CHAPTER 9 ■ RESISTORS
Any of the resistor packs in Table 9-1 are perfectly adequate for a start. The Jameco #107879 includes a
cabinet, which is nice.
Understanding Size and Tolerance
I recommend starting with ½-watt through-hole resistors because their larger physical size makes it easier
to see the color code bands. If you want to use the smaller ¼-watt through-hole resistors instead, that’s
fine. Until you become an expert, don’t buy surface-mount (SMT or SMD) resistors. Those are too small to
experiment with (see Figure 9-3).
Figure 9-2. 100-piece assortment of ½-watt, 5% tolerance, carbon-film, through-hole resistors
Table 9-1. Resistor Assortments
Supplier Part Number Price Number of Resistors
Electronix Express 13RK5001 $8.95 365
Jameco 107837 $12.95 350
Jameco 107879 $39.95 540 + cabinet
Digi-Key RS150 $16.95 365
Figure 9-3. Top: 1-watt, ½-watt, ¼-watt, and ⅛ watt through-hole. Bottom:^1 / 10 -watt surface-mount