[Boatanchors] Re: Boatanchors Digest, Vol 59, Issue 5, ESR, and cap 'values'.........

[Jim Wilhite]

This one thing, using caps made in the 50s or 60s, or reforming 
them, is the cause of more trouble than anyone imagines.  I 
regularly see people post about how to reform a cap of this age and 
some can be done.  However, after doing so and you begin regular 
usage of the radio, the cap will dry out and leak like a sieve in 
less than a year or regular use.

Under these conditions it will take out a transformer, or a 
rectifier at the very least.  Replace them unless they are of 
manufacture in the past few years.  I have a 10 year old legal limit 
Class AB amplifier that uses the new "computer grade" capacitors. 
It had not been used in quite a while (probably about 4 years) when 
I fired it up.  Within a 2 months one of the series caps in the 
power supply developed a problem and burned out the 7 watt 
equalizing resistor across it.

Save that equipment.

Jim/W5JO


----- Original Message ----- 
>
> And YES, NOS Electrolytics that have been sitting on a shelf for 
> 40 years are usually NFG!. Modern replacements are orders of 
> magnitude better!! It's very easy to series/parallel discrete 
> values to replace that old 'can'. Put them under chassis, if you 
> want that 'original look'.....Actually 'using' the cap, is much 
> better than letting it sit. Remember the old saying: "if ya don't 
> use it, ya lose it"? It is very, very true (at least for 
> electrolytic).. ha ha
>
>
> tnx fer the time,
>
> ron
>
> N4UE