Replacement for tropical fish caps

[Cursitor Doom]

Hi all,

Given that NOS TF caps seem to be increasingly hard to come by, is there
a modern equivalent type that can satisfactorily replace them with a
similar footprint & pinout? I'm specifically interested in the 250V rated
types found in old 'scope smps.

thanks

 

On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 9:34:06 AM UTC-5, Cursitor Doom wrote:

Hi all,

Given that NOS TF caps seem to be increasingly hard to come by, is there
a modern equivalent type that can satisfactorily replace them with a
similar footprint & pinout? I'm specifically interested in the 250V rated
types found in old 'scope smps.

thanks

whats a tropical fish cap?

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Tue, 19 Jan 2016 06:55:00 -0800, makolber wrote:

> whats a tropical fish cap?

I'm guessing you're under 30? Ebay's your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-Mullard-Tropical-Fish-
Capacitors-47nF-0-047uF-250v-/360338287201?hash=item53e5d5ea61:m:mcN-
DqTXnkkcyUmSf_Gylog

 

[Chris Jones]

On 20/01/2016 02:18, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Tue, 19 Jan 2016 06:55:00 -0800, makolber wrote:

whats a tropical fish cap?

I'm guessing you're under 30? Ebay's your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-Mullard-Tropical-Fish-
Capacitors-47nF-0-047uF-250v-/360338287201?hash=item53e5d5ea61:m:mcN-
DqTXnkkcyUmSf_Gylog

Are those just polyester film caps?

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Wed, 20 Jan 2016 08:10:18 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

No , the main feature is that they are brightly coloured to keep
guitarist tweekers happy, as the visible colouration carries through to
the tonal colouration.

Ah, "high end audio." That explains why they cost so much.

 

[N_Cook]

On 20/01/2016 01:21, Chris Jones wrote:

On 20/01/2016 02:18, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jan 2016 06:55:00 -0800, makolber wrote:

whats a tropical fish cap?

I'm guessing you're under 30? Ebay's your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-Mullard-Tropical-Fish-
Capacitors-47nF-0-047uF-250v-/360338287201?hash=item53e5d5ea61:m:mcN-
DqTXnkkcyUmSf_Gylog


Are those just polyester film caps?

No , the main feature is that they are brightly coloured to keep
guitarist tweekers happy, as the visible colouration carries through to
the tonal colouration.

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

On Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 9:34:06 AM UTC-5, Cursitor Doom wrote:

Hi all,

Given that NOS TF caps seem to be increasingly hard to come by, is there
a modern equivalent type that can satisfactorily replace them with a
similar footprint & pinout? I'm specifically interested in the 250V rated
types found in old 'scope smps.

thanks

Mpfffff.... Within very basic parameters and manufacturing standards, a cap is a cap is a cap.

Apart from the mystery, smoke, mirrors and hokum surrounding "bumble-bee/tropical fish" caps and so forth, about any modern polyester film cap of decent manufacture is its *actually functional* equivalent.

Keeping in mind that the fuzz-box crowd is really looking for an R/C network rather than a cap, despite the schematic, why these too-often leaky caps are sought after becomes easier to explain. I have a neighbor down the block for whom I save my pulls and leakers of this nature. I try to tell him that all he really wants is a 1 or 2 meg resistor parallel to an 0.047 cap - but he wants it all in one package complete with a bakelite case.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[N_Cook]

On 20/01/2016 11:17, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Wed, 20 Jan 2016 08:10:18 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

No , the main feature is that they are brightly coloured to keep
guitarist tweekers happy, as the visible colouration carries through to
the tonal colouration.

Ah, "high end audio." That explains why they cost so much.

Also when the electrolyte leaks out, there is a much sweeter fishy smell
than the usual rank temperate latitudes fishy smell of the cheap types
of caps

 

[Look165]

Electrolyte in polyester caps, are you drunk ?

You can find them at farnell.com

N_Cook a ĂŠcrit :

On 20/01/2016 11:17, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jan 2016 08:10:18 +0000, N_Cook wrote:

No , the main feature is that they are brightly coloured to keep
guitarist tweekers happy, as the visible colouration carries through to
the tonal colouration.

Ah, "high end audio." That explains why they cost so much.


Also when the electrolyte leaks out, there is a much sweeter fishy smell
than the usual rank temperate latitudes fishy smell of the cheap types
of caps

 

[Phil Allison]

Cursitor Doom wrote:

whats a tropical fish cap?

I'm guessing you're under 30? Ebay's your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x-Mullard-Tropical-Fish-
Capacitors-47nF-0-047uF-250v-/360338287201?hash=item53e5d5ea61:m:mcN-
DqTXnkkcyUmSf_Gylog


** I've always known them as " liquorice block" caps - aka "liquorice allsorts".

http://previews.123rf.com/images/robynmac/robynmac1402/robynmac140200024/25782815-Liquorice-allsorts-over-a-white-background--Stock-Photo-allsorts.jpg

Made by Philips as the "2222 352" series PETP film in values from 1nF to 6.8uF.

Colour codes on caps never did catch on, these ones vanished in the early 1980s along with colour coded tantalums - remember them ?

PCBs used to look much prettier in those days when transistors and most op-amps had gold plated leads and shiny metal packs.


..... Phil