Using old/vintage used components

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mateus

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
92
Location
Porto Alegre/RS
Heyas!

Looked for an answer around here but couldn't find any discussion talking about this, so here we go.
Trying to make it short, the deal is, I'm stripping down some great quality 60s-70s equipment used in an old amateur radio station this time, the ones that have no use/destroyed of course, the one's no one bother repairing.

Got myself tons of resistors, caps, transformers, transistors and other stuff I have no idea what they are. I'm measuring every single one and cataloging.

About resistors, don't blame me but I like how these vintage ones looks so I'm keeping 'em and hopefuly using 'em hehe
The color codes says something, but they measure, re-measure, and re-measure different from the color code, sometimes way off the reference.

I should use them as they measure right?

More questions to come!

Cheers!
 
If old resistors are way off, you can use them as measured, but they are likely on their way out, noisy form humidity absorbtion, etc. I'd skip those that are off, and you'll have to listen for noise in circuit. They may be fine for high level applications, and not for low level.

Caps, checking ESR is the best clue. It will be higher than new by some amount, if small okay, if enormous then the cap is well used and should be avoided unless you want a specific degraded sound for a particular restoration.
 
Caps, checking ESR is the best clue. It will be higher than new by some amount, if small okay, if enormous then the cap is well used and should be avoided unless you want a specific degraded sound for a particular restoration.
Heya!! Thanks man, about the ESR, how much is ok and how much should be avoided?

Cheers!
 
Every cap type has it's own amount, you need to measure a bunch and get a feel for it. There's no definitive simple answer.
 
So here we go…
6ACF5DAE-EBAB-4E91-A397-0360E8A9DF88.jpeg
All of these guys are measuring some pF capacitance and sometimes another thing, like this one…
7E2A0334-12CA-43DC-9BE0-BE05C6BFED57.jpeg
Any special project that could use those? Or should I hear how they clip?
Cheers!
 
Caps, checking ESR is the best clue. It will be higher than new by some amount, if small okay, if enormous then the cap is well used and should be avoided unless you want a specific degraded sound for a particular restoration.

This doesn't apply to all capacitors, if you have Electrolytic capacitors from the 60s and 70sm even if they were never used just throw them in the trash bin
 
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Maybe list them on ebay... you know what they say about fools and their money...

JR

PS: The polystyrenes are probably still good electrically... while not mechanically robust.
 
What about those orange Phillips MKT ones? Got a handful of them, various values, all measuring perfect and most don't even show ESR in the meter.

Cheers!
 
What about those orange Phillips MKT ones? Got a handful of them, various values, all measuring perfect and most don't even show ESR in the meter.

Cheers!

Phillips MKT are film caps, I have a good old stock of those and never found they degraded over time, those are great capacitors.

It's just the Electrolytic caps you should not use and also "paper in foil" caps if you have any of those, as they will be leakier as hell at this point.
 
I use a lot of old parts. The Mustard caps and ceramics are the only thing I would keep. Use them, they are awesome.
 
I am somewhat surprised you are parting out equipment that you knew nothing about. Were you hoping to make money, or just keep yourself busy, or...?
What meters do you have?
Vintage ss power diodes can degrade from stress, so are best checked for reverse leakage at their PIV.
 

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