Yup. When you have down time, you keep busy, plan for the future so when it's time to make the cables you need, half the work is already done. 🙂
I wish you were closer, I'd like to come over and 'help' you with your stash.
The concerns are understood. We've seen it many times and will deal with it when needed. Thanks for the input.
Maybe not. I have a Dynaco ST 35 that sat on the shelf since 1974 and the caps were OK. I replaced the main can cap, but I didn't make any difference.
Also have a wire recorder from 1948 that had sat for decades. Only one bad cap - not an electrolytic!
Yes, Dyna's amps seem to be able to come back readily from storage with few problems, just needing a little running in.
Think I need to back up, and explain my intent with this thread. Probably should of done it much earlier. Shortly.....
This thread is for no other purpose than to honor my Father who I lost last year.
He lost his father very young: the Depression drove him to succeed. Naval Academy Lt., WWII submariner (both oceans), postwar Lt.Cmd. B17 Hurricane Squadron while earning earning his MS @ UNM in nuclear engineering.
After the navy, he worked within Werner von Braun’s Saturn V Apollo group at Marshal Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. until the reductions of mid 70’s forced him into early retirement at age 49.
With far too much time on his hands he started his ‘collecting’.
Jumping to his later years, his mind failed him badly. By the time of his death he was seen as a hoarder of mostly Harbor Freight and other junk. Pressure to quickly clear out the house and liquidate the estate left no choice other than to tackle the task of gathering his memories, records, things he valued, and his massive collection of electronics/photography/audio/etc. before they were lost to an estate sale. I spent almost 7 weeks at it: Once past all the junk, the treasures I found were impressive.
Over the last month I decided to write a blog “My Father’s Garage” in his memory and defense, proudly displaying these treasures as value to his life.
I thought “no where better to do it, then here.” There is no intention to prep a sale, barter or otherwise gain anything other than respect for my Father and some friendly “Show & Tell”.
I do appreciate the advice I’ve been given.
Thank You.
He lost his father very young: the Depression drove him to succeed. Naval Academy Lt., WWII submariner (both oceans), postwar Lt.Cmd. B17 Hurricane Squadron while earning earning his MS @ UNM in nuclear engineering.
After the navy, he worked within Werner von Braun’s Saturn V Apollo group at Marshal Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. until the reductions of mid 70’s forced him into early retirement at age 49.
With far too much time on his hands he started his ‘collecting’.
Jumping to his later years, his mind failed him badly. By the time of his death he was seen as a hoarder of mostly Harbor Freight and other junk. Pressure to quickly clear out the house and liquidate the estate left no choice other than to tackle the task of gathering his memories, records, things he valued, and his massive collection of electronics/photography/audio/etc. before they were lost to an estate sale. I spent almost 7 weeks at it: Once past all the junk, the treasures I found were impressive.
Over the last month I decided to write a blog “My Father’s Garage” in his memory and defense, proudly displaying these treasures as value to his life.
I thought “no where better to do it, then here.” There is no intention to prep a sale, barter or otherwise gain anything other than respect for my Father and some friendly “Show & Tell”.
I do appreciate the advice I’ve been given.
Thank You.
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Charles, not all dads say it enough during the "important" years, but I think yours would be proud of your comportment herein.
I must say that I've enjoyed seeing your treasures. Brings back memories of similar stuff my father had, that I wasn't smart enough to latch onto before he updated. I didn't get any of the old Mac tube stuff, just the Phase Linear 700....
Only two things came to mind. Your dad would sure be proud of you now. I won't mention the second.
If you have a bit of diy in you, your dad would be twice as proud of you enjoying his collection. Sure there's money in it, if you sold it. But do what your heart tells you. Money comes and goes. Your dad didn't get those things because they were "valuable" but because he was passionate about it.
Thanks for sharing!
If you have a bit of diy in you, your dad would be twice as proud of you enjoying his collection. Sure there's money in it, if you sold it. But do what your heart tells you. Money comes and goes. Your dad didn't get those things because they were "valuable" but because he was passionate about it.
