Variac

[L.G. Robertson]

There are many who feel this way...but if that reformed electrolytic blows 
(and they can), it might drag the transformer and (if the set has one) the 
electrodynamic speaker field coil with it, etc etc.  Now you have to 
replace the electrolytics anyway, AND maybe a transformer (_if_ you can 
find the right one), speaker field coil, etc etc.

_Now_ how much is that non-glowing, non-working firebottle box worth?

The general ethic I use is that if the electrolytics are above the chassis 
line, I leave them in place, remove them from the circuit, put in new ones 
_underneath_ the chassis, and leave the old outer shells in place.

Or, for a real purist approach, if the situation calls for it, I take the 
old "innards" out of the electrolytic, put new, miniature types inside, and 
seal the whole thing back up with the original wax, seals, etc, and then 
use the appropriate type of wire to complete the hookup.  To look at it 
you'd never know there were new caps inside the old shells.

-Lin/KJ6EF



At 06:28 PM 01/31/2008, you wrote:
>IMO, restored gear is a lot less desirable than original antique gear. Hence I
>don't recap.
>
>-John
>
>
>
>L.G. Robertson wrote:
>
> > At 01:30 PM 01/31/2008, you wrote:
> > >I have come to the opinion that I should just plan on changing the
> > >electrolytics for new ones even before I bring up the radio. Haste makes
> > >waste. If the cap(s) don't fail now they will probably fail pretty soon so
> > >just go ahead and change them out right at the start.
> > >
> > >Bob, WA2CKY
> >
> > Same here, after 40 years of fooling with 'em...you can get away with
> > reforming them _sometimes_...but it still makes me a tad nervous to run a
> > rig with reformed electrolytics....it's always in the back of your
> > mind...so I mostly just replace them; they're usually not too expensive.
> >
> > But transfomers ARE.
> >
> > -Lin/KJ6EF
>
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