Almost every company makes all their stuff in China now. Apple for instance... I hate them as a product and company, but even I would regard Apple as anything but a cheap quality POS.Well I worked in China and the quality level of many products is bordering on racism indeed. Can’t speak of USA made stuff but European quality was way higher than the average modern quality stuff produced there. The people with larger pockets there buy European produced items. There is a large difference between Chinese made and European made Volkswagen just to mention one specifically.
Except other virusses woke has not been introduced there yet. Sellers ask if you (as a foreigner) want domestic or good quality stuff
Regardless of opinion, taste or the wish to be policor: the gigantic world wide cap scandal was because of chinese cheap electrolytic caps. Not because us geezers like to diss chinese people.
And RE: the capacitors - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague
"In 2001, a scientist working in the Rubycon Corporation in Japan stole a mis-copied formula for capacitors' electrolytes. He then took the faulty formula to the Luminous Town Electric company in China, where he had previously been employed. In the same year, the scientist's staff left China, stealing again the mis-copied formula and moving to Taiwan, where they created their own company, producing capacitors and propagating even more of this faulty formula of capacitor electrolytes.[3]"
VW used to be great because they were cheap, easy to fix, and you could "upgrade" them with Audi parts from the scrap yard. I'm talking about the MK1 and MK3 VW. I've never had a new car. I did destroy a Chrysler Sebring within 2 weeks which was a new rental. The slushbox gave up.
I now have BMW instead of VW because I can afford more than 400$ for a car now.
Again back on topic:
I will still use ERO but only because I found MKC caps but these days I just go with MKP safety caps in most places. Brands that I have found to be great include KEMET, UCC, Kyet, Ymin, Rubycon, Samyoung, Samxon etc. Of course I buy the top of the line parts from these people because every company makes cheap products, too. Do you want a 1000H 85°C cap with 460mA of ripple rating or a 5000H 105°C cap with a ripple rating of 2.2A? They make both
Last edited:
It seems that it is not clear that many many consumer items produced there are pure crap. A distant similar product to european made original stuff. A waste of earths resources. When a quality western brand supervises and monitors OEM production continuously then quality can be good or excellent.
For those that buy cheap anyway differences my be small. To those that desire good quality and then look at cost things might look different.
For those that buy cheap anyway differences my be small. To those that desire good quality and then look at cost things might look different.
Try to look past the product and its actual quality for a moment....
Because there are other factors at play when it comes to quality.
The social atmosphere, quality control, current research and development, and corporate business practices are fundamentally related-linked to the product's quality.
As well as greed.
Decades ago, fresh out of High School, my first real job was at a factory as a Quality Control Inspector.
The company, I.T.E. Imperial corporation, made circuit breakers, both domestic and industrial types.
My job was inspection of batches of these breakers - physical, and electrical testing.
Overseeing the assemblers on the assembly lines was a tough part of the job, because any issues that I saw caused a halt to assembly, and naturally stirred up and annoyed the assemblers.
Strictness was a mandatory ingredient for the job, people's lives depended on these products.
The social aspect comes into play here...
If a worker was hung over, in a sour mood, or ill, it compromises quality.
Cutting costs by the company also affects quality.
Need I go on to describe the quality of products?
Surely you get the picture.
Because there are other factors at play when it comes to quality.
The social atmosphere, quality control, current research and development, and corporate business practices are fundamentally related-linked to the product's quality.
As well as greed.
Decades ago, fresh out of High School, my first real job was at a factory as a Quality Control Inspector.
The company, I.T.E. Imperial corporation, made circuit breakers, both domestic and industrial types.
My job was inspection of batches of these breakers - physical, and electrical testing.
Overseeing the assemblers on the assembly lines was a tough part of the job, because any issues that I saw caused a halt to assembly, and naturally stirred up and annoyed the assemblers.
Strictness was a mandatory ingredient for the job, people's lives depended on these products.
