Fake Blackgates??

[valve5425]

Great response guys! Much appreciated.

Felipe, these were bought over 10 years ago from Percy Audio so possibly same stock as yours!

Rob41, I haven't reformed them as I didn't think a Blackgate would have drifted this much. I'll give it a try though and report back. I can't say what vintage the "good" one is as it was purchased as used but I would agree with you that it seems odd to change the printing on the same value cap. Unless there is a large gap between production years?

Kevinkr, I don't know definitively what the maximum tolerance should be, (appreciate I'm only -15% out) but I would have thought this grade of cap would be less than 10%.

Larry Ng, Your tolerance measurements are what I would have expected, hence my suprise at what I got with mine.

These have never been soldered/used, just kept in my parts box. They were shorted out before measuring on my Fluke 189 so the readings are accurate. I'll take some more photos in daylight tomorrow afternoon and check my other Blackgates for tolerance and printing layout. I had already measured 4 NOS non-polars, 330uf, 100v, which were 337uf 338uf 338uf and 340uf, a maximum of 3%. These have been stored with the suspect ones. The printing
on these are different again! Confusing! If these weren't potentially so valuable, I'd cut them up. A bit drastic though if they are genuine.

[merlin el mago]

Yes I sell second hand originals Black Gates bought to Michael Percy Audio USA, what's the problem if I can help someone asking if his caps are fakes or not.

[analog_sa]

How hard can it be to just plug them into a circuit and listen? Good or bad, their sonic signature is unmistakeable.

Taking one apart is another option.

It's kinda surprising there haven't been fakes around so far.

[tinitus]

honestly, what were they originally other than fancy proto type caps, made with old outdated dry cap technology

I really expect the latest dry cap technology to be superiour
the off values you experience is probably why further devellopment stopped, and so the production

I guess they could buy the 'devellopment' caps
and even get the 'audio labelled' with Black gate name, rather cheap
but after it had been decided 'to go other ways' with dry cap production, it might have taken quite a bit bigger serious money to make them continue production
and the end of that 'adventure'

or the technology really had serious flaws

[merlin el mago]

If you bought to Michael Percy you don't have to worry about: these are for sure originals. When I measured brand new without use always the cap measured less. These 330uF 100V dimensions are 18mm x 36mm?

[merlin el mago]

Originally Posted by analog_sa

How hard can it be to just plug them into a circuit and listen? Good or bad, their sonic signature is unmistakeable.

Taking one apart is another option.

It's kinda surprising there haven't been fakes around so far.

That's a good trick.

[merlin el mago]

Originally Posted by tinitus

honestly, what were they originally other than fancy proto type caps, made with old outdated dry cap technology

I really expect the latest dry cap technology to be superiour
the off values you experience is probably why further devellopment stopped, and so the production

I guess they could buy the 'devellopment' caps
and even get the 'audio labelled' with Black gate name, rather cheap
but after it had been decided 'to go other ways' with dry cap production, it might have taken quite a bit bigger serious money to make them continue production
and the end of that 'adventure'

or the technology really had serious flaws

Can be technology to expensive and market too small to ge profit.

[valve5425]

Originally Posted by analog_sa

How hard can it be to just plug them into a circuit and listen? Good or bad, their sonic signature is unmistakeable.

Taking one apart is another option.

It's kinda surprising there haven't been fakes around so far.

I'm a poor pensioner!!!!! I just wanted to sell them as NOS so I could eat this week but you make a good point about trying them in circuit. I don't think I'll chop them up just yet though.

Dean

[Rob41]

Originally Posted by valve5425

I'm a poor pensioner!!!!! I just wanted to sell them as NOS so I could eat this week but you make a good point about trying them in circuit. I don't think I'll chop them up just yet though.

Dean

Yeah, that's an expensive proposition.

[valve5425]

Originally Posted by merlin el mago

If you bought to Michael Percy you don't have to worry about: these are for sure originals. When I measured brand new without use always the cap measured less. These 330uF 100V dimensions are 18mm x 36mm?

Just to clarify, the 100uf 100v FK's came from Percy Audio. The 330uf's were obtained elsewhere and I'm happy they are genuine. Dimensions match and tolerance ties in with what Id expect.

Dean