[Boatanchors] Electrolytic Reforming Time
Geoff
geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com
Sun Jan 1 10:45:53 EST 2012
Then it violates your code, its no longer original.
----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Forster" <jfor at quikus.com>
To: "Geoff" <geoffrey at jeremy.mv.com>
Cc: <w9ran at oneradio.net>; <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 5:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Electrolytic Reforming Time
> If you have the unit fused right, even if a cap does eventually fail, it
> won't take the transformer with it.
>
> -John
>
> ===============
>
>
>
>> Id tend to flip those percentages to maybe 10-20% and thats with very
>> high
>> quality caps and some fairly late ones.
>>
>> It seems to me that we only hear from the same "reformers" over and over
>> and
>> the failed ones are very silent while licking their wounds and searching
>> for
>> new transformers or a rewinder.
>>
>> Just my $.02
>>
>> Carl
>> KM1H
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Robert Nickels" <ranickel at comcast.net>
>> To: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 4:32 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Electrolytic Reforming Time
>>
>>
>>> On 12/30/2011 11:50 PM, Phil wrote:
>>>> So, it doesn't pay to take any chances with those 'lytics.
>>> I agree with all that's been said but would just add that this business
>>> of "bringing it up slowly on a variac" should be relegated to the urban
>>> legends file. It's better than just applying full AC power, but is
>>> still guesswork. The only way to properly reform an electrolytic -
>>> regardless of age - is to limit (and measure) the amount of current
>>> being applied to attempt to "reform" the anode oxide layer that was
>>> "formed" at the factory when the cap was manufactured.
>>>
>>> A good description of how the aluminum electrolytic capacitor works can
>>> be found here:
>>> http://www.elna-america.com/tech_al_principles.php
>>>
>>> And here's a good reference for how to reform capacitors properly as
>>> well as some alternatives:
>>> http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~reese/electrolytics/
>>>
>>> I prefer to measure and limit the current to about 5 ma while the oxide
>>> layer is reforming; trying to do the job by simply cranking up a variac
>>> every so often might work some of the time, but is like tuning your rig
>>> while blindfolded.
>>>
>>> I generally just replace electroyltics that are cheap and readily
>>> available and attempt to reform those that aren't. I think most
>>> "reformers" find the process can restore 80-90% of old caps when done
>>> right, without fear of explosions or failure.
>>>
>>> 73, Bob W9RAN
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>
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>
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