How to refurbish variable capacitors


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how to clean/lubricate old variable caps and (especially) roller

Clean the s--t out of it and make sure both contact surfaces are bright and smooth, and that there is adequate contact pressure. After confirming correct circuit operation,

How to Recondition (Reform) Electrolytic Capacitors and Why

Capacitor should be reconditioned by applying rated voltage in series with a 1000 Ω, current limiting resistor for a time period of 30 minutes. I also saw some places online suggest to reform caps for 5 minutes (minimum) plus 1

Reforming Electrolytic Capacitors

Such capacitors must be "reformed". This process consists of applying rated voltage through a resistance (about 30,000 ohms, five watt) for five minutes plus one minute for each month of storage (see figure 6). As the capacitor reforms, the voltage across the resistor will drop (measured at the Xs in Figure 6).

The engineer''s guide to air variable capacitors

Air variable capacitors are used to tune L-C resonant circuits found in radio frequency power amplifiers. They are also found in antenna impedance matching networks. Their simple design offers high voltage ratings, low leakage and a high quality factor (Q). Air variable capacitors are non-polarized. The capacitance can be as small as 10 pF or as large as 1000

Electrolytic Capacitor Reconditioning : 3 Steps

After a bit of Internet research, I discovered that it is possible to resurrect or recondition electrolytic capacitors that have been sitting around for a long period of time. In a nutshell, it requires a constant current source and a circuit to

What is a variable capacitor and how to detect and repair it?

As the motion piece of the dual variable capacitor is installed on the axis of the same root, the two groups of capacitance can be adjusted at the same time when the rotating shaft is rotating. (3) the quadruple variable capacitor quadruple variable capacitor consists of four sets of variable capacitors, which consist of four variable

Reforming Electrolytic Capacitors

Such capacitors must be "reformed". This process consists of applying rated voltage through a resistance (about 30,000 ohms, five watt) for five minutes plus one minute for each month of storage (see figure 6). As the capacitor reforms,

How to Recondition (Reform) Electrolytic Capacitors and Why

Capacitor should be reconditioned by applying rated voltage in series with a 1000 Ω, current limiting resistor for a time period of 30 minutes. I also saw some places online

Note and Warning! Cleaning Variable Capacitors

First, try using dry compressed air. It will remove dust, but not grease. Aerosol cans of compressed air can be bought from a lot of sources, including automobile parts stores and photography stores. Another method, if you have the hardware, is to

Forum » General Technical Q & A » Cleaning variable capacitor

In some cases, you may be able to disassemble the capacitor and have complete access to the bearings, but variable caps can be tricky to reassemble, so I''d try that only as a last resort. Brake cleaner will work.... WD-40 will work almost as good. What household doesn''t have WD-40? After the bearing is cleaned out good, forget it.

Forum » General Technical Q & A » Cleaning variable capacitor

In some cases, you may be able to disassemble the capacitor and have complete access to the bearings, but variable caps can be tricky to reassemble, so I''d try that only as a

variable capacitor improvement? (how are they made)

A variable capacitor is a capacitor whose capacitance may be intentionally and repeatedly changed mechanically or electronically. Variable capacitors are often used in L/C

Rap on Replacing Electrolytic Capacitors

Voltage-Limited Method 1: The voltage-limited methods use a handy device called the variable autotransformer (a.k.a. Variac, General Radio''s brand name). Using a high-voltage external power supply, each capacitor is slowly brought up to working voltage by slowly raising the line voltage to the power supply. This can also be done with a variable

How to build [and calculate] a variable capacitor

In this video I''ll show, how to build a Variable Capacitor._____Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter /ScienceFurry?s=09

Variable Capacitor : Construction, Types and Their

The applications of the variable capacitor include the following. Trimmer capacitors are used where a capacitance value is needed to be matched to a particular circuit in the manufacturing process. The main reason to use this

About Radio Part 11 Cleaning the variable capacitor, by

In this eleventh video ''About Radio'' I talk about how to clean the variable tuning capacitor. A bit of a deviation from the circuit diagram but I saw this ti...

Electrolytic Capacitor Reconditioning : 3 Steps

After a bit of Internet research, I discovered that it is possible to resurrect or recondition electrolytic capacitors that have been sitting around for a long period of time. In a nutshell, it requires a constant current source and a circuit to cycle between charge and discharge.

how to clean/lubricate old variable caps and (especially) roller

Clean the s--t out of it and make sure both contact surfaces are bright and smooth, and that there is adequate contact pressure. After confirming correct circuit operation, apply electrical grade silicone grease.

