I have been using UKL caps for values between 1 and 4.7 uF for low leakage applications in restoring vintage HIFI but it looks like they are impossible to get from digikey or mouser. should I switch to film caps? Wima? Any other suggestions ??? I noticed UES is also difficult to get.
Nichicon UKL Caps
- Thread starter MEur
- Start date
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It is possible to get them, I just bought some. They have many at digikey. You might also find some rubycon TWL in that range, which are a good match for ukl. For the 1uf for sure film is the way to go, kemet for 5mm lead spacing, and Wima for when you need the 2.5mm spacing. Buy in bulk low value film are not too expensive, even for the 4.7uf.
*Just checked 2.2uf 50v UKL, 15,000 in stock, order up
** some look like heading of discontinued in 4.7 UKL, might be good to stock up
*Just checked 2.2uf 50v UKL, 15,000 in stock, order up
** some look like heading of discontinued in 4.7 UKL, might be good to stock up
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i bought some UKL not long ago to supplement my stock. it was most likely the last time i ever buy UKL again. or UKT.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Nichicon is end of life all the 5mm and 6.3mm diameter small electrolytic caps. This means lots of the low capacitance caps will go nla in the near term any decimal up to 47µF might not be available from Nichicon in the near future.
No big deal, we can learn a new name brand of cap to buy.
No big deal, we can learn a new name brand of cap to buy.
Obsolescence is the worst part of this hobby I'm worried that in 10 years I won't be able to repair my existing units. As far as other names I'm happy with the Panasonic FC/FR series but these aren't low leakage. I'll probably end up using more film caps but (I believe) they don't have the same sonic signature as the electrolytic.
Some e'lytics have better specs than one another but typically don't sound as good as films which probably have lower leakage than the best e'lytics anyway. I see PW, HE, FM FC, FR, KL are all very popular as they have some of the better specs for e'lytics, but I would recommend ES e'lytics in terms of pure sound quality over all of them. It may be because they're bi-polar, or maybe it's because they have copper clad leads. In any event, most e'lytics have a very hard (if not impossible) time beating them for actual sound quality.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
We will with failing eyesight need to learn to use SMD caps and mount them on daughter boards to be used in the unit to replace the crapped out 20-75 year old 'lytics that are in the unit.
that can partially be compensated for with glasses/mag glass. the real problem may be failing motor skills in old age.
you ever try to solder smd parts jacked up on coffee? it's not fun.
richardjhy
New Member
Why not using Rubycon? My Luxman R-117 is full of Rubycon and most of them are still very good. Some of them are orange TWL series.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Because for the first 20 years of ak the only caps mentioned were Nichicon and the occasional Panasonic. Folks have been trained, spoon fed Nichicon and it is hard to move on. Folks just using what other folks used after recommendations by some techs here, not studies for what’s best.
Nichicon UES are still being made albeit bigger values, I can't get anything under 10uf anymore though, I try not to worry though if a larger value goes in eg 47uf where a 4.7uf was before, as long as it's for audio coupling. Higher values are said to have lower distortion and a lower corner frequency so is there even a downside. Sure there will be some difference, they are not the same but is it noticeable. If it were a film, albeit 47uf would be a bit big, noone would worry. Maybe there's a cost differential at manufacture but in the aftermarket 47ufs are the more available values and sometimes cheaper.
As I understand it and shoot me down if wrong but the reasons it was 50v originally was because that was all that was available and to some extent longevity. But in the aftermarket there's no reason to ridgidly follow that either. Technics cd players are full of 6.3v coupling caps, more fitting for line level voltages and maybe better for keeping the foils formed.
As I understand it and shoot me down if wrong but the reasons it was 50v originally was because that was all that was available and to some extent longevity. But in the aftermarket there's no reason to ridgidly follow that either. Technics cd players are full of 6.3v coupling caps, more fitting for line level voltages and maybe better for keeping the foils formed.
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Nichicon discontinued the entire UKL series and the last ship date is next year.
Here is the notice from 2024:
Rubycon TWL are still available at mouser if you need a true low leakage electrolytic. They recently discontinued the 1uf and below models (https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/4530422.pdf) so stock up while you can. I do not know of any other low leakage electrolytics... So if you really need one you'd probably have to look at films.
Here is the notice from 2024:
Rubycon TWL are still available at mouser if you need a true low leakage electrolytic. They recently discontinued the 1uf and below models (https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/4530422.pdf) so stock up while you can. I do not know of any other low leakage electrolytics... So if you really need one you'd probably have to look at films.
Opportunity there for someone.
richardjhy
New Member
I ordered Panasonic for 2.2, 4.7 uf ones. Can find any for 1 uf NP.
Suggest a 1uf low voltage stacked film, eg epcos b32529 or wima. But as mentioned as long as it's audio coupling, a 2.2uf substituted there will do the job.
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