[R-390] Orange Drop Capacitors

[n4buq at knology.net]

On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:37:15 EST, Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com wrote :
> -----------------
> Good stuff from Cecil.
> 
> The orange drops are just considered quality parts. You expect every one 
to 
> work as rated and last.
> 
> There are much smaller parts than the orange drops. I used some other 
small 
> brand in my IF deck. I have so much more space in the deck than before. 
and 
> more than if I had used the orange drops.
> 
> Most times the orange drops are rated 600 volts. And 300 volt or even 250 
> volt caps will do fine. The lower voltage is smaller parts size. The 
higher 
> voltage is less likely to fail ever under use at the R390 voltages.
> 
> Collins was not trying to use bad stuff. You can only buy what is in 
stock at 
> the hardware store. Collins could only use what had a stock number and 
was a 
> part that could get issued. 
> 
> Every part that was not a stock item cost money to get into the logistics 
> supply chain. After the front panel, wire harness, filters, RF 
transformers, how 
> many other new parts do you want to introduce at the cost if there is 
> something in stock already that will work?
> 
> Roger. AI4NI

I used ODs for my first rebuild and switched to axial-lead caps for the 
next one.  The axial leads are so much easier to work with as the original 
caps were axial-lead and the configuration was designed around that style.  
I need to get some pictures of the IF insides to show what I mean.

Radial-lead caps are great for some applications, but they are a bit of a 
pain in others.  I do like the ceramic coating, though.  It doesn't take 
much to burn a wax cap with the soldering iron and that's pretty easy to do 
in some areas of an R390A.

Barry - N4BUQ