I recently purchased some KEF Cresta 2 speakers off eBay, with the intention of refurbishing them as a learning exercise. Essentially a practice pair of speakers, to learn how the crossover works and then re-cap it. Imagine my surprise after extracting the crossover to find vertically mounted radial electrolytic capacitors, rather than horizontally mounted axial ones.
The capacitors are all non-polarised, with a +/- 10% tolerance. Having been on the Falcon Acoustics, Wilmslow Audio, HiFi Collective and Willys HiFi websites, but am at a bit of a loss for replacements. Does anyone have a source for audio radial electrolytic capacitors?
I'm after the following, from left to right in the photo:
If not, what do you do in this instance? Bend the top leg of an axial down and hope it fits? Give up and chuck them back on eBay?
Cheers,
Bob.
The capacitors are all non-polarised, with a +/- 10% tolerance. Having been on the Falcon Acoustics, Wilmslow Audio, HiFi Collective and Willys HiFi websites, but am at a bit of a loss for replacements. Does anyone have a source for audio radial electrolytic capacitors?
I'm after the following, from left to right in the photo:
- 10μF, 100V
- 25μF, 100V
- 4.7μF, 50V
- 7μF, 50V
If not, what do you do in this instance? Bend the top leg of an axial down and hope it fits? Give up and chuck them back on eBay?
Cheers,
Bob.
Drew it on a whiteboard:
Then tried to create a circuit diagram:
Which is why I'm now asking where I can source replacement capacitors, so I can continue with the next step.
Both DigiKey and Mouser have .co.uk web addresses. And there's Farnell also. I'm sure there are others that carry caps.
jeff
jeff
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Schematic appreciated!
On mine I would want the 4.7uF and 7uF in the tweeter xo to be PP film caps. And the others just a decent L to R match, or leave alone...
On mine I would want the 4.7uF and 7uF in the tweeter xo to be PP film caps. And the others just a decent L to R match, or leave alone...
Maplin Pro has a small range of 50 V bipolar radial capacitors: https://pro.maplin.co.uk/pages/search-results-page?q=bipolar capacitors
10 uF, 22 uF and 4.7 uF radial bipolars are available from Maplin Pro.
And you can get 6.8 uF radial bipolars from Mouser: https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/passive-...ct=Bi-Polar/Non-Polar Electrolytic Capacitors
And you can get 6.8 uF radial bipolars from Mouser: https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/passive-...ct=Bi-Polar/Non-Polar Electrolytic Capacitors
Nichicon ES are the best-sounding electrolytics and come in 50V BP. Pity Mouser UK doesn't seem to carry them? Or their search engine can't find them more likely:
https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/passive-...ded/?q=nichicon muse&voltage rating dc=50 VDC
https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/passive-...ded/?q=nichicon muse&voltage rating dc=50 VDC
My search shows that Mouser currently have 10 uF, 22 uF and 6.8 uF Nichicon in stock - I can see no mention of 4.7 uF though.
Strangely, the 6.8 uF came up in a different search from that which turned up the others, as I linked to in post #7.
Note to @B O A B, given the high manufacturing tolerance of these bipolar electrolytic capacitors, 22 uF amounts to the same as 25 uF which is no longer a standard value. Note also that the physical sizes and lead spacings of the modern capacitors will differ from the old ones on your board.
What say you?
Strangely, the 6.8 uF came up in a different search from that which turned up the others, as I linked to in post #7.
Note to @B O A B, given the high manufacturing tolerance of these bipolar electrolytic capacitors, 22 uF amounts to the same as 25 uF which is no longer a standard value. Note also that the physical sizes and lead spacings of the modern capacitors will differ from the old ones on your board.
What say you?
Thanks everyone, and apologies for the tardy follow up. I didn't realise that the Maplin name had continued in some form, and have never bought from Mouser, as I assumed it was just a front for sending things from the US; I buy most of my stuff from Rapid. At this point, I'm quite tempted to de-solder the inductors*, and create new versions of the crossovers on proto board, so I can use axial capacitors. Falcon seem to have Alcaps with the correct values and voltages, or I could mix and match as suggested by @Andersonix above. The existing capacitors seem to be glued down, in addition to being soldered, and I'm not sure how to un-glue them with out potentially damaging the board anyway.
* There's no indication of the values of the inductors, or I'd just buy new everything and keep the originals intact.
* There's no indication of the values of the inductors, or I'd just buy new everything and keep the originals intact.
Why not invest in a multimeter that includes an inductance range: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Capacitanc...ter+with+inductance+scale,aps,115&sr=8-5&th=1
The one I have (not the one to which I've linked) gives accurate matches to the inductance values stamped on inductors such as those from vintage Wharfedale speakers.
And then what will you have learned? How to shop for and RnR a component? Nothing about speakers certainly....
I have an ANENG AN8009 but it doesn't do inductance, as I've never needed that before. I thought that you can't take readings from components that are in circuit, and that you have to de-solder them to measure them accurately?
First inductor after IPL+ and the only inductor connected to IPH-...?