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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: Auke Haarsma on September 04, 2008, 12:01:27 PM

Title: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: Auke Haarsma on September 04, 2008, 12:01:27 PM
I was wondering why you often see the use of heatshrink, especially in high gain pedals (fuzzes, Boogeys etc).

Two questions:
1) Isn't heatshrink just a kind of plastic without special shielding capabilities?
2) (even if it has shielding capabilities) What is the added value? Most of the PCB's/stripboards have a lot of uncovered copper anyway.
Title: Re: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: John Lyons on September 04, 2008, 12:15:16 PM
It's just a coincidence.
Heat shrink is just for insulating bare metal.
It doesn't have any shielding properties.

john

Title: Re: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: Auke Haarsma on September 04, 2008, 12:31:14 PM
yeah, that is what I thought.

So, there is no point to use heatshrink on the lugs of pots (other than to prevent shorts).

And why use heatshrink like this on the trannies-legs?:
Much respect for this build. This is not to bash anyone, just trying to understand! I randomly 'stole' it from the pictures thread ;)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w95/Frankli_album/DSC00446.jpg)
Title: Re: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: audioguy on September 04, 2008, 01:10:09 PM
to insulate from touching one another because the builder left them pretty long
Title: Re: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: Ben N on September 04, 2008, 01:56:29 PM
Besides insulation, it is also handy for strain relief--fragile wire-2-lug solder connections can be made a lot more hardy by sliding some heatshrink over them and warming. But no, no shielding.
Title: Re: Shielding effectiveness of Heat Shrink
Post by: Auke Haarsma on September 04, 2008, 04:14:00 PM
Thanks for the replies guys!