Keyboard Shortcuts
ctrl + shift + ? :
Show all keyboard shortcuts
ctrl + g :
Navigate to a group
ctrl + shift + f :
Find
ctrl + / :
Quick actions
esc to dismiss
Likes
Search
Capacitor sniffing
|
Old devices often have a characteristic smell, e.g., from the dust that is being cooked inside the device.
Some of this smell unfortunately stems from leaking capacitors. Is there a guide somewhere that allows mapping a specific smell to a specific kind of capacitor? I know we don¡¯t have smell-o-vision in the Internet, but it should still be possible to verbally describe smells. I¡¯m asking because I have an FG501A with some performance problems, as well as a characteristic smell. Soapy, perfumy, I¡¯d say. I don¡¯t ¡°see¡± which capacitors are leaking, so I would love to use the smell to point to potential culprits. (Of course, the performance problems could be unrelated to the smell, and the smell could also come from other components cooking themselves. In any case, it would also be nice to know how toxic that smell is¡) Gr¨¹?e, Carsten |
|
I think some electronics vendors perfume their stuff. I have gotten several appliances which had a soapy perfumy smell without the usual electronic smell which I guess is nice but makes me suspect they sprayed the inside with Febreeze or something that coats the electronics and keeps the smell inside.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I had a failing computer mouse and I recognized the smell of a failing capacitor right away. It's a weirdly fruity, sickly sweet smell. If you want to know what that smells like then just hook up a capacitor backwards. As for other components, I think they are all loaded with fire retardants so usually you get an overwhelming smell of bromine. It smells similar to chlorine and iodine, which are on the same column in the periodic table. The other components of the smell are usually burnt plastic or burnt epoxy, which I suppose could be identified if you had some practice, but this isn't particularly helpful since almost all components are covered in epoxy or plastic. Enameled wire has it's own smell which can often be distinguished from the other smells. Another common smell is just the usual outgassing of cheap solvents used by Chinese manufacturers in their plastics. I have a cheap adjustable wrench which I never touch because the rubber handle cover reeks and I can't wash the smell off my hands after using it. Probably not useful for diagnostic purposes. A faulty switch, for instance in the flasher in the dash of a car tends to just be singed black plastic which does not really melt since the plastic used in quality switches isn't the kind that melts. The dielectric grease is usually fine and needs a higher temperature than the plastic to break down. The smell is not really like burnt plastic and more like the burning of something organic, but not really like burning leaves or wood. It's an easier smell to live with than the smell of burning plastic. On Saturday, December 8, 2018, 11:27:27 AM CST, Craig Cramb <electronixtoolbox@...> wrote:
My experience with failing capacitor is the strong smell of raw fish.? Sometimes I can smell it as soon as the unit arrives or definitely during case removal. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve noticed a soap/perfume smell. Craig |
|
I got a new Gerber lock blade knife as a gift about 20 years ago which had very strong perfume smell. After ten years it still smelled, but I just checked it and it now has no smell, so now I can actually use it!
A VFD arrived from China two weeks ago, and it's now outgassing on my porch because the smell is so strong.?? I much prefer the smell of working Tek gear!? You know, now that I think about, I do have a P6032 probe kit that has a fruity/medicinal smell.? -Dave From: Anthony via Groups.Io <keantoken@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, December 8, 2018 4:13 PM Subject: Re: [TekScopes] Capacitor sniffing I think some electronics vendors perfume their stuff. I have gotten several appliances which had a soapy perfumy smell without the usual electronic smell which I guess is nice but makes me suspect they sprayed the inside with Febreeze or something that coats the electronics and keeps the smell inside. I had a failing computer mouse and I recognized the smell of a failing capacitor right away. It's a weirdly fruity, sickly sweet smell. If you want to know what that smells like then just hook up a capacitor backwards. As for other components, I think they are all loaded with fire retardants so usually you get an overwhelming smell of bromine. It smells similar to chlorine and iodine, which are on the same column in the periodic table. The other components of the smell are usually burnt plastic or burnt epoxy, which I suppose could be identified if you had some practice, but this isn't particularly helpful since almost all components are covered in epoxy or plastic. Enameled wire has it's own smell which can often be distinguished from the other smells. Another common smell is just the usual outgassing of cheap solvents used by Chinese manufacturers in their plastics. I have a cheap adjustable wrench which I never touch because the rubber handle cover reeks and I can't wash the smell off my hands after using it. Probably not useful for diagnostic purposes. A faulty switch, for instance in the flasher in the dash of a car tends to just be singed black plastic which does not really melt since the plastic used in quality switches isn't the kind that melts. The dielectric grease is usually fine and needs a higher temperature than the plastic to break down. The smell is not really like burnt plastic and more like the burning of something organic, but not really like burning leaves or wood. It's an easier smell to live with than the smell of burning plastic. ? ? On Saturday, December 8, 2018, 11:27:27 AM CST, Craig Cramb <electronixtoolbox@...> wrote: My experience with failing capacitor is the strong smell of raw fish.? Sometimes I can smell it as soon as the unit arrives or definitely during case removal. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve noticed a soap/perfume smell. Craig |
|
You could make the Cresent (adjustable) into a proper mechanics wrench and take the d**n plastic cover off. No self respecting Cresent wrench would have a cover on it. hehe.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Jim O On December 8, 2018 at 5:23 PM Dave Seiter <d.seiter@... mailto:d.seiter@... > wrote: |
|
In that case, you only need a sledge hammer to look for intermittent problems, and a cold chisel to remove screws.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Use the proper tool for the job, or forever be known as a butcher! The plastic is there to reduce the chance of damaging the device awaiting you on your bench. Michael A. Terrell -----Original Message-----
From: Jim Olson <v_12eng@...> |
|
On 12/8/2018 8:23 PM, Dave Seiter wrote:
I got a new Gerber lock blade knife as a gift about 20 years ago which had very strong perfume smell. After ten years it still smelled, but I just checked it and it now has no smell, so now I can actually use it! Hello-- And in olden times, the dark-brown phenolic PC boards used in consumer-grade products smelled like warm horse manure when the product heated up.... The problem with using scent as a diagnostic tool is its subjectivity. If you're skeptical, line up a few bottles of wine and see if you can discern the various scents and tastes listed on the labels-- for example... "...Exhibits lively aromas of black cherry, ripe currant, fresh herbs and lightly roasted coffee. Supple tannins and balanced acidity support core flavors of blackberry, black cherry and toasty oak, intertwined with spicy black pepper accents...." See Monty Python's Australian review.... 73-- Brad AA1IP |
Craig Cramb
Michael A. Terrell
to navigate to use esc to dismiss