Thanks for sharing!
Of course, it only applies to my 2c CAD, which currently has to be round up or down to the nearest x.05
The oxide barrier inside the electrolytic caps breaks down over time. The effect worsens with temperature. A weakened barrier reduces the voltage handling capability of the cap. A sudden application of rated voltage doesn't usually end well.
The barrier can be reformed by starting out at a low voltage and slowly increasing the voltage over several hours.
Ideally you use a current limited power supply to reform each electrolytic. A good alternative is to use a Variac with an incandescent light bulb (start with 40 watts) in series with it's output. Plug the amp into it without tubes (except rectifier if there is one) and set the input voltage to about 40 VAC. The light bulb might glow dimly and eventually go out. If the bulb dims to near extinction, increase the voltage. Repeat until the Variac is at 120 volts and the light bulb is dim. If the bulb does not dim, do not go further, there is a short, probably a cap.
If you get to dim bulb, use a 100 watt bulb with the tubes in the amp and slowly increase from about 40 volts again. It is normal for some glow at this point since the tubes are drawing current. Leave the amp on for a while and see if any electrolytic caps are getting warm.....If so they are bad. Sometimes heat from a tube can be absorbed by a nearby can cap. This is normal, and usually the side of the cap closest to the tube will be hotter than the other side.
If all seems OK, plug the amp in and test it. I have brought old radios, guitar amps, and yes, an MC40 back from a long sleep in this manner.
I found a very rusty MC40 and a pair of Bozak speakers in an abandoned warehouse in south Florida. The bottom cover was missing and the cap connected to the input jack was broken. I replaced that cap and performed the Variac exorcism. The amp came back to life and both speakers worked.
I took it all to a large hamfest and put a $500 price tag on it. A "restorer" came by and tried to tell me that the speakers were worthless and the amp was good for parts only since it was rusty, and the transformers were likely "dried out". He offered $100. I told him that it all worked, and he replied that "everything works at a flea market until you plug it in." I said, OK I'll plug it in. He said that it would blow up and I shouldn't do that, then offered $150. By this time there was a pretty good crowd since I had a rep for blowing stuff up at hamfests just to get attention. I said OK, then we will all get a good show.
I connected both speakers to the amp with clip leads, connected my Discman to the input, set its volume near full up, plugged it all in, and ducked as if it was going to blow.....there was no earth shattering KABOOM.....until I hit play. I don't remember what was in the Discman, but it was loud, and it sounded good. Before Mr. BS could come up with his next line, a guy that was watching from the sidelines offered $350. Done, sold.
I must add that I only keep amps that I make. If I find something like the MC40, I fix it, sell it and use the funds to make something new. Your motives will likely be different. I would have kept something if it was my father's but that wasn't the case. He has a Silvertone solid state console. I kept the records and took the console to the trash dump.
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TubeLab
Perfect .....I've got a rather large box of Dad's tubes that may be mostly Ham Radio/TV but it is peppered with some Audio/Labortory tubes.
But we all know non-audio doesn't seem to deter you.
When I found them, ...I shut my eyes and made a wish & taped her up. Just a normal box, quickly slip it away towards the back.....
Huh, what box?
When I can get an accounting of them, I'd sure like you to review
If you would do me the favor/honor......Cuz my eyes will be closed, fingers crossed.
Perfect .....I've got a rather large box of Dad's tubes that may be mostly Ham Radio/TV but it is peppered with some Audio/Labortory tubes.
But we all know non-audio doesn't seem to deter you.
When I found them, ...I shut my eyes and made a wish & taped her up. Just a normal box, quickly slip it away towards the back.....
Huh, what box?
When I can get an accounting of them, I'd sure like you to review
If you would do me the favor/honor......Cuz my eyes will be closed, fingers crossed.
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Send them to tubey. He will go though all and return only the valuables ones. Honest. Mind you he might me rather busy in the new location with the knotweed and all, and he does have a new home to build, but from what we know about George, there's always time for tubes. 😉
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