[R-390] AGC Cap Revisited

[n4buq at knology.net]

On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 07:56:35 -0500, "Tim  Shoppa" <tshoppa at wmata.com> 
wrote :

> Barry,
>   Very nice approach.
> 
>   I have recently taken to building new multi-section
> filter capacitor cans not by cutting up the old can
> and removing the umpucky and glueing back together
> when done, but by:
> 
> 1. Using Garolite/Glass Epoxy tube and top/bottom caps.
> 
> 2. Putting swaged Keystone terminals in the bottom as
> appropriate. You can get them in turret style, in
> pin style (as for a socket), in fork style, etc.
> 
> 3. Building up from scratch.
> 
> It doesn't look identical to the original but it looks nice.
> 
> The insulating base and  tube is very handy where the
> original cap was part of a voltage multiplier and the
> original can had a few hundred volts on it. Yikes, maybe
> that's why the factory manual shows a cardboard cover
> on the can!
> 
> Tim.

Tim,

I'd be interested in seeing what you did.  I thought about something 
similar but wasn't able to find the material.

My first attempt involved a piece of 1" x 2" x 1/16" wall aluminum tubing 
with top and bottom plates.  Two standoffs (6-32 x 1.75") were to mount 
through the bottom plate into the existing holes and solder posts on both 
sides were going to be used to connect the cap on top and the other leads 
on bottom.  Everything was a snug, just-right fit, but it involved a visit 
to a machine shop and I was having trouble scheduling that.

When I noticed the hole sizes and thought of the octal socket, it was the 
easier route, though.  I still need to make a cap over that tube base to 
make it look a little more finished.

I really like the idea of reusing the existing hardware, though.  If you 
have pictures and/or material sources, I'd be interested.

Oh, by the way, another approach is to use the octal relay enclosures 
available from Keystone.  I may try those too as the octal base is kind of 
klunky-looking.

Thanks,

Barry - N4BUQ