[Hallicrafters] To restuff capacitors or not?

[Glen Zook]

Paper capacitors start going bad even before they are
wired into a circuit.  There are a lot of NOS paper
capacitors around that have gone "leaky" even though
they have never been out of the box.

Paper capacitors include both the wax types as well as
those that are encapsulated in plastic (black
beauties, brown beauties, pink beauties, yellow
beauties, red beauties, blue beauties, green beauties,
etc. - I don't remember seeing a purple beauty but
they are probably around).  

Disc ceramic capacitors don't usually go bad, but if
in doubt, replace with a new one.

Resistors tend to go upward in value not downward. 
There is always the exception, but about 99% of them
are going to increase in value.

Since paper capacitors tend to gradually go bad often
the owner just doesn't notice any degrading of
performance.  However, when all of them are replaced
the difference is often like night and day.  An older
receiver usually really "perks up" when give a new set
of capacitors.  Depending on the transmitter, there
often are not that many paper capacitors in them. 
Mostly the paper capacitors will be in the audio
circuits and replacing them will definitely increase
how the transmitter "sounds".

I automatically replace every paper capacitor in every
boat anchor that is sent in for alignment, repair,
etc.  The cost of replacing all of them in an
individual unit is usually less than the labor to
replace just one at a later date.

Glen, K9STH

--- Mark K3MSB <mark.k3msb at gmail.com> wrote:

I've always tended to the "replace 'em all" side of
the argument on radios like the 101A, 111 etc.   If
you're going to selectively replace the caps, consider
the consequence of what happens if one of the "tested
good" originals decides to short on you.

Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth
http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco


	
		
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