Electrolytic fakes ranting  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: BiOzZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 01:30:40 am
content: I have gotten my fair share of fake and grey market parts over the years ... normally not a problem they still work!but one thing REALLY grinds me to NO ENDFAKE/REBRANDED ELECTROLYTICSi REALLY hate that ... when i stick the most explosive component in my entire design and i spend unteen amount of money on some good chemicons or CDs and i get what looks to the eye exactly the same ... than they pop when your internals get over 50c or even worse they just pop! probably because whoevers job it was to strip the plastic and shrink on the fake did it backwards!im not sure if anyone else here has had a cap blow up when your standing over it but it SUCKS and it fills the air with god knows whatsure if there under rated ... normally not a problem you figure it out very shortly after you install it and you see ripples ... and i normally overshoot voltages 100% when working on proto boardsi dont know ,,, this to me is very dangerous and stupid that people find the needs to fake such things!!!i just want to walk in to their factory and kick the owner in the nuts!

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 01:44:09 am
content: Start buying capacitors from reputable distributors (digikey, newark/farnell/element14, mouser, rs-components etc) and your problem is solved.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 01:48:26 am
content: Yep. Even the cheapest electrolytics I get from Mouser (Lelon 1uF, 100 @ $0.054 ea) are precisely what they claim to be, even if what they claim to be is a steaming turd.

author: BiOzZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 02:07:32 am
content: i have gotten some fakes form digikey before ... but its easy enough to get good cheap 1uf caps from reputable dealers and get them top notch but when you go for the 1000uf and 2000uf and even the large 5000uf 400v ones you either fork out a large sum of money to get the oneof or you go on ebay and cross your fingers

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 02:17:30 am
content: Quote from: BiOzZ on April 24, 2013, 02:07:32 amDon't you have enough finger crossing to do at 400V without risking having an eBay crapacitor explode in your face?

author: BiOzZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 02:39:20 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on April 24, 2013, 02:17:30 amif you are putting 400v into a 400v capacitor you're doing something very wrong ...i work with high current power supplies ... 240 volts into a 5000uf cap is kinda hard to avoidand blowing most the of the budget getting oneof high quality capacitors all from reputable sources is not really a choiceyeah when they fail its a real big pain in the ass and it SUCKS but its better than having a cheap diode blow up on you ... or having tantalums burst into flames ... or have your $40 IGBTs fry ... or have a chain reaction causing your $200 board have to go in the trash

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 02:47:51 am
content: I don't think he meant it as an issue of voltage.You may get 1000h @ 85c 400v rated capacitors and change the pet label to say it's a better brand/series, 105c etc etc and you put it in your circuit and the capacitor can't handle the current/ripple/heat from heatsinks around etc etc and it blows in your face.It's often not worth it.

author: BiOzZ
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 02:57:14 am
content: Quote from: mariush on April 24, 2013, 02:47:51 amthe problem is primarily not getting one of a lower capacitance but primarily a rebranding of a cap that had no point of being on the market to begin withlike the polarity has been switched, they take caps that are raited for 85*c but are already only really usable to 50*c and mark them as 105 or just total all around mislabeling causing them to pop as soon as you power up your circuiti check every cap i get but even than you simply dont know!i cant be the only one on here to have this happen

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 06:19:37 am
content: Quote from: BiOzZ on April 24, 2013, 02:07:32 amI'm sure digikey would want feedback if you get fake capacitors so they can act on it (especially if you provide photos).

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 06:53:40 am
content: Quote from: BiOzZ on April 24, 2013, 02:39:20 amSounds to me like it's the ONLY choice. You've discovered the hard way that the only way to make a reliable product is to buy high quality parts from reputable sources.If the problem is that it's not possible to make a reliable product within the budget you have, then it's a budget problem, not a technical one.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2013, 10:23:34 am
content: Quote from: BiOzZ on April 24, 2013, 02:57:14 amIf a cap can't handle 50°C it's just defective. Even the cheapest no-name 85° ones shouldn't do that.