NOS Aluminum Electrolytics

[Mitch Dickson]

Dave,  you've got to have written this with tounge in cheek.  Yesterday for
instance, I rebuilt the process board in a Hitachi camcorder.  There were 34
surface mount electrolytics on this board.  In a common day I change 50 to
100 electrolytic caps.  I let them prove themselves in the circuit.  There
is a Sencore Z meter sitting not 2 feet from me and I wouldn't think of
testing new caps, however I do test caps I pull out that I suspect are leaky
or defective.  It took me 2 hours to repair the camcorder.  With the method
you described, it would have taken over 100 hours!  In 22 years, I can't
remember over a dozen caps that were DOA.

If you will build a curve tracer out of a 6 volt AC wallwart and and run a
sine wave through to the scope, you can merely touch the tops of the caps,
in circuit, with one probe, while holding the other probe to ground, and
test every cap on the board in a few seconds!  If they do not draw you a
circle, change them!  CU  Mitch  AE4YW
>

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --
To subscribe: listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: subscribe HEATH yourfirstname yourlastname
To unsubscribe:  listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: signoff HEATH
Archives for HEATH: http://www.tempe.gov/archives
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --