Questions on modern radial 'lytics and PS resistors

[Chuck H]

Because everything they told you is a carefully rehearsed lie! They are establishment moles spying on you! Trust no one!

Dayamm Juan! When I said the above I thought I was joking!?!

[J M Fahey]

Oh, no big deal

Just remember "there is not such a thing as a friendly cop" .

Not against them in principle, nor in love.

That said, I apologize for having helped (a lot) to deviate the thread

Let's go back to parts procurement problems, and anything else can go on in the Lobby area

[Chuck H]

Ok then... Back on topic...

I saw a post here not too long ago where a guy stuffed radials into tubes to make contraptions that looked like axial caps. I can only see doing this if you have a radial cap type/brand/model you believe in to the point of forsaking all other options. But there you go. It would look better than my MO of just wrapping one lead over the can and bending it into a pseudo axial configuration. And I think I alluded to this before, but if/when one chooses to install radials in place of axials zip ties are your friend. IMHO as long as things are secure and it looks reasonably tidy it's just NBD.

My personal story is that I was using Sprague Atom caps for over two decades. Then I had some trouble with a batch. Then I read about some others having trouble. Then I had a little more trouble with another batch. Then the Atom caps seemed to get a 50% price bump from all the distributors. I tried to find comprehensive specs on the Sprague product to compare with other more affordable options. I found that the specs were often hard to come by, somewhat incomplete and usually indicated less performance than radials half their price. I also found it was a similar case with most of the available axial options. By now I had realized, and others here had already been saying, that the best options for performance and price were to found in radial products. I found one I likes and never went back. This was very easy for me because I do predominantly custom builds or heavy handed conversion type mods that usually involve board replacement. I never saw the need to trouble with other axial offerings and figured the writing was on the wall as to their continued level of availability and relative quality anyway. Maybe things are better now than they were when I switched but I haven't had a need to look back. That said...

I would probably buy some recommended axial product if I were doing a restoration or classic amp repair project that required them.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I saw a post here not too long ago where a guy stuffed radials into tubes to make contraptions that looked like axial caps. <snip>

My personal story is that I was using Sprague Atom caps for over two decades. Then I had some trouble with a batch. Then I read about some others having trouble. Then I had a little more trouble with another batch. Then the Atom caps seemed to get a 50% price bump from all the distributors. I tried to find comprehensive specs on the Sprague product to compare with other more affordable options. I found that the specs were often hard to come by, somewhat incomplete and usually indicated less performance than radials half their price. <snip some more>

I would probably buy some recommended axial product if I were doing a restoration or classic amp repair project that required them.

I've seen a "how to do it" on Audio Asylum, where a hobbyist used a pipe cutter to open up a dead multisection, pry out the innards, stuff a couple of new radials in, wire 'em up to the original terminals, glue the whole thing back together and bobs yer uncle. There are now some very skinny 450V radials that make this possible, but you're stuck with 450V as the top value. Gosh it's an awful lot of work, just to keep up appearances.

Also worth studying: the TAG thread on dodgy caps including Sprague Atoms now stuffed with fiberfill and a dinky modern cap. I suspect they're using the same cap that Ceria uses and labels "Holy Grail" but can't be sure. The HG's are reported to be made in Sprague's successors' (Vishay?) Indonesia factory. Sprague's successor, sensing a market, puts them in an Atoms size cylinder, stuffs the rest, and charges you extra because you "know your amp isn't going to sound 'right' without an Atoms filter section, and cost is not an issue." Ka-ching for them. Those who shell out for Atoms are now buying a big cylinder and a label. How reminiscent of New Sensor's collection of tube brands sold at premium prices. Hey, you can pay $10-20 extra for a TungSol or Mullard logo painted on your Sovtek/EH tube, if you're so inclined. Here's a link to the TAG thread:

The Amp Garage :: View topic - Inexpensive Electrolytic Capacitors

FWIW I sawed open a Ruby (from Magic Parts not Rubycon) 47 uF 500V and it is stuffed to the margins with capacitor, no breadcrumbs & cornmeal nor plastic hay. The only bad one I ever got out of hundreds: the label was on backwards. Things happen, I'm not out to slag them. They're still my go-to source, price/performance is excellent.

[tedmich]

I've seen a "how to do it" on Audio Asylum, where a hobbyist used a pipe cutter to open up a dead multisection, pry out the innards, stuff a couple of new radials in, wire 'em up to the original terminals, glue the whole thing back together and bobs yer uncle. There are now some very skinny 450V radials that make this possible, but you're stuck with 450V as the top value

Possibly photoflash caps, they were all the rage a few years back.

Remember all you need to have a 500V cap is to not care about the shortened lifespan of your 450v rated cap, its all about the Temp!
see: Capacitor Life Calculators | Electrolytic | Film | Ceramic | Illinois Capacitor

a 450V cap run at 500V just has a 10% loss of lifespan! Thats why this (kinda) works:


and this guy had a cap in cap in a cap! Like russian dolls although probably from SE Asia...
http://studioboytimes.tumblr.com/pos...e-electrolytic

[Leo_Gnardo]

and this guy had a cap in cap in a cap! Like russian dolls although probably from SE Asia...

Indeed, they are referred to as Matryoshka caps.

[soundmasterg]

With Rat Shack on its way out of business what will all of us with genuine Radio Shack 'guaranteed for life' tubes do for fun instead of taking them into a local Rat Shack and demanding a replacement from the hapless desk jockeys?

Greg

[Enzo]

My favorite little Radio Shack gag - and it would work at Best Buy or somewhere also - is to pull out a piece of paper from my pocket, once they greet me and ask what I need. Then I pretend to read my "note" and tell them, "I'm supposed to get some 16 ohm speaker cables". Usually they trot right off to the back to look for them.

[Chuck H]

My favorite little Radio Shack gag - and it would work at Best Buy or somewhere also - is to pull out a piece of paper from my pocket, once they greet me and ask what I need. Then I pretend to read my "note" and tell them, "I'm supposed to get some 16 ohm speaker cables". Usually they trot right off to the back to look for them.

That's so brilliant because so many cables used for media are rated in ohms and have that indication in their name. In a place like Best Buy you could even throw off someone who's not entirely green. I'm going to try it

Just out of high school, a very mechanically savvy friend of mine had a job at a tire shop (that also did mufflers, brakes, etc.). Noobs were always sent to the warehouse to find "muffler bearings". My man didn't fall for it but most did.

[Enzo]

Metric crescent wrench.

[Chuck H]

Metric crescent wrench.

I have them in all sizes

[soundmasterg]

I used to work in the quick lube places in high school....a favorite gag to play on the new employees we were training was to ask them if they checked the coolant on air cooled VW's and Porsches. They all would proceed to look for it for a couple minutes before we would bust out laughing and they would have to have it explained to them.

Greg

[Dave H]

When I worked at ICI they used to send new employees to the stores for a long stand and the store-man would ask them to wait until they realised they'd been had.

[Chuck H]

When I worked at ICI they used to send new employees to the stores for a long stand and the store-man would ask them to wait until they realised they'd been had.

Would that be Imperial Chemical Industries or on of the other ICI's?

[Dave H]

Would that be Imperial Chemical Industries or on of the other ICI's?

Imperial Chemical Industries.

I'll have to get one of those metric Crescent wrenches. The little adjustable 'spanner' I have in my electronics box must be imperial. It says 3/8 x 6" on the handle.