How to repair and refurbish vintage tube amps? | diyAudio

5) Replace the capacitors and resistors. Here, I seek advice on what types of caps and resistors are best. 6) Check voltages on valve pins and bias. I know heater should have ac current only, but what about the anode? I checked anode voltages for the first time last week and found both ac and dc current. Is this correct? Also, how to check bias

Reviving Old Capacitor in 5 Minutes [Quick Reforming

The better way to reform such capacitor is by giving a controllable voltage at its rating point with a resistor in series. Then we can see the current movement inside the circuit with a Volt-meter across the resistor.

Variable Capacitors

Variable capacitors are electrical components designed to have a capacitance that can be adjusted manually or automatically. These capacitors are often used in tuning circuits, such as radios, where precise adjustments are necessary to select different frequencies. By changing the effective area of the capacitor plates or the distance between them, variable capacitors allow

Note and Warning! Cleaning Variable Capacitors

First, try using dry compressed air. It will remove dust, but not grease. Aerosol cans of compressed air can be bought from a lot of sources, including automobile parts stores and photography stores. Another method, if you have the hardware, is to ultrasonically clean the

Repair a Capacitor

How to repair a small ceramic and metal air variable capacitor like the ones found in old radio equipment. This applies when the shaft has come loose from the pressed-on hexagonal nut or "knob".

Reviving Old Capacitor in 5 Minutes [Quick Reforming Capacitor Guide]

The better way to reform such capacitor is by giving a controllable voltage at its rating point with a resistor in series. Then we can see the current movement inside the circuit with a Volt-meter across the resistor. Off course the  best way is to use specific reformer device, like Sencore LC-102 (which I''m too lazy to power her up).

variable capacitor improvement? (how are they made)

A variable capacitor is a capacitor whose capacitance may be intentionally and repeatedly changed mechanically or electronically. Variable capacitors are often used in L/C circuits to set the resonance frequency, e.g. to tune a radio (therefore it is sometimes called a tuning capacitor or tuning condenser), or as a variable reactance

Capacitor Reforming

There are some instances where replacing electrolytic capacitors may not be necessary. There is a difference between a "bad" capacitor and one that has drifted out of spec. Reforming is a complicated subject, with sometimes strong opinions both for and against. Some opinions are due to misunderstanding or miscommunication as to when it is appropriate to

8.2: Capacitors and Capacitance

A variable air capacitor (Figure (PageIndex{7})) has two sets of parallel plates. One set of plates is fixed (indicated as "stator"), and the other set of plates is attached to a shaft that can be rotated (indicated as "rotor"). By

6 FAQs about [How to refurbish variable capacitors]

How do I recondition a capacitor?

When actually trying to recondition capacitors, ensure that you have a power supply that provides sufficient voltage. The constant current source has about a volt and a half drop across it. Unless you change the high water mark to a lower value in the code, the power supply should provide 15 volts or more.

How to reform a capacitor?

The better way to reform such capacitor is by giving a controllable voltage at its rating point with a resistor in series. Then we can see the current movement inside the circuit with a Volt-meter across the resistor. Off course the best way is to use specific reformer device, like Sencore LC-102 (which I’m too lazy to power her up).

Is it possible to resurrect or recondition electrolytic capacitors?

Electrolytic capacitors this large are very difficult to find and when you do they are very expensive and never the same physical size of the ones you are trying to replace. After a bit of Internet research, I discovered that it is possible to resurrect or recondition electrolytic capacitors that have been sitting around for a long period of time.

What happens if a capacitor is not reconditioned?

Leakage current of a capacitor increases with long storage times. The aluminium oxide film deteriorates as a function of temperature and time. If used without reconditioning, an abnormally high current will be required to restore the oxide film. This current surge could cause the circuit or the capacitor to fail.

Should a capacitor be discharged through a resistor?

It's smart, then, to discharge the unit deliberately, through a resistor equal to about one ohm per volt of charge. A new capacitor should rapidly take a charge right to rated voltage, in which case only a small voltage drop will appear across the resistor.

How many capacitors can be reformed in a capacitor reformer?

Schematic below if you're not quite sure what to do here: In the circuit above, capacitors C1, C2, and C3 are the electrolytic capacitors that are to be reformed, while resistors R1, R2, and R3 are the series current-limiting resistors for each cap respectively. Of course, you can size your cap reformer to do as many caps at a time as you want.

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