Panasonic ECQV capacitors

[Fndr8875]

I am trying to get a decent stock of these, but i get confused with all the different types and letters following, the ECQV, anyway i just bought 25 ECQV PET 1uf caps stated as in new shape. There was a make an offer option, and i got them for $6.50 with free shipping. I like the form factor on these like how a 10nf isnt the same size as .22uf like how the tayda and Kemet ones are. I just reallized these are poly film, not metal film. I think he has some metal film ones, idk ill have to go and copy and past the names into googel, but i do notice in alot of production pedals these are used over the box style ones. What are peoples preferences, now that i think of it i dont think small bear even sells metal film caps, only poly film. These should be fine? I just built a Rat, and gonna do an EA tremolo so theres like 6 or 7 1ufs between the two. The Rat turned out awesome, and that was with a super cheap electrolytic assortment i bought off ebay like a year ago, which im sure they are complete crap anyway,

[PRR]

> im sure they are complete crap

The electronics industry buys billions of caps for cellfones, car radios, TVs, and thermostats. These toys tend to work good for years. Nobody is making "crap caps". After a few infamous incidents of cap failures, most cap makers try their very best (while still holding price).

> a super cheap ..assortment ..off ebay

Yeah, well, there are always rejects and mis-marks which get sold out the back door to minor markets. This could be "50V" caps that breakdown at 45V, or a batch so bad they aren't caps at all. Reputable retailers will avoid such dubious goods. eBay is rife with mystery caps.

> poly film, not metal film

MetalIZED film.

For your uses, metalized may be smaller. Real foil-poly caps are more robust electrically. Metalized can take an over-voltage and keep working. In a VERY clean playback situation (Hi-Fi, not guitar), people say they hear differences among the many types of "Poly". In guitar, I say you go by size, price, and known-Good vendor.

If all this is confusing, it is wise to get caps as-needed from a pedal-market vendor (Small Bear is one), who knows what you are doing and stocks parts appropriate to the field.

I rarely find "assortment packs" to be Good Buys. At best, they are All New Quality parts just re-packed for bench instead of factory. Even then you will run out of 10uFd and still have heaps of 33uFd and 68uFd. At the end of the decade you realize that 3/4 of what you bought will never get used, so the "10 cent" caps really cost 40 cents plus a box of odd value. And at worst, each value is reject from a different factory glitch and you never know if a cap will work, and you waste much time finding bad caps already soldered-in.

[LightSoundGeometry]

^ I agree especially on assortments packs; and also like to add you get what you pay for most of the time; not saying you need 1.50 per unit tropical fish but some decent well known brands, or retailer, is the best way to go imho. for example, I dont mind spending .1 per unit on the tayda box caps and they work well on strip, perf and pcb alike.

I do buy orange drops when they go on sale and use them when I can for certain things. the most I have ever spent on a cap was 12 bucks + shipping on  Vitamin Q for a stratocaster I once owned and wish I had back!

[karbomusic]

I like to have 'one' assortment pack for one-offs and experimentation, the rest are calculated purchases for what I normally use.

[zombiwoof]

Panasonic DID make the ECQ series of metal film caps, which is not the same as metallized poly, they were superior caps that were popular for offering higher values in a smaller package than any of the poly film types.  However, they for some reason discontinued them a few years ago, although new old stock can still be found (but getting harder to find these days).  Keeley used to recommend the cube-shaped 1uf metal film caps for one of his mods because of their compact size.  I think a couple of other companies make a metal film cap, but I don't remember who.  I think Mouser may have some if you search there.

Al

> im sure they are complete crap

The electronics industry buys billions of caps for cellfones, car radios, TVs, and thermostats. These toys tend to work good for years. Nobody is making "crap caps". After a few infamous incidents of cap failures, most cap makers try their very best (while still holding price).

> a super cheap ..assortment ..off ebay

Yeah, well, there are always rejects and mis-marks which get sold out the back door to minor markets. This could be "50V" caps that breakdown at 45V, or a batch so bad they aren't caps at all. Reputable retailers will avoid such dubious goods. eBay is rife with mystery caps.

> poly film, not metal film

MetalIZED film.

For your uses, metalized may be smaller. Real foil-poly caps are more robust electrically. Metalized can take an over-voltage and keep working. In a VERY clean playback situation (Hi-Fi, not guitar), people say they hear differences among the many types of "Poly". In guitar, I say you go by size, price, and known-Good vendor.

If all this is confusing, it is wise to get caps as-needed from a pedal-market vendor (Small Bear is one), who knows what you are doing and stocks parts appropriate to the field.

I rarely find "assortment packs" to be Good Buys. At best, they are All New Quality parts just re-packed for bench instead of factory. Even then you will run out of 10uFd and still have heaps of 33uFd and 68uFd. At the end of the decade you realize that 3/4 of what you bought will never get used, so the "10 cent" caps really cost 40 cents plus a box of odd value. And at worst, each value is reject from a different factory glitch and you never know if a cap will work, and you waste much time finding bad caps already soldered-in.

[PRR]

> Panasonic DID make ....  However, they for some reason discontinued them a few years ago

Panasonic sold-off nearly all their small-parts lines quite some years ago. I noted when they quit electret mikes. But all this stuff has gone unprofitable for large companies. Never big money in small caps, and now factories with lower labor costs can cut-out all the mark-up Panasonic needs to justify corporate overhead.