[ARC5] Mica Capacitor

[Richard Knoppow]

     I think BBs were advertised to be similar. The ones I've dissected 
appeared to be wound with paper impregnated with something so it was 
translucent. The coated area did not quite go to the edges. The paper in 
the Micamolds was also similar.  There were plastic caps at the time, 
made by Condenser Products Company under the name Plasticon. They made a 
variety of types including some oil filled with silicon oil. This is 
c.1947. They were significantly more expensive than equivalent paper 
caps.  The company still exists so I wrote asking what kind of plastic 
they used for dielectric. No one there knew. I suspect they have been 
through many hands since the old days plus very few businesses have any 
sense of their history.
     Orange Drop was a trade name used by Sprague, just as Black Beauty 
and Telecap were. I thin later Orange Drop caps may have been of a 
different construction but am not sure.  The term gets used carelessly 
for any radial lead dipped cap with an orange color but these can be 
plastic dielectric or even mica caps.
    I think there have been changes in manufacturing methods that 
account for the economical cost of plastic plus the significant 
improvement in performance and life over paper. Its also possible there 
were patents involved but I have not searched for them.

On 9/19/2016 11:18 AM, Arden Allen wrote:
>> Orange Drops are not paper (and some made by others are not orange).
> But they are always a bad choice for replacing an axial lead device
> mounted on a terminal board and usually a bad choice in point to point
> wiring.
>
> Not that it’s salient, the first Sprague orange drops were paper and
> plastic film.  Why not just plastic?  Dunno.
>
> Arden Allen
> KB6NAX

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL