Capacitor issues

Telecaster65 · May 7th, 2004, 09:27 AM

Hi everyone.

Some old fashioned parts are hard to get on the Italian market. Axial caps like the 20uf - 500 V needed for my 5E3 project are rare.

Here what I've been told by a local supplier:

20uf - 500V may be replaced by two x 10uF - 450V radial caps in parallel and so is for the 0.1 uF - 630 Vdc which may be replaced by 0.1 uF - 275 Vac.

How do these mods may affect the final sound quality? And how should I strive for originality in a clone amp project circuit to get the right sound?

Yet, I got for a 500pF - 500V cap, a small pipe, say one inch, with a strip color code (violet/yellow/violet/brown/green).... Swindle???

Sorry for my childish questions...

Cheers
Fabio

zook · May 7th, 2004, 10:27 AM

The sound quality probably won't suffer.

When you wire similar capacitors in series you 1/2 total rating and double the voltage. For example, two 40uf/250Volt in series = 20uf/500V total rating.

look at this schem:

http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/schem/ba...a864_schem.gif

The first pair of caps are in series with 220K 1 Watt resistors in parallel with each cap. hia would work as well.

Wiring the 10uf in parallel will double the capacitance but not effect the voltage. Two 10uf/450 in parallel= 20uf/450Volt

You should be also be able to use a 20uf/450Volt cap if you can get those.

Winnie

May 7th, 2004, 09:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
Telecaster65 Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cisano sul Neva (Savona) NW Italy Age: 43 Posts: 840	Capacitor issues Hi everyone. Some old fashioned parts are hard to get on the Italian market. Axial caps like the 20uf - 500 V needed for my 5E3 project are rare. Here what I've been told by a local supplier: 20uf - 500V may be replaced by two x 10uF - 450V radial caps in parallel and so is for the 0.1 uF - 630 Vdc which may be replaced by 0.1 uF - 275 Vac. How do these mods may affect the final sound quality? And how should I strive for originality in a clone amp project circuit to get the right sound? Yet, I got for a 500pF - 500V cap, a small pipe, say one inch, with a strip color code (violet/yellow/violet/brown/green).... Swindle??? Sorry for my childish questions... Cheers Fabio __________________ Sleep tight, my child, sleep well For I'll be at your side That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell, Shall pierce your dreams this night

May 7th, 2004, 10:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
zook Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Northeast Kingdom, Vermont Posts: 833	The sound quality probably won't suffer. When you wire similar capacitors in series you 1/2 total rating and double the voltage. For example, two 40uf/250Volt in series = 20uf/500V total rating. look at this schem: http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/schem/ba...a864_schem.gif The first pair of caps are in series with 220K 1 Watt resistors in parallel with each cap. hia would work as well. Wiring the 10uf in parallel will double the capacitance but not effect the voltage. Two 10uf/450 in parallel= 20uf/450Volt You should be also be able to use a 20uf/450Volt cap if you can get those. Winnie __________________ I have noticed that happy people are often evaluating themselves and unhappy people are always evaluating others. -William Glasser