Substituting diode

[joelap]

I'm almsot finished building a tube screamer-ish clone.  I forgot to order an extra 1n914 diode for the power section to place from the positive of the 9volt to ground... but I do happen to have a Germanium diode lying around here... a 1n270.  can I use this in place of the 1n914 safely?

[Ge_Whiz]

In principle, yes. In practice, no. Leave it out altogether and make sure you don't connect the battery the wrong way round. When you get the right type, solder it in later. It strikes me that this form of 'protection' constitutes a short-lived fuse anyway. I never do it.

[Peter Snowberg]

For a diode in that position, I would suggest a power diode like a 1N4001 or even something larger. I try to use 1N5818s for all protection diodes.

That diode is only there to protect the circuit by shorting the power supply out if you connect the battery the wrong way. As Ge_Whiz said, don't connect it wrong and put a diode in later.