Wtf? Look at these Electrolytics I just got.

[MikeH]

Where's the negative side?  They have a "negavitve stripe" on them, but it doesn't indicate any direction.  It looks like this is maybe the outer-wrap for a radial cap?  All of the other electrolytics I have,l have the positive side where the groove is, is that always the case?  Is there any other way to tell which side is negative?

[darron]

yeah. that's weird, and there's a bulb at one end like a radial one. since there doesn't seem to be ANYTHING else to go by, i'd GUESS that the left side is negative?

i don't have an answer. i just wanted to confirm that it looks weird!

[KerryF]

Hmmm most axials have arrows.  Use a multimeter.  Im pretty sure the bulb side is negative (-)

[Mark Hammer]

I have a number of electrolytics that I bought surpluis over the years, and they sit unused in my bin because I have no way of figuring out which side is negative/positive.  For the very same reasons: the package is VERY ambiguous.

So, how DO you identify polarity with a meter...or any other method?

[birt]

on every axial electrolytic i have the + is the side where the body has that curve

[Paul Marossy]

on every axial electrolytic i have the + is the side where the body has that curve

+1

[Mark Hammer]

It's the radials that are driving me crazy.

[amz-fx]

The aluminum can is almost always the negative side.  This is probably the end opposite the groove. 

regards, Jack

[MikeH]

And of course I picked these up to work on a Compressor, which uses about a hundred of these, so it's not like I can just solder one in and see if it works or blows up or whatever.  That aside, the electrolytics I have that actually have the arrow, all show the groove side as positive and the bulb side as negative, so I think it's a safe assumption.

[MartyMart]

+1 on "groove" side positive

MM

[Tubebass]

The aluminum can is almost always the negative side.  This is probably the end opposite the groove. 

regards, Jack

And isn't the + side usually a black rubber plug?

[jaytee]

Just confirming what someone else said. The end with the waist and rubber plug will be positive, the other end connected to the can will be negative. Looks like they ran out of sleeving for axial caps. 

[Alex C]

I just got a few like this from Mouser the other day.


I'm glad this was posted, I wouldn't have known what to do with 'em.

[analogguru]

....I picked these up to work on a Compressor, which uses about a hundred of these....

can you post a schematic of this compressor ?

I guarantee you, after assembling 50 pcs you should have learnt to know the correct orientation.

Thats the positive on European schematic symbols: for an elko - is black, an + is empty (white), like the waist of the elko.

analogguru

[Fuzzy-Train]

I've used a couple of those for a FF, and my octavia... the negative side is the side with the bulb.... that's the side where all my arrows are pointing so...