Blown Electrolytic Story

In the '50s, when I was just a pup, I mixed some recordings at the Cimarron Ballroom in Tulsa. The main PA was fed by two early McIntosh amps - 50 watts each I think - the ones that were transformer coupled interstage. (That's an interesting McIntosh story in itself.) Many today probably have never seen those very early ones. They are shown in Allied catalogs of the era.

Anyhow, one day I was startled to see that one of the McIntoshes was gone, replaced by a Bogen or some other amp of lower pedigree. I asked the bandleader who was also the owner and he explained that one of the transformers had blown up on one of the Macs; the evidence could be seen sprayed and dried against the inside of the rack door. The engineer who maintained the place had replaced it with another amp.

Then I informed the owner that the residue on the inside of the door was electrolytic capacitor paste, not transformer tar. And that transformers don't 'blow up' in any event, at least not the size and type used in audio amplifiers.

Well, that changed things just a bit. The next time I went to the booth, there was the mising McIntosh amplifer, looking fit, on the floor. I re-installed it and became the maint. eng. as well as the mixer.

It is easy to blow an electrolytic deliberately - just connect it across the power line. The ripple current will be tremendous, will quickly over-heat the cap and thar she blows in just a minute or two.
But very dangerous - don't try this at home.

Pat Tobin

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Reforming caps - SteveBrown 14:25:44 12/27/03 (17)

Re: Reforming caps - Raver 04:12:35 12/28/03 (6)

Re: Reforming caps - SteveBrown 07:03:48 12/28/03 (5)

Re: Reforming caps - Leestereo 08:05:06 12/28/03 (4)

Re: Reforming caps - SteveBrown 08:58:08 12/28/03 (3)

Re: Reforming caps - AudCon 23:05:58 12/28/03 (2)

Re: Reforming caps - AudCon 23:12:55 12/28/03 (1)

Re: Reforming caps - SteveBrown 06:03:39 12/29/03 (0)

Dried out or leaky cap cannot be reformed? - Koo 02:41:03 12/28/03 (0)

I agree: Just replace them - doodlebug 17:34:04 12/27/03 (6)

Re: I agree: Just replace them - microbe 22:20:34 12/27/03 (5)

Re: I agree: Just replace them - doodlebug 20:52:20 12/28/03 (2)

if an amp is quiet are the electrolytics in fine shape? - microbe 21:21:17 12/28/03 (1)

Re: if an amp is quiet are the electrolytics in fine shape? - doodlebug 08:31:28 12/29/03 (0)

I've always just replaced them as a matter of preventive maint. The few times I've ... - PureAudio 06:46:17 12/28/03 (1)

Blown Electrolytic Story - AudCon 14:26:06 12/29/03 (0)

Don't mess with them just replace them (nt) - glen65 16:59:10 12/27/03 (0)

Re: Reforming caps - dr. tube 16:56:31 12/27/03 (1)

Follow Ups

Blown Electrolytic Story - AudCon 14:26:06 12/29/03 (0)

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