[ARC5] RAK-7 caps - newest radio adventure

[Glen Zook via ARC5]

The oil filled capacitors, with the ceramic insulators, almost never go bad.  I have run into a very few that were bad, but, in general, those capacitors hold up very well. Glen, K9STH Website: http://k9sth.net
      From: Kenneth G. Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
 To: Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com> 
Cc: Arc5 at mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Monday, August 24, 2015 12:02 PM
 Subject: Re: [ARC5] RAK-7 caps - newest radio adventure
   
On 24 Aug 2015 at 16:41, Glen Zook wrote:

> It has been my experience that the "bathtub" capacitors are starting to go bad
> on a regular basis.

Yes, I have found that to be true too. Specifically, here, in an RCH.

However, the caps in the RAK/RAL are NOT bathtub types. They are single
capacitors with ceramic insulators, mounted vertically, base-down, oil-filled.

I have never seen similar capacitors in any piece of military gear I have had
experience with. As far as I know, these are "unique" to the RAK/RAL.

> A lot of the "mica" capacitors are actually "Micamold" capacitors which are
> definitely "paper" types.  Those are almost certainly leaky and need to be
> replaced.

Yes,

>  True mica capacitors are now going bad, on a regular basis, and need
> to be replaced.

"Silver-mica" disease, as I recall it being called. They have become a serious
problem in IF cans.

> As for resistors:  Those are a crap shoot!  I find many resistors that have
> held their value, within tolerance, very well over the decades.  But, there are
> also those resistors that have changed value and are "way out" of tolerance and
> definitely need to be replaced.

Yes. My experience too.