Batboard

Time to recap my vhf Spectra. The local shops don't have the electrolytic radial caps I was going to use but they do have radial tantalums. I seem to remember reading somewhere about NOT using tantalums for some reason... but I cannot remember what it was. I'd appreciate some help here guys before I go screwing my Spectra up. Would tantalums (radial lead) be ok to use or should I stick to the radial 'lytics?

I talked to a local dealer and he mentioned that you don't really want to go changing the types of capacitors around... If they're electrolytic, they are that way for a reason! I used the Panasonic HD series capacitors to replace the ones in three dashmount Spectras... Working really well so far! They have a better temperature rating and are better quality than the ones Motorola put in there (heck, a wet noodle would be better than those...)

For the 47uF @ 16v (1 per radio) DigiKey Part # PCE3340CT-ND @ $0.32/each
For the 10uF @ 50v (3 per radio) DigiKey Part # PCE3350CT-ND @ $0.26/each
For the 10uF @ 16v (6 to 7 per radio, depending on revision) DigiKey Part # PCE3338CT-ND @ $0.17/each

These fit perfectly on the pads for the old ones. A fine tip soldering iron, steady hand, and some solder wick make this job not too hard for the intermediate solderer. Took me an hour and fifteen minutes for the first one I did.

http://www.ai4ji.com/Projects/Spectra/spectra_main.htm is a good resource on recapping the Spectra, if you've never done it before.

Does anyone know if it is necesssary to recap a later model Spectra E series radio? D37KGA5JE7AK.

All of them, even Astro Spectras. GARY N4KVE

We have been using Mil Spec tantalum caps in Spectras for several years.
No problems..

BTW the radial leaded tantalum caps are easy to solder in there if you do not have surface mount capability.

Some capacitor values have changed over the years and are NOT documented in the Motorola service manuals.

Will, I won't be changing any values from the caps already in there. The tantalums I can get are not mil-spec but hopefully they'll do. Thanks guys.

I don't know why you couldn't use a tantalum cap as long as you observe the polarity and voltage rating. There are plenty of them in Spectras already.

I don't bother with tantalums, I figure the ones I put electrolytics in won't go bad for at least a couple of years and I'm really hoping to have found a better job by then.

Any Spectra that's been recapped in the last decade will meet the Jan 2013 deadline no problem.

An electronics store that I thought had closed up had the 'lytics in the values needed so I used them. Radio's working great again. Long live the Spectra!

Do the radios need to be realigned after being recapped?

KB8YGX wrote:Do the radios need to be realigned after being recapped?

You should not need to realign your Spectra.