[ARC5] Reforming Electrolytics attached as PDF

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

I have recently been much more interested reforming, restoring, and 
*evaluating* the old power supply filter caps (and some other 
electrolytic caps). I have been applying suitable voltage with limited 
current and observing the charge and leakage current curves. And then 
how long the cap holds that charge after it is applied. I am finding 
parallel features with the battery maintenance charge/discharge curves 
for current and voltage. I have identified a coupleof parts that are 
simply not going to ever be usable again but more that will be. When I 
see some artifacts on the curves that I can't identify those parts get 
shunted aside rather than risk radios with caps that sure to fail 
ungracefully. Somebody has mentioned it might take days and that has 
been my observation.

I have an amateurs lab (my license says that too) but I am rearranging 
the equipment to provide better control of the process - including data 
collection by microprocessors to draw the pretty curves.

73,

Bill  KU8H

On 03/18/2018 06:54 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
> On 18 Mar 2018 at 18:45, Peter Gottlieb wrote:
>
>> This document seems to be intended for batches of stored electrolytic caps.
>
> Yes, but it also goes into reforming. I thought that was a present topic of discussion.
>
>> Interesting, it says capacitors should be discarded after 12-15 years.  Very
>> little of my gear has caps under this age!
>
> I don't have any, or at least very few, that young either.
>
> Ken W7EKB
>
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