No dummy question, very good question.
30Vac = 42.43 Vdc, with rectifier losses a 50Vdc capacitor has nearly 20% reserve for voltage surge and unloaded voltage increase.
Which is more than enough for any transformer.
Using higher voltage capacitors will only cost you extra money without returns.
Reforming the ones you have is far more important than having some with extra spare volts.
If you like the tech stuff, read some pages on (re)-forming capacitors.
Pooge posted some excellent links to some recently:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=705989#post705989
(i had a Bearded Collie named Niña, but that is Spanish
)
30Vac = 42.43 Vdc, with rectifier losses a 50Vdc capacitor has nearly 20% reserve for voltage surge and unloaded voltage increase.
Which is more than enough for any transformer.
Using higher voltage capacitors will only cost you extra money without returns.
Reforming the ones you have is far more important than having some with extra spare volts.
If you like the tech stuff, read some pages on (re)-forming capacitors.
Pooge posted some excellent links to some recently:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=705989#post705989
(i had a Bearded Collie named Niña, but that is Spanish
)
All the above is correct, but forgetting the fact that the transformers voltage is usually rated at maximum output. An unloaded transformer will easily put out 10-20% higher voltage than actually specced. As always when dealing with high voltage/current, play safe.
Go double the voltage rating of the transformer for some margin of safety, ie 63V
Go double the voltage rating of the transformer for some margin of safety, ie 63V
nina said:
Sure, it will help some (by drawing current and thus lowering the noload voltage of the transformer), but keep keep in mind that you want to design for the worst case scenario, which here could be (60V + 20%) * 1.414 = 102V and could easily be caused by shorting one rail to ground. Exploding electrolytics are messy to clean up. I would personally use 120V caps here.
quote:
and could easily be caused by shorting one rail to ground.
This would in fact only give 0 volts on the shorted side and the normal rail voltage on the non shorted side.
To give twice the voltageone would have to have the ground lifted on the shorting side and the "hot end of the shorting side going to ground..... hard to see how this could happen.
Other than a wiring error while building the amp.
The original poster has lots of capacitors so they could be wired in series to give 2x the voltage rating. at the cost of space.
Of course the capacitance would be halved.
.
and could easily be caused by shorting one rail to ground.
This would in fact only give 0 volts on the shorted side and the normal rail voltage on the non shorted side.
To give twice the voltageone would have to have the ground lifted on the shorting side and the "hot end of the shorting side going to ground..... hard to see how this could happen.
Other than a wiring error while building the amp.
The original poster has lots of capacitors so they could be wired in series to give 2x the voltage rating. at the cost of space.
Of course the capacitance would be halved.
.
If I had to buy new ones I would also opt for 63 volt ones. But he already has 50 Volt types. In this case I would use them also. Since he is not building any telecom equipment that is in service 7x24 and which is also presenting a constant load ( => ripple current ) - I don't see much of a problem.
Furthermore he seems to have a lot of these so spares won't be a problem either.
Regards
Charles
Furthermore he seems to have a lot of these so spares won't be a problem either.
Regards
Charles
Nisbeth said:
Sounds like you have been building too many headamps with virtual ground Doug
/U.
I think so.
In the end, I am the guy that won't leave anything I built on if I am not around as I am safety/fire paranoid. Always in the back of my head is the time I built a stereo for my wife, got it working, went to get her to show it off, only to hear her ask, "Is it supposed to be smoking?"
I'd always rather spend an extra $0.50 to overspec something of I can.
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