[Boatanchors] Old Electrolytic capacitors

[Eugene Hertz]

Anyone have a recommendation for a cap checker? Here's my question. I know that one should check both the value of the cap and at what voltage the dialectric breaks down or starts to leak.  I see some LCR meters on ebay periodically but I dont know if those are used primarily for checking the value only? 

As far as Q goes, I see Phil is measuring this as well. How does one know how much Q is good enough? I would imagine it would depend on the section of ckt its in? Is Q an important thing to measure?

I see heathkit cap checkers all the time on ebay, but I dont want to have to recap a cap checker or do other repairs..Anyone got a spare good cap checker for use with boat anchors?

thanks!
Eugene


>-----Original Message-----
>From: Philip Atchley [mailto:beaconeer at sbcglobal.net]
>Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 01:56 AM
>To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: [Boatanchors] Old Electrolytic capacitors
>
>Hi, 
> 
>Today I replaced the filter capacitors in the SP-600. The ORIGINAL one had a 
>date code of 8-52, same as the 1952 contract date on the receiver. 
>Surprisingly enough, all three sections still checked good for leakage, 
>capacitance AND power factor. Of course the radio has played a lot of hours 
>over the past week. 
> 
>ONE peculiar thing about this capacitor, It's a standard SP-600 triple 
>20uF/450 Volt unit in a metal can. On the can is drawn the three capacitors 
>with a common Negative (which it is). HOWEVER, from the common negative lead 
>the drawing shows a resistor tied to ground (which I assume is the case). 
>BUT, using the Ohmmeter I read infinity between the common negative post and 
>the case. ?Que Pasa? 
> 
>73 de Phil, KO6BB 
>SWL QSL GALLERY: http://photobucket.com/albums/y123/KO6BB/ 
>THE BEACONEER'S LAIR: http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/ 
>Merced, Central California, 37.3N 120.48W CM97sh 
> 
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