[Milsurplus] BC-342 High B+ Current

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

The square bathtub underneath the chassis and above the dynamotor or 
rectifier supply is an electrolytic, not an oil-filled paper.  I thought I 
mentioned it.  But I discovered this morning I had started a reply, put it in the 
Send Later Folder, and forgot it and wrote another probably shorter one 
later.  I'd guess about half of those I've encountered have been bad.  But that 
experience may go back a quarter century.  :-)  However, I would also claim 
that canned electrolytics last far longer in working sets than in ones stored 
in someones barn or garage waiting for a round tuit.  Which is another way 
of saying that it ought to be checked first instead of just arbitraryly 
tossing it.  And the test specs should be those in effect when it was new, not 
those quoted by some manufacturers today.  Because of the can size, it isn't 
as easy to rebuild as the triple .05's. 

In a message dated 5/24/2009 1:26:41 PM Central Daylight Time, 
nu4g.radio at gmail.com writes: 
> And they're a bugger to get to - each of the modules on the bottom  
> have them, and there's usually one in the VFO section -- *right  
> underneath* the 6C5 socket.
> 
> Argh!
> 
> To the earlier comment about the oil caps - in nearly all the  
> BC-312/342/344/314's I've had, the large bathtub cap in the middle of  
> the chassis (in amongst the last IF's, underneath the chassis) has  
> been bad, while the ones up top behind the RF amp and mixer are  
> usually good.  Note "usually" rather than "always."
> 
> Tom NU4G
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480