Where do you buy your Capacitors

[WesternElectricBen]

Hi,

Quick question, I am in need of 2 548a caps (2 500's tested and need new caps) and I wanted to know where you guys buy them.

I looked on amazon and eBay and couldn't find one, I doubt it has been discontinued but... Having an issue finding one, and wanted to see if ya'll could help.

Ben 

[Jim Stettler]

I used to buy them at Radio Shack (years ago)
Jim

[Phonesrfun]

Jameco

[WesternElectricBen]

Okay.. Thanks!!

Ben       

[Phonesrfun]

Radio Shack has an almost non-existent supply of capacitors these days.   Even Radio Shack's mail order sucks.  The best way any more is mail order.  As I mentioned before, Jameco is probably the best for my needs.  You might try Mouser and perhaps some others, but Jameco has a good supply, reasonable prices, and fast turn around, and they deal in small quatities.

[WesternElectricBen]

Radio Shack has an almost non-existent supply of capacitors these days.   Even Radio Shack's mail order sucks.  The best way any more is mail order.  As I mentioned before, Jameco is probably the best for my needs.  You might try Mouser and perhaps some others, but Jameco has a good supply, reasonable prices, and fast turn around, and they deal in small quatities.

I will probably use Jaemeco.. But is 548a a model number or microferits?

Ben

[twocvbloke]

microferits?

Isn't that a breed of rodents?

Unless you mean microFarads, named after the physicist Michael Faraday... 

[HarrySmith]

Yes....Microferits
A new breed of miniature weasels! For condo living where space is a concern

[Phonesrfun]

I don't recognize 548a, so it must be a part number.  Normal telephone related caps are usually .5 to 2 microFarads, and are usually rated at 250 volts.  That is for the talking and ringer caps.  There are, of course, many, many other possible values.

What capacitor are you trying to replace and do you have a photo?

[unbeldi]

I don't recognize 548a, so it must be a part number.

548A is the designation Western Electric used for the ringing capacitor in several products, such as the E1 wall-mount external ringer for the Princesses. It was also specified as the replacement part for the ringing capacitor in the 425B network in case of failure.

The ringing capacitor in the 425B network had a value of 0.45μF. So you can substitute it with a capacity of about 0.5μF. Voltage rating of 250V should be adequate.

If the internal capacitor is open connect the replacement across screw terminals A and K. If it is shorted, you have to use an external connector to connect to either the red/slate or the slate ringer lead, leaving the other on the terminal.  WE had a specific connector product for this operation, if you want to be 100% authentic, see BSPs.

[Phonesrfun]

Then it would be a .5 mF 250 volt replacement.  Ben:  You say you have (2) 500 phones with bad ringer caps?  They don't often go out.  How did you test them?

[unbeldi]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390687835528  seems like a deal hard to beat for a small quantity (10).

... unless you want to buy 20 for even less: http://www.ebay.com/itm/390687963151
and at a higher voltage rating.

[twocvbloke]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390687835528  seems like a deal hard to beat for a small quantity (10).

Problem is, it's location is in china, so expect them to arrive in about a month...

[unbeldi]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390687835528  seems like a deal hard to beat for a small quantity (10).

Problem is, it's location is in china, so expect them to arrive in about a month...

That's often not true. I have got small packages from China in 10 days.   But who is in a hurry with old phones anyways?

[WesternElectricBen]

I don't recognize 548a, so it must be a part number.  Normal telephone related caps are usually .5 to 2 microFarads, and are usually rated at 250 volts.  That is for the talking and ringer caps.  There are, of course, many, many other possible values.

What capacitor are you trying to replace and do you have a photo?

Yes I believe so, because nothing showed up. I looked in my troubleshooting prints I have organized in a binder (that I finally got out of storage.)

I'm trying to replace the ring cap. from a c4 ringer.

Ben