[Kenwood] Capacitor reliability

[John E. Cleeve]

Gentlemen,

            I apologise for this item being "off topic" but it does apply to
the radio equipment we use. I am in process of repairing the inverter of a
TFT LCD display, and my diagnosis is that the problem relates to one or more
of the miniature electrolytic capacitors mounted on the Chinese "Mirage"
pcb. 

 

In looking for replacements, I was surprised to find that the capacitor
manufacturers stated "life span" in hours, for their products, which varies
from "long life" to quoted figures of 1000 to 8000 hours, depending on the
price and size of the component, it would appear that our radios may have an
inbuilt "time bomb". One year is 8760 hours, and assuming that the radio
equipment manufacturer goes for the cheapest component option to maximise
profit, capacitors which only have a predicted life span of 1000 hours, can
be expected to begin to fail just a few months after the equipment goes into
regular use. Perhaps I am being unduly pessimistic, but it would appear that
if you have a problem with your radio, then perhaps the first step in the
repair process, may be to change the miniature electrolytic capacitors as a
matter of course. Does any one have more detailed experience in this
subject?  

 

73, John. G3JVC.