonr741 on April 20, 2023, 02:27:24 pmHi,Hey that's a neat idea. You could store them on a book shelf. I'll have to look into getting one of those binders.Dang, i just bought two more plastic boxes too.

author: MrAl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2023, 09:35:21 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on April 20, 2023, 02:56:10 pmHi,They look pretty nice. Might be a little small for my purpose though unless i bought a lot of them.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2023, 04:03:56 am
content: I make them into laptop sized units and stack them for 1W+I think its worth it because a resistor is a very important object and can make or break a device

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2023, 07:42:57 am
content: Quote from: tooki on April 17, 2023, 07:20:19 pmYeah, until you start buying on eBay which is full of Chinese blue carbon film resistors, usually mislabeled as MF by sellers

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 25, 2023, 10:58:00 am
content: Quote from: magic on April 22, 2023, 07:42:57 amI think we can agree that nobody should be buying eBay and aliexpress resistors, period! :pEven for breadboarding they suck, with their hair-thin leads that just bend…