Resistor colour bands

[capt.jamesfox]

Can anyone tell me of a good way to remember the colour of the resistor bands?

 

[vne147]

I do it kind of a weird way. When I was a kid I was taught to remember the colors of the rainbow with the anagram Roy G. Biv.

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet

The resistor color codes are similar:

Black
Brown
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Purple
Gray
white

I just remember the first two black and brown and the last two gray and white. Works for me although I'm sure there are some less convoluted ways out there.

Edit: Oh yeah and there always is the method of printing out an identification chart and hanging it over your work bench, which I have also done.

 

[killivolt]

I have to remember them as a numeric value.

The resistor color codes:

0/Black
1/Brown
2/Red
3/Orange
4/Yellow
5/Green
6/Blue
7/Purple
8/Gray
9/white

Then just accept the numbers for what they are> a color. Then do the math.

or graphical resistance calculator

kv

 

[crutschow]

Wikepedia has numerous Mnemonics (some more politically correct then others) to remember the code. The one I remember starts with "black boys", but that's definitely one of the less correct ones.

 

[Vikky]

Just remember B B ROY Gets Beautiful and Very Good Wife.

Teh capital letter stand for the colour coded

B Black
B Brown
R Red
O Orange
Y Yellow
G Green
B Blue
V Violet
G Gray
W White

 

[killivolt]

Just remember B B ROY Gets Beautiful and Very Good Wife.

Teh capital letter stand for the colour coded

B Black
B Brown
R Red
O Orange
Y Yellow
G Green
B Blue
V Violet
G Gray
W White

My Old boss could do this it just doesn't seem to work for me. I also remember the notes on my guitar just as it is without those confusing mnemonics. I not only have to remember there values but also the mnemonic.

 

[vne147]

Wikepedia has numerous has numerous Mnemonics (some more politically correct then others) to remember the code. The one I remember starts with "black boys", but that's definitely one of the less correct ones.

Mnemonic! That was the word I was looking for, not anagram. I talk English good!

 

[Mr RB]

I read the Wikipedia mnemonics, they were either afraid to touch the one we we taught in heavy industry in 1980, or maybe haven't heard of it since it has a little Australian flavour in its rudeness.

When I taught my apprentices for our chain of TV repair shops I used a slightly different method and taught the standard pairs;
brown black
brown red
brown green
brown grey
red red
red violet
orange orange
orange white
yellow violet
green blue
blue grey
grey red

there's only 12 (common) and had other benefits since the resistors replaced were often burned or discoloured in the middle but the first band might still be intact. Its a good system, we also had colour charts on the wall but knowing the colours are standardised in this way helps a lot, even when deciding which way to read the bands (from which end).

 

[3lectrokid]

for most of the numbers i just remember the spectrum of colours and work it out. its not the best way though

 

[smanches]

For a color blind persons perspective...

0/Black
1/Black
2/Gray
3/Gray
4/Light Gray
5/Gray
6/Blue
7/Blue
8/Gray
9/White

In other words, use a multi-meter.

 

[peterbrown]

I wondering if there is a software like barcode reader in Android mobile phone. Put the resister on the bench, take a picture use your mobile phone, then the value comes to the screen!