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Four-Drawer Resistor Storage

Four-Drawer Resistor Storage

Chris Connors shows his technique for storing resistors. Executive summary: he sorts by the 3rd color band! Over the years, I’ve seen and inherited parts bins with every drawer labeled for a single value resistor. This can take up dozens of drawers in a rack. It also makes returning the resistors a pain, because you […]

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Ohm’s Law Reference Poster

Ohm’s Law Reference Poster

I love this Ohm’s poster by ZarthCode’s Anthony Clay. In addition to the classic Ohm’s Law triangle (“It’s the Law!” the poster proclaims) it also includes a resistor color chart, a discussion of voltage dividers, as well as an explanation of the markings on surface mount resistors. Just the thing for a hackerspace! The poster […]

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Voice-Controlled Resistor Sorter

Voice-Controlled Resistor Sorter

Right now I’m sorting all my resistors into plastic bags, and it’s kind of a lengthy process! Anthony Clay wrote a program called EESPeak that speaks the numeric value when you describe the colors. Have you ever had a giant pile of loose resistors to organize? I have! Instead of slowly calculating every single part […]

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A Closer Look at Resistors

A Closer Look at Resistors

MAKE alumnus and supernerd Collin Cunningham rhapsodizes about everyone’s favorite current-fighting backbone of circuitry–the resistor–in this classic MAKE video. Collin talks about Ohm’s Law, resistor color codes, and using pencil graphite to make paper resistors.

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Paper Resistor

Paper Resistor

Instructables user science4u used this simple arrangement to create an ad hoc paper resistor — a strip of heavy paper with pencil lead limiting the flow of current, with precisely spaced paperclips serving as leads. Desperate for a 10K? Draw your own! [Thanks, Laura!]

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Simple Resistor Storage System

Simple Resistor Storage System

Instructables user Re-design stores his resistors in ziplocks with ohms written on the bags. He uses an index card for a little structure and to record additional information. As someone who stores his resistors using the “big ole heap” system, this looks great to me! Another, more expensive option in a similar vein is to […]

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