Electronic help!

[jackcoom53]

Hello everyone I am in need of a bit of help on the electronics side! I am hopeless at this, but I am just wanting to know if I should replace this, I don't know if it is a capacitor or something or whatever it is called. It is fitted to a fidelity UA3 system. It looks very much like it has failed as the outer layer seems to have a hole in it! And as I know absolutely nothing about these I thought that I would ask you experts. Firstly does it needs to be replaced (which I think I know the answer to that one) and are they still available if not what is the modern day equivalent. I haven't tested the system yet as I thought that I had better check this out first before switching it on just in case it goes boom!

Kind regards

Jacky.

[ms660]

It's a capacitor, it looks ill.

0.1uF +- 20%, 250 volt DC.

http://www.electrojumble.org/colour.htm

Replace with a 0.1uF that's rated at least 250 volts.

Lawrence.

[Boater Sam]

The magic smoke has been let out.
Its unusual to find such an obvious failure, tropical fish capacitors are pretty reliable.

[julie_m]

It used to have been a capacitor, once ..... Specifically, a Mullard C280 polyester capacitor, a welcome improvement on the waxed paper capacitors that had been used until then. Since replaced by the MKT368 series, essentially the same "guts" in a plain orange encapsulation.

The value as given by the colour codes is brown, black, yellow = 1, 0, 4 zeros = 100000pF = 100nF. A 100V part should be fine, as there are no voltages that high in this record player.

So, 100nF polyester, 100V.

[Refugee]

It looks like the board is punched to take an axial as an alternative perhaps a yellow Vshay type would also do.

[Restoration73]

As no ac or dc voltage over 30v exists in the circuit, I think this is more likely to be
a cosmetic failure (paint bubble) than a dielectric failure, but it should be replaced
with a 100v or higher component and positioned so it does not come in contact with any
other part that is either sharp or gets hot. C280 caps often had a final dip in hot wax
to protect the paint layers.

[Diabolical Artificer]

PM me your address, I'll send you the exact cap for the postage.

Andy.

[Grubhead]

Originally Posted by Boater Sam

The magic smoke has been let out.
Its unusual to find such an obvious failure, tropical fish capacitors are pretty reliable.

Not heard them called that before, the chaps at Bardwells in Sheffield used to call them Candy Striped Capacitors.

[TonyDuell]

I generally heard them called 'licorice allsorts'

[paulsherwin]

I think 'tropical fish' originated in the US but the term spread over here some time ago..

[Argus25]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

I think 'tropical fish' originated in the US but the term spread over here some time ago..

This is quite right. I first saw the "tropical fish" notation originate in the USA.

In the USA in the early 1960's these capacitors often found there way into electronics associated with musical instruments. For example in guitar effects pedals, or the treble boost amplifiers Gretsch used in their early electric guitars. In fact it could be argued that one of the very first electric guitars to use on board electronic effects, had these capacitors.

For those who believe it, they are attributed with excellent sonic properties and sought after there for that reason in the USA and they can fetch prices disproportionate to their value.

I saw these capacitors over the years mainly in radios of European origin and they always did look attractive due to the colored stripes. They are reliable on the whole and I seldom have to replace one. They are highly characteristic looking parts, like the Beehive trimmer, there is nothing quite like them.

However, Philips or Mullard also produced another capacitor I have also seen labelled as Tropical Fish. These are a dipped ceramic type for RF work shown in the photo on the left.