Home » Audio » Thermionic Emissions » Mylar cap polarity - Help
Capacitor surgery [message #9057 is a reply to message #9052] Thu, 30 June 2005 21:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
colinhester is currently offline  colinhester
Messages: 1349
Registered: May 2009
Location: NE Arkansas
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I have no way to tell from the outside with lead is hooked to the foil. Can I simply cut one open and tell what's what, or is it more involved than this?.....Colin

Finding capacitor "polarity" [message #9058 is a reply to message #9054] Fri, 01 July 2005 02:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Thermionic is currently offline  Thermionic
Messages: 208
Registered: May 2009
Master
Colinhester, there's only one way I know to find which lead is the outside foil if it's not marked with a line on the case or something. It's very easy to do, but you must have access to an oscilloscope.

Connect the scope's leads to the cap leads, and set the scope to the lowest voltage division. Now, you'll need a lamp, radio, clock, anything that runs on 120VAC and is easily portable. Plug it in where you're working, turn it on, and run the cord across the table in front of you. Lay the body of the cap on top of the AC cord, and you'll see the 60Hz AC noise it induces on the scope.

Now, reverse the leads on the cap around the other way. Notice which way has the lowest induced noise (one will have MUCH less). Whichever cap lead is connected to the scope's ground lead in the orientation with the lowest noise is the outside foil.

There may be some other way, but this is the classic method and the only one I know of.

Thermionic

Wrong caps [message #9059 is a reply to message #9058] Sat, 02 July 2005 11:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
colinhester is currently offline  colinhester
Messages: 1349
Registered: May 2009
Location: NE Arkansas
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
It turns out, after reading the tech sheet the seller sent me, that I was sold metallized polypropylene caps and not metallized polyester (aka Mylar.) Got the correct ones ordered. Now on to the resistors......Colin

Re: Wrong caps [message #9060 is a reply to message #9059] Sun, 03 July 2005 09:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Forty2wo is currently offline  Forty2wo
Messages: 163
Registered: May 2009
Master
I like The metallized polypropylene better than Mylar. These are the bypass caps right? You could use an oiller if you have a 40u or 50u looking for a home and have the space.
But in this position the sonic difference will be very small.

P.S I love the Kiwame resistors...John

Re: Wrong caps [message #9061 is a reply to message #9060] Mon, 04 July 2005 15:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
colinhester is currently offline  colinhester
Messages: 1349
Registered: May 2009
Location: NE Arkansas
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I guess I'll keep the metallized polypropylene then. These things are BIG, about the size of a 35mm film canistor. I was wondering about room under the chassis, but I'll squeeze them in somehow. Thanks......Colin

Re: Mylar cap polarity - Help [message #9339 is a reply to message #9047] Tue, 15 November 2005 13:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
david is currently offline  david
Messages: 25
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
where did you find those caps? i can't get them anywhere!

Re: Mylar cap polarity - Help [message #9340 is a reply to message #9339] Tue, 15 November 2005 15:47 Go to previous message
colinhester is currently offline  colinhester
Messages: 1349
Registered: May 2009
Location: NE Arkansas
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
What I was sent were in fact NOT mylar caps as advertised. It turned out, luckily, that I misread the schematic, see below, and only needed 100V, not 400V.

Just curious, but what are you building?


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