Tired of replacing caps - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 09:47:52 pm
content: Why can't someone design a zif socket for capacitors !, or a insert and twist mechanism for the larger ones. So annoying unsoldering and resoldering them in PSU's etc.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 09:52:22 pm
content: Any normal type would do. But have you seen their prices?

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 09:53:53 pm
content: The price of caps ?, yep it's getting silly , need a Amex gold card soon.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 09:55:46 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 09:53:53 pmprice of ZIF sockets

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 09:57:40 pm
content: Well decent caps are expensive, but zif's are a once in a life cost per board arent they, and think of the money Vs time you save just twisting or moving a lever to replace a cap.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:01:42 pm
content: Something like the base for fluorescent light starter?Alexander.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:06:49 pm
content: yep that kind of thing but lockable.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:10:36 pm
content: A totally random guess, but what percentage of electronics these days is actually repaired? Probably less than 0.5%. Socketed caps would be a waste and a burden on the environment IMO.Plus it would make stuff easier to repair, making it less available on eBay, bring higher prices.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:20:18 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on August 06, 2015, 10:10:36 pmIf only 0.5% is repaired then making it easier to repair would mean less waste, if that makes prices higher isn't that a good thing in certain circumtances, arent we all fed up of built in obsolescence.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:23:07 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 10:20:18 pmWe are, but the ones making those decisions like it - it ensures a constant revenue stream.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:24:37 pm
content: I watched a Video on youtube about lightbulbs a while back, rather illuminating [ pun intended ] as to making them last only 500 hours or so

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:29:02 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 10:20:18 pmAnother wild guess. What do you think, easily over a billion caps used yearly, that's an equal number of sockets, vs the less than 0.5% repaired waste.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:29:25 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 09:47:52 pmGet some good specs, solder sucker and a good iron Gary, it's not that hard.We must remember designers and bean counters are responsible for a lot of this and add to that the poor quality of some brands of caps.That they are a "mission critical" part of good design and often responsible for premature appliance/equipment failure, any significant cost cutting in manufacture can only be described as irresponsible. Unfortunately conservative design is nearly a thing of the past when stuff used to last for some decades.While those of us in this forum understand and reluctantly accept this, most of society has no idea about things so simple as cap failure so it is appropriate that they pay for our knowledge.Frequent repair of these substandard appliances must be thought of as "cost of ownership" and for those of us doing the repairs, we must charge accordingly.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:31:11 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on August 06, 2015, 10:29:02 pmHow do you work that out ?. if a cap is replaced then already its 2:1 isnt it.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:35:20 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 10:31:11 pmBecause in 99.5% (using our uneducated wild guess numbers) of the cases the cap isn't replaced, wasting the socket.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:35:41 pm
content: Tautech. Are siglent making soldering irons now ?., and also if it is so alien to use a cap zif or such then why is no one complaining about regular IC sockets , same rules apply surely

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 10:37:48 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on August 06, 2015, 10:35:20 pmI accept what you are saying as such, but isnt that because people either cant be bothered to replace them or just do not know they have gone bad, as I said earlier surely the same rules apply to IC sockets, but it hasn't meant the end of new kit or engineers/repairers losing trade.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:00:21 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 10:35:41 pmMost of us are only using sockets now for interconnects.I've just worked your problem out.....it's that big TH stuff you're having problems with right?You do need better glasses, there is a whole new SMD world out there Gary, if only you could see it.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:11:26 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on August 06, 2015, 11:00:21 pmI never have problems with TH stuff, or SMD for that matter. I just prefer TH is all. I used too SMD my missus in the kitchen and TH her all night if possible

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:16:26 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 11:11:26 pmGood effort at your age, what pills are you on?

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:19:30 pm
content: none for that, i could show you her and my daughter in Oz but your heart couldnt take it.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:21:55 pm
content: Quote from: Deathwish on August 06, 2015, 11:19:30 pmI too can get pills for that and need to go to Oz to visit my boy anyway.

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 06, 2015, 11:31:23 pm
content: well maybe one day when Dave doesnt mind i will post one for you.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2015, 08:14:32 am
content: Instead of having sockets to replace defective capacitors easily it would be better if capacitors were not made to fail. I have some electronics that date back to the 1940's and the capacitors are still good, very large by today's standards for the capacity but they are still within speck, now a lot of the resistors are failing, that at one time was the first thing you looked at when electronics broke.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2015, 08:17:42 am
content: Quote from: G7PSK on August 07, 2015, 08:14:32 amOver engineering is just as bad. 70 year lifespan for caps in consumer electronics means they cost way more than they had to.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2015, 08:42:37 am
content: If only they would start by placing the caps away from the heatsources (difficult in PSU i admit) they won't fail as quick. Then most caps that fail are lifetime/temperature costdown replacements of what they should have been and it is in the end all due to BOM and what a customer wants to pay for it.If you buy any consumerdevice you have no idea what quality components are in there, hence the cheapest device will probably be sold more than the more expensive one. Next year the company that tried to sell the expensive device will also do a cost down etc. etc.Nowadays when I buy a SMPS I look inside what caps are in it and if they are Cheng, Xing, Whomsu, Goldbright or other unknown brand I replace them even before I start using the darn thing. Works for me.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2015, 09:01:02 pm
content: Back in the day, one could obtain electrolytic (single or multi-unit) capacitors with octal bases, that plugged into octal tube sockets. Since then, we have had progress.Seehttps://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=octal+base+capacitors&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-003