!HELP!! ALTAIR BLEW SMOKE!!!

From: Dwight K. Elvey <dwightk.elvey_at_amd.com>
Date: Tue May 27 18:28:00 2003

>From: "Peter Turnbull" <pete_at_dunnington.u-net.com>
---snip---
>
>Not from a capacitor as a whole, but if you look inside the "black
>box"... The discussion was about electrolytic capacitors. Of course
>they have an insulator (the oxide on the aluminium foil anode) but they
>also have an electrolyte (which is the cathode), and indeed wouldn't
>(don't) work without it. It's the ability of the electrodes to conduct
>electrons that give the capacitor its ability to store them.
>
>--
>Pete Peter Turnbull

The other trick of the electrolytic is that the aluminum is
slightly etched first before forming. This greatly increases
the surface area and gives a higher capacitance per square
inch of foil.
 I have a radio that was made in the 50's. I brought the
capacitors in it up slowly. I've checked them on my
bridge and they are all above 45% of the labeled value.
The radio works fine.
Dwight
Received on Tue May 27 2003 - 18:28:00 BST