!HELP!! ALTAIR BLEW SMOKE!!! - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

27 May 2003

...
 From: "Peter Turnbull"
&lt;pete(a)dunnington.u-net.com&gt; ---snip---
...

Not from a capacitor as a whole, but if you look inside the "black
box"...  The discussion was about electrolytic capacitors.  Of course
they have an insulator (the oxide on the aluminium foil anode) but they
also have an electrolyte (which is the cathode), and indeed wouldn't
(don't) work without it.  It's the ability of the electrodes to conduct
electrons that give the capacitor its ability to store them.

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull 
The other trick of the electrolytic is that the aluminum is
slightly etched first before forming. This greatly increases
the surface area and gives a higher capacitance per square
inch of foil.
 I have a radio that was made in the 50's. I brought the
capacitors in it up slowly. I've checked them on my
bridge and they are all above 45% of the labeled value.
The radio works fine.
Dwight