newbie question regarding parts

[strangegrey]

Hey folks,

well, I'm nearing the end of finals...so I'm going to have some free time in the next few weeks...

That means I'm going to start working on my next few projects...during lulls of my matchless lightning clone build...I'm going to build a few stomp boxes (most likely a ross clone and a clean boost or trebble boost) and I could use some stupid parts questions answered.

First off, I had some grand plans last year to modify some pedals....and I ordered some parts from small bear.  Here's what I've got (I think):

* What looks like a TI chip.  It's a little hard to read but it says RC4558P

*5 LEDs (4 in one bag, 1 in another (looks yellow)).  I can't remember for the life of me, whether they were yellow, blue, violet...whatever.  Is there an easy way to test to see what I've got?  I don't want to just slap em up to a 9volt battery, if that will damage them.

* 4 LED mounts with 4 dark plastic inserts with 2 holes in them.

* 4 diodes - I think.  It's VERY hard for me to read, but they look like they read IN4001.  Any way to test these things to determine what they are?

* A germanium transistor can.  It's got 3 leads and it's labeled 133.


Anyway, that's it.  If any of you guys can help me figure out what I have that would be great.

In the meantime, Im going to start developing a list of parts I'm going to need.  at the very least, I know I don't need LEDs or mounts for the LEDs....and if I do a rangemaster clone (unless you guys tell me this thing wont work) I'm assuming the germanium can will work for it.


Anyway, thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer!

-Frank

[80k]

* What looks like a TI chip.  It's a little hard to read but it says RC4558P

standard dual opamp... can be used in many applications.  in layouts, schematics, you'll usually just see a reference to 4558.

*5 LEDs (4 in one bag, 1 in another (looks yellow)).  I can't remember for the life of me, whether they were yellow, blue, violet...whatever.  Is there an easy way to test to see what I've got?  I don't want to just slap em up to a 9volt battery, if that will damage them.

slap a resistor (1K is fine) in series with the 9V battery.  red on the long wire, and black on the short wire, with the resistor in series on one of the ends (doesn't matter which).  see what color it is.

* 4 LED mounts with 4 dark plastic inserts with 2 holes in them.

not sure... i use black ones and they are plastic.  does the LED fit in there?  just try it and you can generally figure out how it works.

* 4 diodes - I think.  It's VERY hard for me to read, but they look like they read IN4001.  Any way to test these things to determine what they are?

if it looks like they read 1N4001, then they are probably 1N4001's .  Is it pretty thick leads, black with a grey end?  those are the ones i got from smallbear awhile back, and yea, they are 1N4001's.  pretty standard silicon diodes that can be used in clipping stages of distortion pedals.


not sure about the germanium transistor.

[dpresley58]

* What looks like a TI chip.  It's a little hard to read but it says RC4558P

Its a 4558 operational amplifier (op-amp), probably a "D". Used in several different pedals, most notably the Tube Screamer.

*5 LEDs  Is there an easy way to test to see what I've got?  I don't want to just slap em up to a 9volt battery, if that will damage them.

Hook a 470 ohm resistor between them and positive on the battery. Hook the short lead to negative with some test clips. You're right - they could be damaged if hooked straight to a 9v. In the very least, they get mucho hot real pronto...

* 4 LED mounts with 4 dark plastic inserts with 2 holes in them.

Pretty self-explanatory. The insert holes help guide the LED leads properly.

* 4 diodes - I think.  It's VERY hard for me to read, but they look like they read IN4001.  Any way to test these things to determine what they are?

They are diodes. Some multimeters have diode testing capabilities.

* A germanium transistor can.  It's got 3 leads and it's labeled 133.

Can't help you there.  Haven't worked with those beasts yet.

Sorry for the incomplete response, but I'm sure somebody else will pick up the slack. In the meantime, Mouser (//www.mouser.com) has some datasheets available online that could shed some light on particulars.

[strangegrey]

With respect to the LEDs...I assume there's an acceptable resistor range for operating the LED.

Can you guys expand on what is it?  I assume the LED's brightness changes, depending on what resistor is used....how low can you go before you risk damaging the LED....I'm assuming the higher you go, the LED eventually is too dim to be worth it?

