GB> Re: [Boatanchors] Tuning Capacitor Air Gap Information

[mikea]

On Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 03:06:47PM -0500, WE0H wrote:
> Wow, excellent info. I have always wondered what my caps could take 
> voltage wise. This is of great help. Thanks much.

Bear in mind that that's for _CLEAN_, _SMOOTH_ capacitor plates with 
no burrs, old arc-over spots, dust, insects, etc., between them. 

Once you put an irregularity on one or more plates, the voltage rating
goes down -- sometimes significantly. This is especially true where 
the irregularity has one or more sharp points. 

This is another reason to power things down, ground all the caps, and 
then brush or vacuum all the dog- and cat-fur, dead flies, and whatnot
out of the linears. 

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin