[Sterling Spurrell]

I normally buy from just radios but noticed ebay is much cheaper but has anyone used them or bought them? What is your opinion or advice?

[Rick D]

Hello Sterling-I have always used Dave at Just Radios ,I think his price is just fine
and the parts get here very fast,I have bought the odd one at
Nu-Teck store but they charge at least three times more ,all the best Rick

[Sterling Spurrell]

I have been using just radios but ebay one from chine are 400 volt and a lot cheaper.

[Alistair Thomson]

Just Radios are excellent, and 100% reliable, with quick shipping. It’s impossible to rate eBay as an entity – it totally depends on the seller, and these can be good or bad or dreadful. I shop on eBay a lot for things I don’t need in a hurry, and I’ve been mostly satisfied once I accept the sometimes VERY long wait for delivery, but I’ve been burned on at least two occasions.

And the eBay Global Shipping Program from US to Canada, which some sellers offer, is brutal.

[Sterling Spurrell]

These caps I am talking about are from china.

[Alistair Thomson]

So it will be a month before you get them. They’ll probably be OK if you’re prepared to wait!

[Sterling Spurrell]

Well if you compare price and plan your stock ahead it seems to be worth it

[Ed Kraushar]

I buy 450 volt electrolytics and 630 volt film caps from China and have never had a problem. To solve the shipping problem I order an array of popular values to keep in stock rather than just what is needed for a specific radio.

Ed.

[Sterling Spurrell]

Are you buying from ebay and where did you find 630 volt ones ? Also are you buying radial leads or axial and are you buying your regular caps also from china?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Sterling Spurrell.

[Alistair Thomson]

Just a comment about the working voltage on electrolytics. The WV is supposed to never be exceeded. It matters not a whit if the voltage across the cap is less than the WV, so as an example, in my current restoration of a Marconi 207, there are “rolled paper” caps at 0.05µF, 400V wkg, which never see anything above 10V. I think it may be that the workshop has a bunch of 0.05µF 400V caps and uses them everywhere in non-voltage-critical areas. But they also quote that unnecessarily high WV in the components list, which I think is misleading.

Also misleading is the WV on the electrolytics in that radio. There are four, each at 20µF, and the WV on each, as quoted in the parts list, are 390V, 275V, 135V and 25V. When tested using a digital voltmeter (after replacing all failed components including the electrolytics, and with a working radio), the initial voltages before the signal chain heaters kick in are 470V, 460V, 212V and 0V. Once warmed up, these become 385V, 310V, 130V and 13V.

So you can see that in the initial warmup, three of the four electrolytics are suffering overvoltage, and two of them are operating far too close to the WV for comfort.

I don’t know if there are many antique radios with voltages above 500V, but in any case if a circuit would require a 630V wkg cap rather than a 600V one, I’d be unhappy about using either of these and go for a higher voltage cap!

[Sterling Spurrell]

The one I have been buying from just radios have been 450 volt

[Sterling Spurrell]

My only problem I have with just radios is having to pay us funds to a Canadian dealer

[Dan Walker]

I also get my caps from Just radios, and I agree with Sterling about having to pay US dollars for a Canadian product sold here in Canada.
I sure would not want to go to the grocery store and have to pay US money for my groceries.
Dan in Calgary

[Sterling Spurrell]

No I do not understand why at all.

[Les Dickson]

I’ve bought from Just Radios as well and it has bothered me to have to pay US$, especially given the current difference. I’ve also purchased from B&E Electronics in Calgary/Saskatoon.

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