05-01-2014, 02:15 PM
It depends. I usually do not use drifted up resistors as one simply cannot predict what the further drift will be like.
Also if the resistor is subject to larger power dissipation this will affect the way the resistive element contacts the lugs and the resistance simply will be very different from the cold state.
And even if the resistor does not dissipate a lot, it still can be heated by nearby elements - it can get quite warm inside the chassis of a tube radio.
Won't necessarily destroy anything but might make for problems and if used in critical places may complicate things more.
Unless I see a resistor that is within 10% or so which means to me it has not drifted in 70-plus years and so is not likely to move any time soon, I replace them.
Also if the resistor is subject to larger power dissipation this will affect the way the resistive element contacts the lugs and the resistance simply will be very different from the cold state.
And even if the resistor does not dissipate a lot, it still can be heated by nearby elements - it can get quite warm inside the chassis of a tube radio.
Won't necessarily destroy anything but might make for problems and if used in critical places may complicate things more.
Unless I see a resistor that is within 10% or so which means to me it has not drifted in 70-plus years and so is not likely to move any time soon, I replace them.
