Wither OST?

[DrewPhillips]

I was looking for specs on some OST electrolytics and tried the link to OST's capacitor page available on Badcaps, and widely available elsewhere but it came back dead. Shortening the URL a bit, I landed on OST's main site. No headings for electronic components manufacturing were displayed but I finally found this:

"Taiwan Ostor Corp. was established in December 1993, and listed on the Taipei Exchange (TPEx) in May 2004.(Stock code 8080) Since inception, We've been committed to acting sales of electronic products and parts, and aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Changed the direction of business in 2020. The main business is disposal of the Construction Residual Soil presently. Reducing ineffective business items, focus on spoil disposal, and expect for full-year net profit."

I take this to mean that OST has divested their capacitor operations (with no listed successor), and is no longer in the electrolytics business. Wither OST, a beloved Badcaps icon? I could cry with both my eyes.

[dmill89]

Re: Wither OST?

I'd hardly call OST an "Icon", they are pretty much a "meh" brand along with stuff like Teapo, not among the worst of the worst, but far from the best as well.

[stj]

Re: Wither OST?

electrolytics under 50v are becomming obsolete - only their relative low price keeps them going

if money isnt the issue you can replace anything upto 4.7uf with polyester or polypropylene and anything larger with polymer or tantalum - depending on if leakage is important

[DrewPhillips]

Re: Wither OST?

dmill89 - My naming OST as a "BadCaps Icon" was intended to be facetious, but perhaps was a bit too deadpan. OST would be an icon alright, as in the icon we love to hate. It appears as though OST is no more, and we all are shedding crocodile tears. Bring on the leaking Teapos and the Rulycons! Soldering irons at the ready!

stj - I have used polyesters to replace very low value electrolytics such as .22 uF (that's POINT two-two) in equipment of 20-25 years ago. I haven't seen any of those very low values in newer equipment. Haven't tried the polymers to replace higher value electrolytics yet. My concern would be for polymer replacing the input capacitor of a motherboard processor VRM. That cap is located physically close to the VRM, but still is typically connected directly to the incoming 12V supply bus. That places the VRM input cap directly across the 12V output of the PSU - concern is that a polymer in this location might contribute to PSU instability.

So long as lowest first cost continues to take priority, we'll continue to see traditional electrolytics in new equipment. And I'll be polymodding.

[stj]

Re: Wither OST?

polymer on motherboard inputs works fine - i'v done it a lot
you have the impedence of the cables between the caps and psu