TIL: Variable Resistors

104 would be 100,000 Ω or 100 kΩ

Today I learned how to interpret the values of trim pot resistors based on the printed text.

Back story: I recently found the wonderful world of cheap eBay electronics. This weekend I finally sat down with some trim pot variable resistors and learned that the 130 pieces I purchased were in separate bags for a reason. There are 13 different base resistance values … which I promptly mixed together in a fit of ignorance.

Fast forward to the internet and some searching and I now know how to interpret the three numbers printed on each. For example:

502: 50 x 10^2 or 50 x 100 or 5,000 Ohms
502 would be a 5 kΩ

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