Please help with polarized capacitor!

A Sanchez · 27th May 2008, 10:55 PM

I am building this design: http://www.vikash.info/audio/p2plm3886/

The CS capacitor that I have is a polyurethane axial cap with one line on one side which means, as I understand, that it is polarized one. On the other hand the diagram assumes that a non-polarized MKT type will be used, so it does not specify which way to put it.

Is it cap + with chip + and cap - with chip - or the other way around?

Thanks very much

Antonio

casiomax · 28th May 2008, 06:35 AM

I have never seen a polarized 300pf before, but i dont know anybody else have maybe.

if it is a polarised, then + cap should to + chip. IMHO.

A Sanchez · 28th May 2008, 06:54 AM

It's interesting that there has been only one answer (Thanks Casiomax)

I'm sorry if my question is too obvious

Or is it not?

This is the cap:

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/pro...sp?SKU=9520740

There you can see the band/line towards one side of it. If the line means there is polarity, which side would be the +

The datasheet does not mention whether it is non-polar or not. I'm going to call the manufacturer later today.

Any more comments would be appreciated.

Antonio

casiomax · 28th May 2008, 06:59 AM

I beleive that was a polystyrene cap, not an electrolytics. On the schematics usually an electroytic cap will have a + marking, the 300pf does not have, so you should use a non electroytic cap.

DigitalJunkie · 28th May 2008, 07:01 AM

It is non-polar.
It is usually common that the "outer" foil is the one connected to the striped lead.
It was once suggested that the outer foil is connected to the lower-impedance side of the circuit,to give a sort of shielding effect.

peranders · 28th May 2008, 07:06 AM

Polarized caps have values over 4.7 uF in general. You can find lower values but they are rather uncommon these days.

glennb · 30th May 2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DigitalJunkie
It is non-polar. It is usually common that the "outer" foil is the one connected to the striped lead.
It was once suggested that the outer foil is connected to the lower-impedance side of the circuit,to give a sort of shielding effect.

Correct on both counts.

A Sanchez · 30th May 2008, 09:01 AM

Thanks very much for your help. The cap is now installed and the amp is working perfectly.

By the way. Are these type of caps a good choice for audio? I read somewhere that they are but I would like to know the forum's opinion.

The reason I'm using it is just because I could not find an MKT one with the same specs to use as Cs in this schematics.

http://www.vikash.info/audio/p2plm3886/

Regards

Antonio

casiomax · 30th May 2008, 01:16 PM

Its a matter of different sound IMHO. different caps have different result, what sound better to you might not be to others. but does not hurt to try different types of cap.

I dont know about others experience, but does it?

AndrewT · 30th May 2008, 01:26 PM

replacing the 3u3F MKT with an electrolytic will not achieve the same thing as was intended in the PSU schematic you posted.

27th May 2008, 10:55 PM	#1
A Sanchez diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY	Please help with polarized capacitor! I am building this design: http://www.vikash.info/audio/p2plm3886/ The CS capacitor that I have is a polyurethane axial cap with one line on one side which means, as I understand, that it is polarized one. On the other hand the diagram assumes that a non-polarized MKT type will be used, so it does not specify which way to put it. Is it cap + with chip + and cap - with chip - or the other way around? Thanks very much Antonio

28th May 2008, 07:06 AM	#6
peranders Electrons are yellow and more is better! diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Blog Entries: 4	Polarized caps have values over 4.7 uF in general. You can find lower values but they are rather uncommon these days. __________________ /Per-Anders (my first name) or P-A as my friends call me Tube Buffered Gainclone in work \|Thread

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28th May 2008, 06:35 AM	#2
casiomax diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2008	I have never seen a polarized 300pf before, but i dont know anybody else have maybe. if it is a polarised, then + cap should to + chip. IMHO.

28th May 2008, 06:54 AM	#3
A Sanchez diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY	It's interesting that there has been only one answer (Thanks Casiomax) I'm sorry if my question is too obvious Or is it not? This is the cap: http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/pro...sp?SKU=9520740 There you can see the band/line towards one side of it. If the line means there is polarity, which side would be the + The datasheet does not mention whether it is non-polar or not. I'm going to call the manufacturer later today. Any more comments would be appreciated. Antonio

28th May 2008, 06:59 AM	#4
casiomax diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2008	I beleive that was a polystyrene cap, not an electrolytics. On the schematics usually an electroytic cap will have a + marking, the 300pf does not have, so you should use a non electroytic cap.

28th May 2008, 07:01 AM	#5
DigitalJunkie diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Portland,Oregon Blog Entries: 4	It is non-polar. It is usually common that the "outer" foil is the one connected to the striped lead. It was once suggested that the outer foil is connected to the lower-impedance side of the circuit,to give a sort of shielding effect.

30th May 2008, 09:01 AM	#8
A Sanchez diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY	Thanks very much for your help. The cap is now installed and the amp is working perfectly. By the way. Are these type of caps a good choice for audio? I read somewhere that they are but I would like to know the forum's opinion. The reason I'm using it is just because I could not find an MKT one with the same specs to use as Cs in this schematics. http://www.vikash.info/audio/p2plm3886/ Regards Antonio

30th May 2008, 01:16 PM	#9
casiomax diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2008	Its a matter of different sound IMHO. different caps have different result, what sound better to you might not be to others. but does not hurt to try different types of cap. I dont know about others experience, but does it?

30th May 2008, 01:26 PM	#10
AndrewT diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Scottish Borders	replacing the 3u3F MKT with an electrolytic will not achieve the same thing as was intended in the PSU schematic you posted.