Electrolytic can capacitors

[William]

I was poking around on the computer today, trying to see if anyone offered filter caps in the cans as my next project has no room to add any under the chassis and trying to stuff the original can is out of the question. I came across this place and thought I would share.

https://www.cemfg.com/can-capacitors

Bill

[electra225]

Have you thought about/heard about using these?

https://adapt-a-cap.com/

A couple of the TV guys use these, swear by them. I'd like for somebody to "guinea pig" these for the forum and let us know their experience. The downside I see if that you have to eliminate the original filter cap can, something we don't generally do. And, the replaced caps are out in the open, individually. I don't think they look very pretty, but that's not a consideration for the TV guys and may not be important in your application.

[TC Chris]

Watching the CE company video made me wonder about the longevity of a "traditional" manufacturing process and the methods that give us much smaller caps for the same capacitance and voltage ratings. Are the modern ones longer lived or less?

The old fashioned ones are attractive for their looks in vintage equipment, but if the modern versions last longer, I'd be inclined to go with them.

Chris Campbell

P.S. I'm making a list for an electrolytic cap order for winter projects so this is timely.

[danrclem]

Thanks for sharing, Bill. There sure is a lot of work involved in that process.

That looks very interesting Greg, and it may be the way to go unless you want something to look original. It wouldn't bother me since it wouldn't be out in the open unless you had an amp without a cover. I really don't think you could go wrong with those.

[William]

I think both options are good, and I agree with you Danny about for the most part it is hidden anyway. There is a guy on Youtube, Steve Scarlet is his name, and he buys consoles, works on them, and then flips them. I think he does very well at it too. Anyway, he has his own method of filter can replacements. It is like the link Greg provided but he does not buy the gadget in Greg's link. He cuts the can off, drills some holes, then adds the caps. Here's one of his Youtube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP5975SnzOI

And, there is this place for caps too.

https://hayseedhamfest.com/

Bill

[danrclem]

Bill, your link shows that there's more than two ways to skin a cat or maybe I should say more than two ways to skin a can capacitor. The only thing I have against buying the premade cans is the price. The parts that Greg had the link to look tidy, and they aren't very expensive unless the shipping is ridiculous.

[electra225]

When I restuff filter cap cans, I cut the can in half, pull out the old guts (this is the hard part), then drill small holes to run the wires thru and put caps in the original can. Then I use that silver HVAC tape to put the can back together. I have posted about this several times on the projects I've done that on. That works really well if you have room to cut the can in half. I'd like to try some Adapt-A-Caps some time to see how they work.

[William]

Greg, I have pondered the cutting the can in half, then trying to stuff the new caps inside but how do you fit high voltage caps that are fatter than the old can cap in there without out something shorting out. I guess it must work because have you have done it and I kind of remember what you said when you posted it a while back. But maybe I am not remembering something.

Bill

[TC Chris]

I've done the can-restuff route a couple times. The new caps are almost always smaller than the old ones, even in multi-section cans.

Chris Campbell

[danrclem]

I've used this method before and if you're careful it will turn out looking really good.

https://youtu.be/6Hzy7Rkeoww?si=5mMFt34nNAjAlBDd

[Dr. Radio]

There have been "failures" on the CE can capacitors that have been discussed on ARF. I still am a firm believer of using modern, well respected brand manufacturers of capacitors to "restuff" or hide in the chassis to restore vintage equipment and to provide longevity.

There are only 2 brands of electrolytics I really focus on using for use on my personal stuff. There are other brands as well, but here's my 2 go-to's:

Matsushita/Panasonic and Nichicon.

No one should be using XICON. This is an in-house brand of Mouser. There are NO date codes on these capacitors or trace codes. When I worked in contract manufacturing, our quality control guy called Mouser to inquire about a Xicon subminiature audio transformer the customer specified in their product that had issues with excessive wax on the leads. He was told by the Mouser rep, that "XICON" is basically a name placed on products that is "bid" by whoever is willing to produce the item at X cost and X quantity.

My translation: It could be a highly respected Chinese manufacturer or a smelt pit in the ground.

I have had no real issues with Xicon resistors, miniature passive parts like audio transformers, but I would NEVER use Xicon caps regardless of voltage ratings. Years ago, a long time member of ARF who I have much respect for posted he had purchased a large group of Xicon electrolytic caps that were new and when he went to measure their ESR values, they were all unacceptably high even though they were brand spanking new!

So, I always shake my head in disgust when I see some beautifully restored radios on ARF and someone shows an underside-of-the-chassis photo and there are the baby blue Xicon electrolytic caps being used as the main filter capacitors. To me, that is is like finding a mint Auburn or Cord in a barn, making sure the engine is free and then going to Orielly's and buying their cheapest in-house brand motor oil to use to fill up the crankcase and drive it around. "Sure, it works fine, so what is the problem?"

Off of soap box.

[electra225]

Bill, I like the Nichicon PZ series of electrolytics to restuff cans. They are really skinny, most 3/8 of an inch or less, even the high-value ones we use in our stuff. You can easily put three of them in a can, then hide the cathode bypass cap in the chassis, closer to the output tubes. I think I still have some pictures on my computer of doing the job if you would care to see some.

[Dr. Radio]

Bill, I like the Nichicon PZ series of electrolytics to restuff cans. They are really skinny, most 3/8 of an inch or less, even the high-value ones we use in our stuff. You can easily put three of them in a can, then hide the cathode bypass cap in the chassis, closer to the output tubes. I think I still have some pictures on my computer of doing the job if you would care to see some.

Greg,

I don't think the PZ series are available anymore.

The UCS series is available.

Let me know if this link doesn't work...

https://www.mouser.com/c/?marcom=109379352

[TC Chris]

My JustRadios order just arrived. The caps are all "MIEC" brand. What's the word on those?

First up is the '34 Detrola 4J, which you can see here:

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/detrola_4j.html

I'm pretty sure that any filter cap I install will be superior to the 1934 originals in my radio.

Chris Campbell

[Dr. Radio]

My JustRadios order just arrived. The caps are all "MIEC" brand. What's the word on those?

First up is the '34 Detrola 4J, which you can see here:

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/detrola_4j.html

I'm pretty sure that any filter cap I install will be superior to the 1934 originals in my radio.

Chris Campbell

OH NO! NOT MIEC!!!!!!!!


Just kidding.


The last time I used MIEC for electrolytic filter caps was over 20 years ago when I restored a Philco Jr. cathedral radio. That radio has been on display at my parent's house and has only been played a few times. So, I really can't comment on good or bad.

Doing a quick google search....resulted in really no negative comments about MIEC.


Since Just Radios is a NICHE market, if they (the caps) were garbage, I'm sure they would get chewed out by the radio enthusiast crowd and would have quit selling them a long time ago.

I found their website....very sketchy in my opinion...but don't take that as a bad thing. They may be the equivalent to CE manufacturing here in the States. They are trying to present themselves as a super giant corporation where it may actually be a small, hole in the wall operation as compared to Nichicon, Rubycon, etc.

I'm sure you'll have no trouble translating to verify the English is exactly what they are intending to say on the site.

https://www.miec-cap.com/#page

[electra225]

It's been a few years since I used caps for restuffing. The UCS series should work as well as the older PZ series did. A forum member, now long since defunct, "turned me on" to the Nichicon PZ series. Doc, if you decide to favor the forum with some insights on navigating Mouser (and Digi-Key) sites, a suggestion would be to post in the "Getting Started" board, so that those of us who might refer to it frequently could find it easier.....