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Dynaco ST-150 Recap

Chris Rush

Chris Rush

New Member
I was thinking about recappng my ST-150, and I found these posted on ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-HiFi-Au...069387?hash=item23bafe164b:g:mPcAAOSwO-pcPsiL

But then, I came across this video:


While ALL the ebay listings show pix of these gorgeous Elna/Onkyo caps, the description lists them as generic, no brand. I messaged one seller, and they said that they are refurbs.
I'd like to roll the dice,but my spider-sense is troubling me.
Anyone have any thoughts?
 
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I'm far from an expert, but I avoid anything like this from eBay or anywhere else. You can order all parts from Mouser/Digikey or there is a guy on eBay that used to work for Hafler that knows the Hafler/Dyanco stuff well, Cost is a bit more than Mouser/Digikey, but he has kits packaged ready to go, just follow diagram. Assumption is you can solder well and have patience. Good luck.
 
Buy your parts from Mouser or Digikey. It may cost a bit more but you will be guaranteed to get authentic parts. There are too many fake parts floating around on ebay. What may seem like a good deal on big capacitors may be due to the caps being old stock past their prime, counterfeit or factory screw ups someone dug out of the trash and sell for new.
 
And what does refurbished mean for a capacitor anyway? Its old and needed to be reformed? A fancy new wrapper slapped on it? It doesn't sound good to me. There really isn't anything you can do to refurbish an electrolytic capacitor.
 
Thank you all for your input. I recapped my Pioneer SX-780 with caps from DigiKey, but was having problems finding what I needed for the Dynaco and a Sony that I plan on doing. When I did a Google search, that's when I found a METRIC TON of caps on ebay, Wish and Ali. I crossed the numbers and pix with what was listed in the "legit" dealers, and found that a lot of product matched. Knowing that places like Newegg sourced their stock from China, I thought why not cut out the middle man and the added mark-up cost? When I found the Elna/Onkyo Integra caps, I thought HELL YEAH! my youngest has an Integra power amp that's a bad mamma jamma, those caps would surely do justice to my Dynaco. Perhaps too good to be true.
 
Did you search digikey for screwtops only? Try mouser also. I've had trouble finding caps I needed in a screw top before. I just used one with leads or q snap in. I soldered terminal connectors with eyes to the leads. Then soldered the wires to the eyes. It's not as clean looking as using screw tops,
but sometimes you have no choice. You can go up in cap value as long as the new caps are within the tolerances of the old. Older caps can have pretty loose tolerances compared to more modern caps.
 
Lavane said:
Did you search digikey for screwtops only? Try mouser also. I've had trouble finding caps I needed in a screw top before. I just used one with leads or q snap in. I soldered terminal connectors with eyes to the leads. Then soldered the wires to the eyes. It's not as clean looking as using screw tops,
but sometimes you have no choice. You can go up in cap value as long as the new caps are within the tolerances of the old. Older caps can have pretty loose tolerances compared to more modern caps.
Click to expand...
That was another question I had. I see alot of caps that are the same ratings, but are now much smaller than the older caps because fifty years on, they no longer need to be as big. Are we paying a premium to get larger screw caps for older gear when smaller caps with leads will suffice with the appropriate modifications to the connections?
 
Lavane said:
And what does refurbished mean for a capacitor anyway? Its old and needed to be reformed? A fancy new wrapper slapped on it? It doesn't sound good to me. There really isn't anything you can do to refurbish an electrolytic capacitor.
Click to expand...
I think what they are referring to is, "restuffing" with new and smaller caps, which is what the video seems to show.
 
Somewhat. I do like to find a cap that is the same size as the original if possible. It's just easier to mount using the original clamp.
If I can't find one to fit, I'll use a smaller clamp if I have to. Or use dense foam strips to take up the space in the original clamp. It is nice and looks better if the new cap will drop right in and you can just ecrew down the existing wires.
 
Chris Rush said:
I think what they are referring to is, "restuffing" with new and smaller caps, which is what the video seems to show.
Click to expand...
This is done sometimes with multi cap cans to keep the original look. Some have gotten very good at it and the newly stuffed can looks original when done.
 
Chris Rush said:
In my head, I hear Tim Allen. You have a preference for Mallory (my dad bought the batteries back in the 60's) I hear and read so much about Elna and Nichicon, tell me why you don't default to those brands...talk to me about Mallory.
Click to expand...

They had what I needed in the physical size I wanted to fit my application lol, plus they're excellent caps.

Not sure if the caps in the Belles are Mallory, those are OEM and I can't remember what brand they are, but they do look like Mallory caps. And if so and David Belles used them in his amps that's good enough for me.

But here's the thing, I purchased the replacement caps for the Dynacos before I ever saw the inside of a Belles amp.
 
Anyone ever use Nover brand caps?
I was looking at those and the Supertech caps that are sold at Update My Dynaco.
I just got a pair of Nichicons for my Sony 1120A and I'm going all the way and stuffing the old caps with the new,so I may use the experience to do the same with the Dynaco.
I was very surprised at how moist the innards were on the sony caps at fifty years old...Hail Elna!
 
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