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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: eurekaiv on July 15, 2008, 02:54:02 AM

Title: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: eurekaiv on July 15, 2008, 02:54:02 AM
Can anyone ID what sorta cap this is?  Looks like it's polarized as there's a red dot on the positive leg.  I spent about an hour searching the interwebs and didn't find anything.   :icon_frown:

(http://s94114604.onlinehome.us/oddcap.jpg)
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: Paul Perry (Frostwave) on July 15, 2008, 04:04:42 AM
Pretty sure it isn't polarised.
Capacitors at one stage had a 'dot' code, but more than one dot. Like this: http://www.tpub.com/neets/book2/3g.htm
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: eurekaiv on July 15, 2008, 11:48:34 AM
Tahnks for the suggestion!

That's what I thought at first too but this red spot is dead in the middle and there are no signs of any faded paint or other indicator there were ever any other dots on it. It's even slightly curved on the "positive" end as opposed to very square on the "negative."
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: Paul Perry (Frostwave) on July 16, 2008, 02:17:10 AM
Who knows! you might even have an encased metal oxide diode (seen something like that in a 1950s AC voltmeter).
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: MikeH on July 16, 2008, 10:21:30 AM
Quote from: Paul Perry (Frostwave) on July 16, 2008, 02:17:10 AM
Who knows! you might even have an encased metal oxide diode (seen something like that in a 1950s AC voltmeter).

Sounds like serious mojo
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: eurekaiv on July 16, 2008, 11:21:12 AM
Well, I'm sure it's a cap as it's the .01 in the tone circuit of a triangle big muff.  Just really interested as to what type it is regardless that it likely makes no disceranble difference in the sound of the pedal.  It does appear to be original too as the joint is untouched so far as I can tell.
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: Paul Perry (Frostwave) on July 16, 2008, 09:08:35 PM
Well if it was from a Triangle Big Muff - then I can assure you, it was carefully selected on the grounds that it was the CHEAPEST capacitor available that day! :icon_wink:
Title: Re: Help ID an odd polarized capacitor...
Post by: eurekaiv on July 16, 2008, 09:52:03 PM
Haha... totally.  :)  It's amazing really, I have parts values in mine that no schematic online references.  They really just stuffed the board with whatever as long as it was relatively close.