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saolesen(at)sirentel.net
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 Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:30 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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My strobes aren't working and I am assuming that the power pack is bad. The fuses aren't blown and I have checked that there is voltage to the unit. I think the capacitors are to blame. Creativair, the company I bought the Avi-Pak strobe unit from, appears to be out of business.
The capacitors are 400uf and 360vdc. I checked on Mouser and Digikey for equivalents but there none that match the specs, are in stocked in <12 weeks, or don't require the purchase of >30 units. Digikey showed nothing.
The actual part reads: Nova-Cap-12 400uf 360vdc 658-0793-049
Does anyone know where to source these parts quickly or of an equivalent part that would work? Am I correct in thinking the capacitors are the problem?
Sheldon Olesen
Sent from my iPad
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jluckey(at)pacbell.net
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 12:51 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts.
Sometimes, as caps age, they swell or leak. Do yours exhibit those symptoms? Can you get one out of the circuit & test it?
-Jeff
On Friday, December 4, 2015 12:41 PM, Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net> wrote:
--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net (saolesen(at)sirentel.net)>
My strobes aren't working and I am assuming that the power pack is bad. The fuses aren't blown and I have checked that there is voltage to the unit. I think the capacitors are to blame. Creativair, the company I bought the Avi-Pak strobe unit from, appears to be out of business.
The capacitors are 400uf and 360vdc. I checked on Mouser and Digikey for equivalents but there none that match the specs, are in stocked in <12 weeks, or don't require the purchase of >30 units. Digikey showed nothing.
The actual part reads: Nova-Cap-12 400uf 360vdc 658-0793-049
Does anyone know where to source these parts quickly or of an equivalent part that would work? Am I correct in thinking the capacitors are the problem?
Sheldon Olesen
Sent from my iPad
| Quote: | htsp; -= - The AeroElectric-List Email Forum -avigator?AeroElectric-List" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navi========================<brsp; --> <a href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution" target="_bl===
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saolesen(at)sirentel.net
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:17 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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Jeff,
There is no swelling or leakage.
With my multimeter set CAP, one reads .051nf and the other .083nf. My capacitor testing knowledge is meager.
Sheldon
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 4, 2015, at 3:49 PM, Jeff Luckey <jluckey(at)pacbell.net (jluckey(at)pacbell.net)> wrote:
| Quote: | Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts.
Sometimes, as caps age, they swell or leak. Do yours exhibit those symptoms? Can you get one out of the circuit & test it?
-Jeff
On Friday, December 4, 2015 12:41 PM, Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net (saolesen(at)sirentel.net)> wrote:
--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net (saolesen(at)sirentel.net)>
My strobes aren't working and I am assuming that the power pack is bad. The fuses aren't blown and I have checked that there is voltage to the unit. I think the capacitors are to blame. Creativair, the company I bought the Avi-Pak strobe unit from, appears to be out of business.
The capacitors are 400uf and 360vdc. I checked on Mouser and Digikey for equivalents but there none that match the specs, are in stocked in <12 weeks, or don't require the purchase of >30 units. Digikey showed nothing.
The actual part reads: Nova-Cap-12 400uf 360vdc 658-0793-049
Does anyone know where to source these parts quickly or of an equivalent part that would work? Am I correct in thinking the capacitors are the problem?
Sheldon Olesen
Sent from my iPad
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chaskuss(at)yahoo.com
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:49 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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Sheldon,
Before you start replacing parts, a question. Has the power pack sat unused for an extended period of time? [more than 1 year] If so, you can probably bring those capacitors back to life. You just need to reform them, by applying reduced voltages to the unit, in stages. See
http://www.robotroom.com/Capacitor-Self-Discharge-3.html
http://www.vcomp.co.uk/tech_tips/reform_caps.htm
If you do need to replace them, read this first.
http://www.robotroom.com/Capacitor-Self-Discharge-3.html
I seem to remember that Bob Nuckolls listed a method to resurrect a dead strobe power supply. I believe I have that info stashed on my home computer. I'll look when I get home.
Charlie
--------------------------------------------
On Fri, 12/4/15, Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net> wrote:
Subject: strobe capacitors
To: aeroelectric-list(at)matronics.com
Date: Friday, December 4, 2015, 3:27 PM
--> AeroElectric-List message
posted by: Sheldon Olesen <saolesen(at)sirentel.net>
My strobes aren't working and I am assuming that the power
pack is bad.   The fuses aren't blown and I
have checked that there is voltage to the unit. I
think the capacitors are to blame. Creativair, the
company I bought the Avi-Pak strobe unit from, appears to be
out of business.Â
The capacitors are 400uf and 360vdc. I checked
on Mouser and Digikey for equivalents but there none that
match the specs, are in stocked in <12 weeks, or don't
require the purchase of >30 units. Digikey showed
nothing.
The actual part reads: Nova-Cap-12Â
400uf   360vdc 658-0793-049
Does anyone know where to source these parts quickly or of
an equivalent part that would work? Am I correct in
thinking the capacitors are the problem?
Sheldon Olesen
       -Matt
Dralle, List Admin.
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ceengland7(at)gmail.com
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 3:23 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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That certainly *looks* bad. Find another random value known-good capacitor you can use to verify your capacitance tester. (Electrolytic caps may measure as much as 80% higher than their rated capacitance.)
The old school method of testing for bad vs 'maybe good' was to first, be sure it's discharged. (A 300V pop can be painful, and would destroy an analog ohm meter.) An old analog ohm meter was connected across the cap's leads, first in one direction, then the other. Idea is that if it's a good cap, it will accept a slight charge from the ohm meter's test voltage (even with reversed leads). When the leads are swapped, the meter will momentarily move toward low resistance, then rebound to show open circuit as the cap charges the other way.
