Need capacitor for Radio Shack 200 in One Kit - help please - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: zoomjay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:01:11 pm
content: I am a computer and business teacher at the local high school. As part of one of my computer classes I am teaching the kids about basic circuitry components and I use a couple of Radio Shack 200 in One kits to let them "play" after we talk (they love building stuff, btw). I tend to pick up these kits on ebay used (and cheap - think teacher's salary here). One of these has a missing capacitor which I need to replace...It is the .05 uF capacitor and when I looked for a replacement online I was stunned at the options (my experience with capacitors is pretty thin). I bought what I though would work although while having a .05uF rating, it is about 2x as large as the others and does not function correctly.Can anybody point me in the direction of a .05 uF capacitor that I can buy/utilize to make this kit work?Oh yeah... if any of you have any of these kits hanging around that need a good home... I know a place....Thanks.JL

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:10:27 pm
content: There are multiple kind of capacitors. Will you please post pictures? If I have one, I'll be glad to just send it to you.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:24:49 pm
content: something in the yellow rectangle in the middle of this picture ?

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:27:12 pm
content: so it could be one of these :https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=0.05uF+ceramic&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=0.05uF

author: GeoffreyF
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:27:27 pm
content: As the other person stated, a picture would be helpful. However, given the rating you describe, I would guess it is a ceramic capacitor of the non-polarized type. Voltage rating does not matter. A place that services or installs electronic equipment will have them. Also, find a local ham club. Almost surely they have a member that will have what you want and give it to you for free. Such capacitors are really inexpensive.That brings me to another thing. If you look at all the parts in those kits, most of them can be bought for pennies. If you do buy the capacitor on line, consider buying other parts too and thus expanding what you can do. A "Solderless breadboard" is the way to connect such parts without the set up in that kit.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 02:34:51 pm
content: Wow.... memories....!I had quite a number of those when I was little. (Not Radio Shack kind)

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 04:09:44 pm
content: 0.05uF is not a preferred value (seehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_series_of_preferred_numbers). You'll find it a *LOT* easier to find a 0.047uF (also called 47nF) capacitor. The tolerance range for disk ceramics is quite large so there will be no practical difference.I would suspect a 16V disk ceramic capacitor would do (or any higher voltage rating).

author: Adam60
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 05:21:34 pm
content: I still have one of these in my collection lol. You can use this:https://www.amazon.com/TCP-503-CERAMIC-05UF-80-20-PIECES/dp/B01N5O2FJTor any of the ones mentioned above. It is just a 0.05uF ceramic non-polarized capacitor as mentioned above.I would give this up to you but my father gave it to me, sorry.Memories

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 08:21:40 pm
content: Yes, just use a non-polarised capacitor. It doesn't have to be exactly 0.05µF or 50nF, as the tolerance for capacitors is quite wide. Go with 47nF, which will be much easier to find. I'd recommend film, rather than ceramic because it's more stable.

author: zoomjay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 16, 2019, 09:35:43 pm
content: Thank you... and yes... one of the ones in the yellow box...

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2019, 05:22:58 pm
content: Another option is two 100nF capacitors in series.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 18, 2019, 03:52:28 am
content: Quote from: Zero999 on February 17, 2019, 05:22:58 pm.... and a whole lot of other combinations could work as well.Let's not confuse the issue.