"Spargue" Brand Capacitors  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 08:26:32 pm
content: That's right. Not "Sprague" Brand Capacitors.... "Spargue".This is what I found inside the power supply of my sick Fluke 5200a AC Voltage Calibrator during a recent teardown (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-5200a-ac-voltage-calibrator-teardown-and-repair/).This one happened to be bad and causing havoc on the rest of the system though the +5V rail. The first thing that came to mind was it was a cheap 'knock off'. But since it was surrounded by other "Sprague" capacitors, maybe this one's a printing error?Did I find a one-off? The equivalent of a rare stamp misprint? Or is this (as Dave says) a one-hung-low brand?Anyone else seen anything like this?

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 09:14:14 pm
content: Quote from: CaptnYellowShirt on February 11, 2014, 08:26:32 pmI would say that is one of China's Cheapest (as opposed to China's Finest).

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 09:18:05 pm
content: Quote from: dfmischler on February 11, 2014, 09:14:14 pmin a fluke?

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 09:36:18 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on February 11, 2014, 09:18:05 pmI don't think the OP bought it new. Who knows whose hands have been in it?If you google hard enough you will find Spargue capacitors on the web. I can't say how many are typos of Sprague and how many are cheap crap.

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 10:05:39 pm
content: CaptnYellowShirt does it look like the capacitors surrounding it and were there any signs that it had been replaced before such as flux residue and band soldering compared to otheres joints

author: N2IXK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 10:20:44 pm
content: I'm leaning toward misprint because the 1981 date code predates the rise of the huge Chinese knockoff industry. I have replaced a few of those "computer grade" Sprague electrolytics in HP test gear, so failures aren't exactly unknown for caps of that age.Do the rest of the components have date codes in the same time period?

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 10:31:34 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on February 11, 2014, 10:05:39 pmLook at the picture. It has screw terminals. There will not be any flux residue.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2014, 11:14:23 pm
content: Seems like just a typo?! The font and print and Powerlytic are all correct... if it's an imitation and they can put Powerlytic on it but not Sprague, why, I guess?If it died, then I suppose that's a very real possibility. A sample size of one is hardly statistically significant, but it's interesting if true...Tim

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 03:49:33 am
content: Split with with a hacksaw, inspect.

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 04:47:16 am
content: Quote from: dfmischler on February 11, 2014, 09:36:18 pmEbay: $78 + shipping... so who knows what horrors its been witness to.

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 04:48:40 am
content: Quote from: electronics man on February 11, 2014, 10:05:39 pmNone that looked off hand to me.

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 04:49:44 am
content: Quote from: N2IXK on February 11, 2014, 10:20:44 pmI didn't even think of the date code. 1981 places it in the right time frame for its original production.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 04:53:09 am
content: "which of these is not like the others?"lolwell, not really lol. had to spend time returning them and yelling at the seller.

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 04:56:06 am
content: Quote from: linux-works on February 12, 2014, 04:53:09 amWhat? They're all blue. I mean, how complicated could this "electronics" stuff be anyway? You got the green things, brown things... these are blue with the little twisty knob...

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2014, 10:49:53 am
content: Quote from: CaptnYellowShirt on February 12, 2014, 04:49:44 amIf it is a misspelled knock-off they will fake the date code too. Because they might not even know what it is. Many fake components seem to come with impossible date codes, e.g. 0955 (55th week of 2009).

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 03:02:22 am
content: Quote from: N2IXK on February 11, 2014, 10:20:44 pmIt certainly wasn't on the scale it is today, but fake transistors, resistors, & caps - especially high-spec'd ones - were becoming increasingly common in retail channels in the late 70's / early 80's.I recall getting some fake Philips HT caps - 16uF / 450VW, IIRC - when I was repairing valve radios back in either 1979 or 1980. Seemed OK in the shop, and it wasnt until I got them home that I noticed they were ~2/3 the weight of the originals and the logo was wrong. Turned out to be 4 smaller unbranded caps in series, stuffed in a can & splashed with wax to stop them rattling...OP, how does the weight of that one compare to the others?

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 13, 2014, 03:27:13 am
content: Quote from: Tac Eht Xilef on February 13, 2014, 03:02:22 amThat's a good question. We're under a blizzard right now, but I'll let you know when I can trek back to my workshop.

author: linux-works
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2014, 04:24:30 pm
content: (in)famous photo about fake caps:seen this photo on many sites; not sure who to attrib it to, but its fairly well known, as a photo.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2014, 04:40:20 pm
content: Don't restoration buffs do this? They want their gear to look stock on the outside and the inside. I notice that the values don't match, though.

author: CaptnYellowShirt
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2014, 04:43:38 pm
content: It reminds me of the 'DARE' program in elementary school where they tried to scare kids away from trying drugs. One tacit was to recount all the weird things drugs can be "cut" with to increase the dealer's profit margin -- baking soda, bleach powder... etc. "You wouldn't want to snort bleach powder would you?" Well I don't know lady, I'm only 8...

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2014, 04:47:07 pm
content: Quote from: CaptnYellowShirt on February 13, 2014, 03:27:13 amIf it failed, it may have evaporated, so it could validly be lighter.