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My grandpa's GE clock radio hummed for 12 years and I fixed it with one trip to Ace Hardware
When I finally opened the back of his old GE Model 7-4612 radio last month, the filter capacitor was bulging and leaking goo all over the board. I swapped it for a $3.49 cap from the Ace on Main Street here in Reno, and now the hum is completely gone after 12 years of that buzz. It's wild how one tiny part can wreck the whole sound of something you grew up hearing every morning. Has anyone else dealt with a leaky cap in old tube gear, and is there a way to tell how long the replacement will hold up?
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eva2431d ago
Did you check the voltage rating on that new cap before you put it in? I read on a radio repair forum that the old caps were often rated way too low for today's line voltage, which runs a bit higher than it did back in the 60s. That extra push is usually what kills them early, so going up a step or two on the voltage rating can add years to the new one. Heat is the other big thing, and tube radios get plenty warm inside that cabinet. If you used a cap with the same or higher voltage and it sits away from the hot tubes, it should last a good long while. Mine has been going strong for about three years now with no hum at all.
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