This does *not* prove the cap is good, but if you don't get meter movement, it will prove it's bad.
For a replacement, you want the capacitance to be close to original (check the tolerance on the label, if possible), but voltage can be anything higher than the original rating. Here's an Allied search, showing one that should work (for a seemingly painful price; I remember paying <$10, but that was over 30 years ago...).
http://www.alliedelec.com/passive-components/capacitors/?navigation=4294921432
Charlie
On 12/4/2015 3:16 PM, Sheldon Olesen wrote:
| Quote: | Jeff,Â
There is no swelling or leakage. Â
With my multimeter set CAP, one reads  .051nf  and the other  .083nf.  My capacitor testing knowledge is meager. Â
Sheldon
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 4, 2015, at 3:49 PM, Jeff Luckey <[url=mailto:jluckey(at)pacbell.net]jluckey(at)pacbell.net (jluckey(at)pacbell.net)[/url]> wrote:
| Quote: | Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts.
Sometimes, as caps age, they swell or leak. Do yours exhibit those symptoms? Can you get one out of the circuit & test it?
-Jeff
On Friday, December 4, 2015 12:41 PM, Sheldon Olesen <[url=mailto:saolesen(at)sirentel.net]saolesen(at)sirentel.net (saolesen(at)sirentel.net)[/url]> wrote:
--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Sheldon Olesen <[url=mailto:saolesen(at)sirentel.net]saolesen(at)sirentel.net (saolesen(at)sirentel.net)[/url]>
My strobes aren't working and I am assuming that the power pack is bad. The fuses aren't blown and I have checked that there is voltage to the unit. I think the capacitors are to blame. Creativair, the company I bought the Avi-Pak strobe unit from, appears to be out of business.Â
The capacitors are 400uf and 360vdc. I checked on Mouser and Digikey for equivalents but there none that match the specs, are in stocked in <12 weeks, or don't require the purchase of >30 units. Digikey showed nothing.
The actual part reads: Nova-Cap-12 400uf 360vdc 658-0793-049
Does anyone know where to source these parts quickly or of an equivalent part that would work? Am I correct in thinking the capacitors are the problem?
Sheldon Olesen
Sent from my iPad
> htsp; Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â -=Â Â Â Â Â - The AeroElectric-List Email Forum -avigator?AeroElectric-List" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navi========================
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user9253
Joined: 28 Mar 2008
Posts: 1944
Location: Riley TWP Michigan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: strobe capacitors |
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You could charge the capacitor using 120 VAC rectified with a bridge rectifier, and maybe a series resistor to limit inrush current. Observe capacitor polarity so that the capacitor does not explode like a firecracker. Then unplug the AC and measure the voltage across the capacitor. It should hold the charge for at least a few minutes. Some people check large value capacitors by charging them up, then shorting the capacitor leads together. If it sparks, it is assumed the capacitor is good.
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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:35 am Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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At 02:49 PM 12/4/2015, you wrote:
| Quote: | Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts. |
Sudden failures in strobes are seldom, if ever, rooted
in failures of the energy storage capacitors. Those devices
decay with age and use resulting in a decrease of light
output for each firing . . . but they don't suddenly
turn turttle.
A sudden failure is more likely a failure of the
trigger circuitry -OR- loss of the dc/dc converter
that develops high voltage to charge the capacitors.
Bob . . .
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bbradburry(at)verizon.net
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 10:22 am Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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I had a problem with my strobes where they would fire 2-3 times and then stop. My VOM showed 12 volts at the connector going into the strobe. I finally replaced both the power and ground wires and connectors and the problem went away, apparently a high resistance connection on one or both ends of one of the power/ground wires. Have you checked for that?
Bill
From: owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Robert L. Nuckolls, III
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2015 11:34 AM
To: aeroelectric-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: strobe capacitors
At 02:49 PM 12/4/2015, you wrote:
Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts.
Sudden failures in strobes are seldom, if ever, rooted
in failures of the energy storage capacitors. Those devices
decay with age and use resulting in a decrease of light
output for each firing . . . but they don't suddenly
turn turttle.
A sudden failure is more likely a failure of the
trigger circuitry -OR- loss of the dc/dc converter
that develops high voltage to charge the capacitors.
Bob . . .
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saolesen(at)sirentel.net
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 10:44 am Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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I was hoping that the capacitors were the culprit because that was something I could possibly deal with. I tested the capacitors as suggested by Joe Gores and found they would spark if shorted, so from that I concluded that they were ok and the problem wasn't fixable by me. With a defunct manufacturer, replacement seems to be my only option.
Thanks to all who replied.
Sheldon Olesen
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 6, 2015, at 12:33 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote:
| Quote: | At 02:49 PM 12/4/2015, you wrote:
| Quote: | Sheldon,
It would be good to confirm that the caps are the problem before you start swapping parts. |
Sudden failures in strobes are seldom, if ever, rooted
in failures of the energy storage capacitors. Those devices
decay with age and use resulting in a decrease of light
output for each firing . . . but they don't suddenly
turn turttle.
A sudden failure is more likely a failure of the
trigger circuitry -OR- loss of the dc/dc converter
that develops high voltage to charge the capacitors.
Bob . . .
|
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jluckey(at)pacbell.net
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| Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2015 4:15 pm Post subject: strobe capacitors |
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I find failed capacitors in all kinds of devices are the culprit on a regular basis. And specifically remember finding a bad caps in a strobe system on a friends airplane several years ago.
In addition, it is still generally good trouble-shooting practice to confirm the failure of a component, as opposed to a random remove & replace drill
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