Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

[mockingbird]

So I was at the electronics shop today, and instinctively I beelined toward the capacitors section. they got quite a lot of new stuff and for some reason got rid of a lot of their old stock GP caps.

What I discovered was astonishing.

Notice the Panasonic T vents are being used on these obviously fake green Nichicon HD, HN, and HM. These guys are learning. Gone are the days when all you had to do was look at the bunge. The bunge on the last capacitor on the left, a Panasonic FC 10V 2200uF, looks impeccable but this is NOT a real Panasonic FC, it is also a fake. A very good fake. It is rubber and not synthetic like a real FC. It's also flimsy, if I put a little pressure on it, it recedes into the can. Sorry about the image quality on the bunge shot.

Sorry, no inline pics, files are too big. Also, for some reason PHPBB is further compressing my JPGs.

[Pyr0Beast]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

Oh they are getting really good. On the last photo, the one on the right looks a lot like a real one (no stamping marks and a completely flat top).
Just waiting when they are going to be the same, even in quality specs

[c_hegge]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

Even the rubber seals look like panny. Maybe they are really made by panny?

[mockingbird]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

I'd be more than willing to send these to someone with an ESR tester. The FC is most definitely a fake, eventhough it looks almost completely real.

[kc8adu]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

and since nichicon does not use that shade of green....
the print looks poor too.
i have already found some of the green vz in a board sent in to be recapped.blown up.fake.

[smason]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

So I was at the electronics shop today, and instinctively I beelined toward the capacitors section..

What shop was this?

[Rulycat]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

Why would they spend money on making their caps look like pannys? Why not just spend it making good caps?

[mockingbird]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

Incompetance. The countefeiters are physical labourers at best, not chemists or engineers. It's a cheap source of income, and they could probably manufacture good capacitors if they had a competant staff. They lack good intellectual property, not good materials.

[Rulycat]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

Oh, so they essentially make the counterfeit caps and buy the foil and electrolyte in?

[kc8adu]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

or resleeve whatever.

Oh, so they essentially make the counterfeit caps and buy the foil and electrolyte in?

[mockingbird]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

From what I understand, there's one main producer of off-brand capacitors (Besides the Taiwanese producers - and this excludes Samxon which does produce many good models) in China called GSC. They distribute their garbage to a myriad of fly-by-night manufacturers who resleeve their garbage and produce new datasheets based on their new "series".

Two identical capacitors from these different "manufacturers" are almost never given the same series namesake, but are usually always the same capacitor underneath the sleeving. In fact, if you look at spec sheets for some of them, the specifications per given model match exactly.

[Agent24]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

GSC = Garbage Shit Corporation

[japlytic]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

The Nichicon PL series unit looks like a resleeved Jamicon or Hermei through its hexagonal vent.

[bigbeark]

Re: Introducing The New Generation Of Counterfeit Capacitors

A year or so ago, when I knew nothing of fake caps, I ordered a bunch of those fake green Nichicons. I remember I needed some 10v 1500uv 8mm caps, and these were all I could find on the web. I took one look at them and decided they were fake. The ESR was acceptable, but the capacitance was way low - about 1050 vs the 1500 specified. Needless to say, I didn't use them. Later I found FJ/FL OEMs on the web and these turned out to be the real deal.

So whenever I see green Nichicons I see fake. The Panny FC would have fooled me. I would not be buying these anyway as FMs are readily available in North America.