From media@pcnet.comTue Jul 18 09:43:23 1995 Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 12:20:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Machine Media To: 18Hz Cc: bode@veda.is, analogue@hyperreal.com Subject: Re: Capacitor Colors? > Does anyone have the scoop on the color coding scheme on those really old > capacitors? Yes, this is from "Reference Data for Radio Engineers" by Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, 1943: Condenser Color Code Color Sig. Fig. Multiplier Tolerance % Voltage Rating black 0 1 - - brown 1 10^1 1 100 red 2 10^2 2 200 orange 3 10^3 3 300 yellow 4 10^4 4 400 green 5 10^5 5 500 blue 6 10^6 6 600 violet 7 10^7 7 700 gray 8 10^8 8 800 white 9 10^9 9 900 gold - 0.1 5 1000 silver - 0.01 10 2000 no color - - 20 500 If one row of three colored markers appears on the capacitor, the voltage rating is 500 volts and the capacitance is expressed in two significant figures in micromicrofarads as follows, usual tolerance being 20%: First dot on left, first significant figure Second dot, second significant figure Third dot, decimal multiplier If two rows of three colored markers appear on the capacitor, then the top row represents the significant figures, read from left to right; the bottom row indicates the decimal multiplier, tolerance, and voltage rating read right to left. Capacitance is in micromicrofarads. If the capacitor is approximately circular two groups of colored bands are used, one group made up of wide bands on the right, the wide bands indicate the significant figures read from left to right; the narrow bands indicate the decimal multiplier, tolerance, and voltage rating, from right to left, respectively. PEACE OUT :) MARK