-F

[Hal]

I=V/R

V=(Vs-Vf), I = max current (usually 20ma)

It helps to have some sort of electronics background (100+ hours of internet reading) before you begin your first project.  I for one didn't and learned nothing from it.  It was between project #1 and #2 that I learned most of what I know.

[strangegrey]

I=V/R

V=(Vs-Vf), I = max current (usually 20ma)

It helps to have some sort of electronics background (100+ hours of internet reading) before you begin your first project.  I for one didn't and learned nothing from it.  It was between project #1 and #2 that I learned most of what I know.

I'm well aware of Ohm's law.  

Your reply doesn't answer my question....just comes off sounding arogant.

What I need are tolerances and operating limits on LEDs.

Thanks!

[80k]

I=V/R

V=(Vs-Vf), I = max current (usually 20ma)

It helps to have some sort of electronics background (100+ hours of internet reading) before you begin your first project.  I for one didn't and learned nothing from it.  It was between project #1 and #2 that I learned most of what I know.

I'm well aware of Ohm's law.  

Your reply doesn't answer my question....just comes off sounding arogant.

What I need are tolerances and operating limits on LEDs.

Thanks!

geez, your response sounds a lot more arrogant than Hal's.  the truth is, almost all of this stuff is in the FAQ, and if you do a search you can find most of what you need on LED's, and that should have been pointed out to you from the start.  if you search for LED and resistor, you'll probably find a post with a link to AMZ's resistor/LED calculation, which will tell you exactly what you need.

[strangegrey]

geez, your response sounds a lot more arrogant than Hal's.

In all fairness, I would categorize my response as frustrated and angry not arogant.  I'm asking stupid and basic questions....as THE TITLE suggests...however, I also said in the first post, that in the middle of an amp build I will be doing this pedal.  I've already built one amp as well.  I'm not going to sit here and say I'm an EE or even pretend to be one on TV...

what I don't particularly like, regardless of whether I'm a newbie around these parts or not....is someone coming in with a snide arrogant comment without answering my question.  I'd rather you just not bother and do your part to let the thread die, than say something like that. :roll:

There we go...I've officially made a mountain out of an ant hill....moving on.  :lol:

the truth is, almost all of this stuff is in the FAQ, and if you do a search you can find most of what you need on LED's, and that should have been pointed out to you from the start.  if you search for LED and resistor, you'll probably find a post with a link to AMZ's resistor/LED calculation, which will tell you exactly what you need.

AHHH....thank you so much, kind sir!

That's exactly what I was looking for...and I would have loved for someone to go "check the FAQ, here's the link"  

I didn't even know there was a faq here and if I did, I would have certainly read it before posting....

[strangegrey]

>I didn't even know there was a faq here and if I did, I would have certainly read it before posting....

What can I do to make the FAQ more apparent?

Let me investigate changing the response form. etc....

Thanks,

Aron

Aron,

Not much you can do.  I found it in mere seconds...the *problem* was that it didn't occur to me to look for a FAQ, when I surfed over here.  Unless you make it a huge honkin blunkin gif thats 200X200 pixels, right next to your logo....unless I'm specifically looking for it, It wont matter.

It's more my fault in not immediately looking for it...than yours for not making it more 'visible'

-Frank

[aron]

Frank,

I took a look at some of the other threads. Mark Hammer is a regular here and he genuinely tries to help. I think if you took a look around you would realize that almost everyone here really wants to help.

That being said, we cannot answer every question.

DIY is interesting. I have always said, if a commercial pedal gives you THAT SOUND, then how much are you willing to pay for it. You could buid tons of pedals and never get the sound that a particular pedal makes. Who cares whether it's a clone or a mod of a clone? If it gives you that sound, get it.

You cannot measure the value of a pedal on component costs alone. There's an art to choosing component values and types and this comes from experience.

[aron]

Actually the FAQ won't really help here. The RC4558 info is found in google.com and has been answered here. The rest of the parts and their specs should be obtainable directly from Small Bear Electronics:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/home.html

[aron]

In the FAQ forum there's this link:

http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/semitest.htm