16 Feb
2004
16 Feb
'04
3:10 p.m.
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004, Michael Sokolov wrote:
So here is my question then: if not tantalum, then
what?
I've always been told that aluminum electrolytic caps were cheap stuff that
doesn't last and that tantalum caps are much better and (that was the claim)
eternal. So I guess this is wrong. What is the truth then? Is it the other
way around? Or are they both bad? And why are so many people, including on
this list, saying "aluminum electrolytics are cheap crap, use tantalum"?
And what are the *good* caps to use?
MS
Must be something about the period when they were made or the manufacturer,
we've used millions over the years and never had much trouble with them...
Tantalums have lower ESR than (standard aluminum electrolytics) and last
longer (dont dry out), plus they have a wider operating temperature range.
Most aluminum electrolytics stop being capacitors around freezing.
So my with experience with Tantalums has been good, I even have some 50's
vintage ones that work fine (Tantalum foil).
Peter Wallace
Mesa Electronics