restoring the caps...

[Jim Strohm]

Paul Hendershott <pjhend at AMERITECH.NET>  asked about

>"restoring the electrolytics"

The variac method is easily available and by now you probably have received
seceral copies.

My preferred "restore" method is to replace with a modern equivalent value
-- if a historic "look" is important, it's trivial to gut the old caps and
install new innards.  Well, not _exactly_ trivial, because sometimes it sux
to empty the old ones and find new ones that fit inside.  And this
procedure definitely lowers the value of an otherwise as-built, pristine
rig.

But I'd rather operate a rig at Field Day in blistering sun or driving rain
than just sit around polishing the knobs at home.

PC power supplies are an _excellent_ source for cheap high-voltage and
high-capacitance electrolytics.  You should disassemble at least one of
these every day.  And the more you remove and disassemble from PCs that are
in service -- the better off the world will be.

Jim N6OTQ

Providing a loving home for non-intel architecture computers since 1986 and
nurturing penguins since 1999.

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://www.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html