Restarting Boat Anchors

[Mike Langner]

Hello Jeff !

In restarting this kind of equipment, I always use a Variac with current
limiting -- Variac to be easy on the components, current limiting in case of
"surprises."  My home-made start-up supply has a Variac, voltage and current
metering, and a socket for the current-limiting "ballast" which varies from
being a 25 watt light bulb for little stuff (like code oscillators) all the
way up to old-fashioned cone heaters for the high-current draw stuff. When
using light bulbs, the bulb gives a very fast indication of sudden increases
in current by the boat anchor --

This procedure has saved many an electrolytic capacitor both in many boat
anchors and in a number of old "vintage" broadcast radios!  It also helps
"steady state" failures of the "suddenly go bang" variety.  Without a
ballasted Variac supply, I'd probably have never found an intermittent
filter choke in a Hallicrafters HT-41 that arced only under rapidly changing
loads.  You could tune it up to full power perfectly well -- but the minute
you'd key it -- or speak a syllable into the exciter's microphone, bang!!
The ballasted supply allowed me to observe and measure/troubleshoot the
failure. . .

With equipment that's been "off" for years, I usually run 25 volts for at
least a half-hour, then the same for about 40, then 65, then 75, then 85,
then 95, then 105, then 110 to 115.  Re-forming electrolytic capacitors is a
chemical/physical process, so it's not instantaneous by any means!

Good luck !!

Mike/
K5MGR
_________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: Boat Anchor Owners and Collectors List
[mailto:BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV]On Behalf Of Collins
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 10:08 PM
To: BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Subject: Restarting Boat Anchors


All,
  Looking for advise for returning some swam equipment to service. This
equipment was purchased from the daughter of a SK out of a storage unit and
I have no idea how long it has been stored. I have done a quick visual and
no broken tubes or leaking caps. I once read about using a variactor to
reform the caps, but didn't give it much of a read at the time. The specific
equipment is listed below:

  Mark II Amp
  500CX SS16 special
  500
  600T
  600R

  73,
  KL5Z
  Jeff


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