Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => S.E.X. Kit => Topic started by: Neuronal on October 07, 2010, 05:10:55 PM

Title: Capacitor mounting
Post by: Neuronal on October 07, 2010, 05:10:55 PM

Hi all - to celebrate my nearly completing the stock SEX kits I bought myself two sets of Auricaps (.1 and 2 uF) to install instead of the stock caps. I figured I would break in the 2 uF in now (which, as I understand it, is on the high end but nominal for a stock SEX, which comes with the 1 uF) so I wouldn't have to when I upgrade the iron later. What I didn't realize was: these puppies are big!! Do you guys leave your fancy capacitors hanging in the air, or do you somehow affix them to the chassis plate? If so, how? I was thinking just scotch tape, but I read somewhere that these get really hot, so maybe that is a bad idea. Any advice would be appreciated. Looking forward to taking measurements and firing it up this weekend!

thanks -

Bob D.

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: Grainger49 on October 08, 2010, 03:01:45 AM

I let them dangle for the most part.  The caps don't get hot, the transformer and tubes do.  Some resistors, cathode resistors in particular, get warm.

Do you know how to burn them in?

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: ssssly on October 08, 2010, 03:11:39 AM

I built some brackets, put some blue tack on them, and zip tied the caps to them before screwing them into the base. The caps I shoved in there are a bit bigger that the auricaps though.

http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,861.0.html

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: corndog71 on October 08, 2010, 09:23:21 AM

I too let mine dangle.

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi576.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fss207%2Fcorndog642%2FBottlehead%2520Sex%2520Amp%2Fdb25c38f.jpg&hash=102f74b07a5597bede61d3e0e2abda6074cca8b6)

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: Maxwell_E on October 08, 2010, 01:23:05 PM

Would the term "going commando" apply here?

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: Neuronal on October 08, 2010, 02:18:40 PM

Thanks for the suggestions - I think I'll go commando. Is it OK if I trim the Cap leads? Paul, I saw your excellent posts about cap break-in - for this build since it is a new kit and because I have new speakers (Tekton design 4.1s) I was just going to mount the new caps unbroken, play music for 8 hrs a day to break the whole rig in and ignore how it sounds for the first couple months or so. By then I'll be itching for new iron and C4S :>

thanks again to all -
Bob D.

Title: Re: Capacitor mounting
Post by: Dyna Saur on October 09, 2010, 03:07:28 PM

It's OK to trim and re-strip  the leads if you want, just be careful not to inadvertantly  pull the teflon sleeving off the leads (been there done that).   With the Auricaps, the black lead is "in" ( plate / plate choke, and the red lead  is "out" (OPT primary).   This is the normal orientation  for signal path applications.   

/ed B