The social aspect comes into play here...
If a worker was hung over, in a sour mood, or ill, it compromises quality.
Cutting costs by the company also affects quality.
Need I go on to describe the quality of products?
Surely you get the picture.
This is interesting. All used within specs? Electrolytic or film caps?
Never had ERO film caps go bad for instance.
Electrolytics.
ERO film caps, like most plastic film caps, have no reliability issues. I have some in my Mac MC240 for 40+ years.
However, many film caps have piezo effect, which MAY imply sensitivities to vibrations. It's easy to detect: watch the 'scope while squeezing them.
I'm currently trying out some thick o-rings around them, but I have no definitive answer yet.
ERO film caps, like most plastic film caps, have no reliability issues. I have some in my Mac MC240 for 40+ years.
However, many film caps have piezo effect, which MAY imply sensitivities to vibrations. It's easy to detect: watch the 'scope while squeezing them.
I'm currently trying out some thick o-rings around them, but I have no definitive answer yet.
What? I'm pretty sure these are FPE (Federal Pioneer Stab-lok) breakers and they make them every day. I think they are only used in North America though.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...-lok-nc-plug-on-circuit-breaker-0528480p.html
Your links refer to ceramic capacitors, and their piezo effect is well documented.
I'm talking about plastic film caps, and polypropylene caps in particular.
The video shows a Chinese CBB (MKP) 1uF 250V. Interestingly, other values from the same brand don't have this piezo effect.
I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons some audiophiles wrap them in felt or some other material.
I'm talking about plastic film caps, and polypropylene caps in particular.
The video shows a Chinese CBB (MKP) 1uF 250V. Interestingly, other values from the same brand don't have this piezo effect.
I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the reasons some audiophiles wrap them in felt or some other material.
Das zieht einem ja die Schuhe aus, nach so vielen Jahren Forumsmitgliedschaft!
Thank you for the video - that issue - occurs on foil caps like this CBB is new for me.
Nowadays you have to question the quality and reliability of all products and parts from the Far East and check all specifications for accuracy through your own research.
I cannot judge whether such surprises or unexpected effects now also apply to well-known manufacturers (e.g. WIMA or Vishay or KEMET). Basically, anything can be expected today, although something like this is much less likely with these companies than with unknown manufacturers from China.
P.S.: I haven't heard the term "CBB" until today - go to
http://www.weiqingchina.com/news/the-difference-between-mkp-capacitor-and-cbb-c-21501830.html
Objection.
Actually, it's my fault for not telling the whole truth.
The video I shot was my 1st confrontation with the piezo effect in MKP's, and it just happened while I was messing around with this particular line of CBB. Subsequently, I tested many other brands/values/types of caps, including those rated for impulse: I've got 2 big bags of MKPI I bought in Germany, and they all exhibit the piezo effect. The results appear to be random, at least not related to cost and/or country of origin. I suspect it depends on the exact plastic film used, and that can change depending on the lot. In addition, my squeeze test only applies to "squeezable" caps, i.e. those with a relatively soft potting. None of the "hardshell" ones, i.e. those potted inside a rectangular case, exhibit this effect; but it doesn't mean they are immune: just harder to detect.
Actually, it's my fault for not telling the whole truth.
The video I shot was my 1st confrontation with the piezo effect in MKP's, and it just happened while I was messing around with this particular line of CBB. Subsequently, I tested many other brands/values/types of caps, including those rated for impulse: I've got 2 big bags of MKPI I bought in Germany, and they all exhibit the piezo effect. The results appear to be random, at least not related to cost and/or country of origin. I suspect it depends on the exact plastic film used, and that can change depending on the lot. In addition, my squeeze test only applies to "squeezable" caps, i.e. those with a relatively soft potting. None of the "hardshell" ones, i.e. those potted inside a rectangular case, exhibit this effect; but it doesn't mean they are immune: just harder to detect.