[Heath] Yet more on my IP-27...

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 23 Jun 2012 at 8:56, Ron wrote:

>  > don't leave those old electrolytics in there!
> 
> I am not sure I agree. I've restored many, many Heathkit instruments
> and in just about all, electrolytics that measured OK stayed that way
> for a long time. Of course, all electrolytics will go bad *eventually*
> -- including brand new ones -- but this may happen 20 years later, or
> 50 years, or tomorrow...
> 
> -- Ron

Well, I suspect from what I have seen in this instrument while restoring it that 
it had been abused over a long period of time by students at a University 
teaching lab.

I am not too surprised at finding bad electroltyics in it.

However, although I don't routinely replace electrolytics in the equipment I 
restore, I have found too many bad or leaky or leaking or weak ones to put 
much faith in them...even when new.

When I finally replaced all the electrolytics in one of my SB-200s after one 
failed (rather spectacularly too), all the remaining caps tested at less than 1/2 
of their original capacitance: many were down to 1/3 of their original value.

Ken W7EKB