[R-390] caps

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 1:42 PM, Charles P. Steinmetz <
charles_steinmetz at lavabit.com> wrote:

>
> One can also ask, WWACD?  (What would Art Collins do?)  If faced, today,
> with the choices we are discussing, does anyone believe for a second that
> The Ghost of Art would choose anything other than the best-performing
> currently-available parts to rebuild his 390/390A?
>

Most likely Art would say 'What in hell are you still using that thing
for??' as he was not one to dwell in the past. He was always chasing the
next big thing, which it could be argued is what got him to the Rockwell
deal. He was all about ICs and technology we take fro granted today, but
was just a little ahead of his time.

I'm as tight as the next guy with my hard-earned dollars, but never bought
into the false economy of buying Brand X to save a few cents.

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is a good maxim to live by. So long as
you realize that 'broke' can translate to 'still works to some extent'. I'm
not a fan of changing every cap in a receiver "just because", at least not
from a shotgun approach. Old components do age to the point of needing
replacement, but checking them first is always a good idea unless there is
visible damage. And if you simply must change every single part, it's wise
to do one section, stage, circuit at a time - then check your work. Can't
recall how many sets I've seen for sale with a "mystery problem" that
someone had shotgunned, and screwed up. It's hard enough to look at your
work and see a problem to start with - why compound it with multiple
possibilities?

de Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ/4