gliptitude
New Member
i'm an electronics novice. i am pretty far along though in a guitar stompbox project, using proven schematics and parts lists, and i have already asked lots of questions in other forums.
:idea: i want to correctly orient my components but i don't have a meter. i think the only components left to figure out are:
:shock: one electrolytic capacitor(47uF) and :?:
:shock: two npn transistors (i think 3904 and 4401). :?:
i read that electrolytic capacitors normally have the negative lead marked, but mine does not. i have two different brands of this 47uF (neither marked + or -) but one of these, which has a lead going in one end and out the other, has what kind of look like arrows going in one direction. one lead is longer than the other.
as for the transistors, they are very small with three prongs. all i know is that it is important to orient them correctly. the three prongs are pretty much all in a row, but it kind of looks like the center one is intended to go in a certain direction (away from the flat side of the cap, towards the curved side).
:shock: i read that resistors are nonpolar and, since trimpots are basically variable resistors, i am assuming that they can go in either direction (so long as the center lead is properly distinguished). is this right? :?:
thanks for your help.
:idea: i want to correctly orient my components but i don't have a meter. i think the only components left to figure out are:
:shock: one electrolytic capacitor(47uF) and :?:
:shock: two npn transistors (i think 3904 and 4401). :?:
i read that electrolytic capacitors normally have the negative lead marked, but mine does not. i have two different brands of this 47uF (neither marked + or -) but one of these, which has a lead going in one end and out the other, has what kind of look like arrows going in one direction. one lead is longer than the other.
as for the transistors, they are very small with three prongs. all i know is that it is important to orient them correctly. the three prongs are pretty much all in a row, but it kind of looks like the center one is intended to go in a certain direction (away from the flat side of the cap, towards the curved side).
:shock: i read that resistors are nonpolar and, since trimpots are basically variable resistors, i am assuming that they can go in either direction (so long as the center lead is properly distinguished). is this right? :?:
thanks for your help.