Need information on testing passive crossover capacitors.

[masterblaster1]

Are those Nichicon or Panasonic caps,electrolytic caps or metalized polypropylene capacitors.Also anyone know what brand Alpine itself originally used in their electronics.

 

[Mitchell Fosgate III]

According to this book, infinity reading on the ohms setting means it’s a good capacitor. After it is discharged. Set it to the lowest ohm setting.​

 

[masterblaster1]

Mitchell, Thanks for the tip on testing the capacitors.

 

[1aespinoza Premium Member]

replaced,Should I just stay with the original electrolytic caps,same numbers on them

A 38 year run is not bad at all. Leave nothing to chance by erring on the side of safety

Are those Nichicon or Panasonic caps,electrolytic caps or metalized polypropylene capacitors

They make them all. You can even find those cap in eBay. In the search bar, type in "Nichicon audio grade capacitors". You do not need to add "audio grade" but it helps you locate the higher graded ones.

 

[masterblaster1]

Thanks for the update on how to find them on ebay as well. keep up the good work. these forums host a wealth of knowledge,and good people willing to help. Thanks to everyone so far.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Just be aware that the standard tolerance for aluminum electrolytics is +80/-20%. That's fine for a power supply filter cap, but not good for a crossover. This may be where the "audio grade" tag can help in a search.

 

[masterblaster1]

Hi Sorry for the late reply Maylar, I,m just geting back in,and back to the computer. Thanks for the heads up on the standard tolerance for aluminum electrolytics is +80/-20%. That's fine for a power supply filter cap, but not good for a crossover information. That information makes a lot of difference in choosing replacement capacitors for the crossovers. With your obvious experience in this. Is there a certain audio grade capacitor brand ,and company that you would recommend and trust in their capacitors,Also would you recommend I just put original electrolytic capacitors back in ,or put metalized polypropylene caps in.Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Mitchell Fosgate III]

Like I said earlier u can do it from a MM. ohms setting. A reading to infinity means the capacitor is still good. + and - poles. Connect the test leads in the correct polarity.

 

[masterblaster1]

Thanks again Mitchell for the advice on testing a capacitor with a multimeter.I found out the multimeter I planed on using didn't have the capacitance mode on it,So I will half to use your method to confirm things. Keep up the good work everyone.

 

[Jimi77 Premium Member]

Thanks again Mitchell for the advice on testing a capacitor with a multimeter.I found out the multimeter I planed on using didn't have the capacitance mode on it,So I will half to use your method to confirm things. Keep up the good work everyone.

Mitchell's method for testing caps is wrong. Mitchell is the class clown here, I'd be cautious about following his advice.

A cap charges when you check for resistance; in an ideal world, you would see this in the form of increasing resistance. With a digital multimeter you may not see the resistance increase (aka charging). An "open" cap isn't necessarily a good cap. Additionally, caps can "drift" with time, so you really a true cap tester.

 

[masterblaster1]

Hi, Jimi77,Thanks for clarifying this.Sounds like I better find a real capacitor tester to confirm things properly.

 

[highfigh]

Buy an LCR meter- they're not terribly expensive and it tests L (Induction), C (Capacitance) and R (Resistance).

 

[masterblaster1]

Hi, Thanks for the heads up on purchasing and using a LCR meter to test the capacitors.Any help is always great help. keep up the good work.

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Hey!!! These are cheap enough!! Snatch them up!!!

Alpine 6255 Passive Dividing Network | eBay UK

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