Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?

I see (from the Panasonic datasheets I've downloaded) that the ESR value differs according to the capacitor value (uF), but was there an approximate ESR-value range of 80s/90s capacitors, so I could use that to look into which current (and available to me) capacitors I should get as replacements?

About lifetime expectancy: I understand I've over-emphasized this. What are "acceptable" lifetime ratings when looking at datasheets if I want quality brand capacitors and don't want to recap every few years?

Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?



I meant the [B]FC[/B]-series of course Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?



I meant the [B]FC[/B]-series of course Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?



I meant the [B]FC[/B]-series of course ...

Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?

I was worried about having to recap again in a couple of years if I used the "short life" caps (Panasonic PC series), which I don't want to do.
Thinking about it though, the environment in a PSU is much harsher (temperature, ripple) than compared to say, a motherboard, so maybe the "short life" caps on the motherboard will even out the the "long life" PSU caps?

I see that Panasonic FM caps have a lifetime rating of 4000-7000 hours (compared to 3000-5000 of the FC series). They're both...

Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?

Too bad about the hour rating of those Panasonic FC-series.
I was hoping for 10 000 hours. Are there any other suitable caps from Panasonic I might have missed with 105C and 10 000 (or close) ratings?

Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?



I fully agree. I don't intend to recap my gear more than absolutely necessary.



So there's no "failsafe" choice of capacitors (Panasonic preferred as described in my other post because of better availability) for non-engineer types like myself? You really need to understand how the circuit works before recapping?




What would this be equivalent to in Panasonic terms?




Something like Panasonic ED-A (best,...

Re: Which capacitor type for which recapping job?

Panasonic seems to be readily available from my dealer whereas Nichicon is harder to find. I'm not familiar with the differences between the different series, so I looked it up at the Manufacturer's site [URL="https://eu.industrial.panasonic.com/products/capacitors/aluminium-electrolytic-capacitors/aluminum-electrolytic-capacitors-radial-lead"]here[/URL].
These are the Panasonic through-hole electrolytic capacitor series I could find with 105C temperature ratings and with the highest hour ratings along with their...

I have a lot of 80's/90s electronic musical equipment (synthesizers etc.) and a couple of vintage computers from that same era which I want to recap as a preventive measure even though they mostly work fine for the time being.

Finding quality branded caps (Nichicon, Panasonic, Rubycon etc.) with a long life rating (i.e. 10 000 hours) and high temperature rating (105C) along with the same uF values and equal or higher voltage ratings is also a no-brainer, but apart from that -which type?
General purpose types, low-ESR, ultra-low ESR..?

In a separate discussion...

Re: Finding low-ESR 400V capacitors

Thanks for clarifying further, guys.

Back in the days (80's/90's) when I got into electronics as a hobby and built stuff from schematics, magazine articles, kits etc. an electrolytic capacitor was simply that. If a schematic said 100uF/16V I went out and bought a 16V rated 100uF capacitor. Being quality-conscious I also looked for a brand name (Sanyo, Matsushita/Panasonic, Rubycon, Nichicon etc.) but that was about it.
What happened since then? Has it really become more complicated to get the right type these days, or is it...

Re: Finding low-ESR 400V capacitors

Thanks for your replies. I see I still have a lot to learn about the subject.

I couldn't find anything about replacing the bridge rectifier. Are you referring to some other part of that page, or [URL="http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/psu/index.htm#MSTE"]the section about my PSM-5341 power supply[/URL]? (the link goes directly to that section).

So a low-ESR capacitor isn't some sort of "perfect replacement" for old/bad/expired/bad quality capacitors then, but the entire circuit needs to be designed...

Re: Finding low-ESR 400V capacitors

[B]1.[/B] Apologies if I'm not "getting it" as this is all new to me, but I first thought you meant that low-ESR capacitors (such as the Panasonic FR-series) are considered "specialized" so they shouldn't simply be used to replace any aged/expired capacitor (i.e. "recapping"), but ONLY for recapping special, demanding applications such as the high frequency section of a switched mode power supply.
In which case it makes sense NOT to replace the two 400V caps with low-ESR types, but instead to recap with normal...

Re: Finding low-ESR 400V capacitors

I didn't know the stuff about self-oscillation (what does that mean and do by the way?).
Were you referring to ALL the replacement capacitors in this respect or just the two 400V ones before the high frequency/high ripple section? I attached a schematic a few posts above.

Apparently this recapping business is a little trickier than I first thought (expecting to just look for the best low-ESR caps I could afford/justify, to replace the old ones with).
So basically, you have to take into account which time period the gear...

Re: Finding low-ESR 400V capacitors

Aha! I didn't think of that.
So the high frequency/high ripple part of a switching mode PSU basically comes after the first transformer, and that's where you need low-ESR caps because otherwise their internal resistance will drop the voltage output and also generate internal heat which will in turn wear down/damage that capacitor?
A schematic of the power supply in question is attached here (I've marked the two 400V caps in red)

An [URL="http://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/psu/index.htm#MSTE"]online recapping...

I'm about to replace all the electrolytic capacitors inside a 30 year old computer power supply and will order mostly Panasonic FR-series capacitors which I understand are ideal for this sort of application (low ESR, 105 degrees C and 10 000 hour life) from Farnell for this.

But locating replacements for the two 400V caps in the PSU proves to be a challenge ([B]150uF/400V[/B] and [B]10uF/400V[/B]) as neither are available in Panasonic's FR range and I am having difficulties figuring out if the other brands/types available are indeed low-ESR types. I did find a [URL="http://no.farnell.com/rubycon/400bxw150mefr18x35/cap-alu-elec-150uf-400v-radial/dp/2480357"]Rubycon...

Re: New Members - please post your introductions here

Hello all!
I just joined because I've recently become aware of the importance of recapping. With a couple of vintage Atari computers from the late 80s/early 90s and equally old electronic music gear I've got a lot to do in that department.
I've been dabbling with electronics on a DIY/hobby basis since my early teens so soldering/desoldering is no problem but knowing which caps to get and so on is something I need to figure out.