MOTM

jlarryh@... writes:

>> Even if you can't afford a nice Panavise or something, one of those little 
$5 jobbies with the alligator clips really work fine too when you REALLY need 
that 3rd hand.<<

I have been using one of those little "dual helping hands" for years, and I 
don't know what I would do without it in some situations.

>>but I check every resistor with my Fluke before soldering them in.  Even in 
good light, the colors are just not all that clear at times.  Red and orange 
are very different on some, yet almost identical on others.  Same for brown 
and violet.  Hell, maybe I'm just getting old and blind.<<

You are not getting old and blind.  The browns, oranges and violets on the 
blue high quality resistors are almost indistinguishable from each other at 
times.  Why they can't use brighter and more pronounced colors I would like 
to know.

Useful Tip:  for those who are using one of those handy $3 lead benders.  
Have you found yourself bending the leads of those little axial ceramic 
capacitors and then tried to insert them into the PCB only to find that the 
holes are spaced narrower than the resistor and diode holes, rendering your 
lead bender useless, while you cursed the name Paul Schreiber out loud ?  Me 
too ?  The solution is to firmly push the capacitor into the round hole in 
the top of the lead bender, which is used to hang the thing up, and bend the 
leads around that narrow portion of the lead bender.  It will give you a 
perfect fit.

-Elhardt

> Useful Tip:  for those who are using one of those handy $3 lead benders.
> Have you found yourself bending the leads of those little axial ceramic
> capacitors and then tried to insert them into the PCB only to find that
the
> holes are spaced narrower than the resistor and diode holes, rendering
your
> lead bender useless, while you cursed the name Paul Schreiber out loud ?


I'm a source of inspiration to all.

Paul S.
(caps are on .300 lead space to minimize lead inductance)