I was about to order some parts from Mouser and wanted to order
some low-power bridge rectifier blocks. What I picture in=20
mind is something about the size of an 8-pin IC with pins coming
down from each corner in a through-hole design.=20

	The diodes should be electrically similar to 2N4001's or
even the Motorola HEP170 which is rated for about an amp forward
and has a very good PIV of around 1000 volts.

As a tinkerer who happens to be blind, I got lost in the jungle
of specification lists when I was on the Mouser web page and
wasn't sure of what part number to order.

	I have several good bridges on hand, but the smallest
one is about 20 millimeters long which would be the largest
component on the perf board which is kind of silly as it will be
rectify ing around 20 volts at 10 or 15 milliamps.

	I certainly can stick 4 diodes in that spot, but then I
have to check each one and face them in the right direction to
make the bridge and I am lazy. It makes it easier to come back
to it later and know what I was doing at the time.

	Thanks for any recommendations.

	By the way, I have used HEP170's to replace the two
halves of a 5Y3 rectifier tube and they did not break down with
around 600 volts across the outside of the center-tapped
transformer. I strongly advise against using the Braille method
of testing on circuits like that. I don't even want to think
about what that would feel like, but those diodes held for
years.

Martin McCormick
--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
.