In Reply to: question about resistors posted by stark_portugal@yahoo.com on October 1, 2008 at 14:45:07:
stark, hi. Unless and until you calculate changing the circuit (looks like you don't want to do that) keep the value (Ohms) the same. As far as wattage is concerned one can always go up in value. (rule of thumb) There may be some exceptions like when using a resistor as a fuse. A fault would cause the R to fail and open thus protecting other things. Also a cooler R is a happier R ie the curve of thermal noise to temperature, etc. It was standard practice for military electronics to have double the stated rating on every component. If 1/4 W is calculated then use a 1/2. This also applied to stated wattage on output transformers. It says 50 Watts but is actually 100. This affects average mean failure time. Some like to use a multiplier greater than 2 - say, 6 for R values. Then there is the matter of what the R is: carbon composition, carbon film, metal film, thick metal film, bulk foil, wire wound, metal oxide, metal oxide mixes, tantalum nitride, and so on. Even in wire wound there are specifics: metal or alloy of the wire, substrate, coating, etc. I tend to favor precision wire wound and precision carbon film. Different R are useful in different ways. They sound different. Your ears will tell you. Nobody can tell you how you hear. So, Happy R and Happy Listening.
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Follow Ups
- RE: question about resistors - elektron 10/1/0818:11:18 10/1/08 (1)
- WHAT'N THE "HECK" YOU DO'N HERE, going around making sense all over the place?!? (nt) - twystd 20:46:14 10/1/08 (0)