Source for Russian Surplus

[dmannnnn]

I had great experience buying from ebay seller KWtubes.  I bought some assorted capacitors: K42, MBGCH, and KBG paper in oil.  No teflons.

Gintaras was very helpful and posted auctions for the specific types and numbers of caps I wanted.  Shipping is cheap and very fast.  I ordered late on Wednesday night and they were in my mailbox the following Wednesday.  Vilnius to Vegas in 7 days!

In case anyone was unsure of buying from way over there.

D

[dmannnnn]

Hmmm, this has got me thinking.  What are the odds these russian PIO's are chock full of PCB's???

[Grainger49]

There just might be PCB oil in them.  I have never had one leak.  Don't cut them open and roll in the oil.  Otherwise you are just fine.

I have used several of the Russian Military Surplus suppliers.  All that I have tried have given me similar good service but I think shipping has been slower from those I have used.  I get 7 day shipping service from DIY-Hi-Fi in Hong Kong (the Obbligato cap supplier {now at Parts ConneXion}).

I have decided I need to try some KK Teflons as bypass caps in my Paramours.  So I'll check if KW Tubes has what I need.

Thanks.

[audiblesoundwave]

Hi Grainger,

Do the Russian caps have implicit polarity?  Thinking to install them into my S.E.X. amp!  How about the big Obbligato film oil caps (22uf and 70uf)?

Thanks,
Milton

[ironbut]

I've been really happy with the results I've had bypassing various caps with the K72 KKaps. I always use them in the opposite direction from the writing on the case. I've never tried them the other way around (that I know of ha ha) but there was a thread from a while back on DIY Tube asylum where the OP took one apart.

Regarding the shipping, the time varies from a week to a month depending entirely on seller. No matter how long it takes, I've always gotten my order. The only semi-bad experience I've had with ex Soviet bloc sellers is that I once received a pair of tubes (6c33) that were not the ones in the ad's picture. That was a long time ago and I've learned to always ask the seller about something that needs to be that exact. The ones that don't know/care won't answer.
I usually try and buy "lots" of any KK's that I'm interested in. I try to buy 20 of whatever the cap is and buy some of different voltage ratings too. Most of the times, the shipping isn't outrageous but hey, every penny counts and there's nothing like having a few around to start burning in the moment the thought of using a particular size crosses my muddled mind.

[Grainger49]

Polarity is kind of an odd thing.  Polarized caps have true polarity.  Film caps like Auricaps, V-Caps and the KK Teflons have an outer and inner winding attachment. 

I think there is better noise suppression if the outer wrap is closer to "ground."  If you don't have a noise problem it doesn't matter.

I try to stick a pair in in the same direction, just because of compulsions.  I don't know which is the outer wrap or even if it is consistent on the KKs.

[Grainger49]

I looked through the KW Tubes store but he didn't have the value I'm looking for.  Ordered from Alexer1 again so it will be two weeks before I start burning them in.

[Dyna Saur]

Question brought up on another website:

Do the K40y-9 PIO caps have any indication of which end is the outer foil?  

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.marketworks.com%2Fhi%2F62%2F62309%2Fk40y9_0.22uf_400v.jpg&hash=66b31f697d243e39bfb023a52044248cd99fd3ab)

I dunno if the little symbol is a manufacturer's mark or if it indicates the outer foil ?

I'd rather not have to perform an "autopsy" to determine this, if I don't have to (it can be kinda messy).

/ed B in NC

[Grainger49]

I wonder just how much difference having the outer foil "right" makes.  If I understand correctly it gives greater noise rejection.  How much more might not be audible to me.  Maybe grounding the metal outer cover would do the same thing?

But I do think this is the right thread for that question.

[ironbut]

I think the symbol does indicate the inner/outer foil. I've always used the K40 in the direction of the writing just in case.
I've tried the K-40's in both directions and I couldn't hear a difference. I wonder if any of these metal cased caps would be effected by orientation. I know that some folks connect the cases to chassis ground.
With the K72 teflons, autopsy has revealed that the signal direction is opposite the direction of the writing (just like the symbol printed on them). I've tried those and the FT-3 both ways and I can't hear any difference.
One thing that I have noticed is whichever way you decide to use the teflons, keep using them that way. I burn mine in for about a month on the speaker taps of my Hagerman FryKleener Pro and if I screw up and orient them backwards, the sound suffers.
BTW, I've burned in multiple caps in parallel that way and it works pretty well (although it still takes some burning in with real music).

[Paul Joppa]

I'm looking for 0.030uF and 0.010uF for the Eros.  I haven't found a supplier.  I might just start emailing them all.  There are about a dozen at last look.

FYI, I chose those values for the Eros for a reason. Precision caps are hard to find, and rarely available in a wide range of values. But those values will almost always include the round numbers like 0.1uF, 0.01uF, 0.001uF, etc. So by paralleling thee 0.01uF you can make up a 0.03uF. You need eight then, and in most cases you get a price break if you buy 10.

The ratio for RIAA caps in this topology is very close to 3:1, but the standard widely available values do not include any pair with that ratio. In Seduction we used a 0.033 (widely available) and then had to parallel 0.01 with 0.0012 to get closer to the right ratio.

[Grainger49]

PJ,

Thanks as always.  I will give up on the KKs and buy precision caps from one of the major suppliers.  The KK Teflon 0.1@600V is enormous.  I fear the leads might pick up noise they would be so long.

BTW, you seem to have posted today and the post says Aug 7.  Odd!

[Dyna Saur]

Just wondering..... Should I use KKs or Obbligatos in this circuit ?

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgs.xkcd.com%2Fcomics%2Fcircuit_diagram.png&hash=0aa69048712b79b0b897cbf25a32515f1640594e)

To give fair credit where credit is due:  http://xkcd.com/730/

/ed B in NC     (tongue firmly in cheek)

[Grainger49]

Yes, I would bypass all those non-polar solid state devices and other things that might look good.

I hadn't seen that one for a while, thanks for posting.

[Grainger49]

These are the ebay stores of a few of the USSR Surplus suppliers I have used:

http://stores.ebay.com/QRO-Team?_rdc=1

http://stores.ebay.com/SOVCOM?_rdc=1

http://stores.ebay.com/KW-TUBES?_rdc=1

http://stores.ebay.com/Tube-Store-USSR?_rdc=1