eBay Store Feedback and Some Observations

[Chris K]

Affinity For Artifacts sells Taiwanese MPT film and electrolytic capacitors in just about all popular ratings and voltages. The brand is Supertech and it looks like the seller purchased a huge bulk order in 2022 and even had some custom value caps made. I think the seller focuses on vintage guitar amplifier restoration needs but there is plenty of available stock for tube radio and TV resto needs. The prices for these caps are very low...$12 USD for 25 yellow cased MPT capacitors at 630V and $20 USD for all values of 450V/105 degree C rated electrolytic caps.
Additionally, they have large stocks of NOS Sprague, Elmenco, Cornell Dublier, film and can electrolytic capacitors, in fact, they have some remarkable and rare NOS and used items of all kinds...potentiometers, resistors, switches, lights etc.

Just realized this sounds like an advertisement which it is not. I'm just wondering if anyone has used their products and I'm particularly interested in opinions on the Supertech brand. I don't know if QC in Taiwan is any better than products from China when it comes to electronic part quality. My experience with Taiwan products is limited to woodworking equipment and the quality has been up and down. I will say they produce less junk than their Chinese competitors. Thanks everyone. Happy New Year!!!

[bandersen]

I've been getting most of my plastic film caps from them the past few years. No problems with those MPT caps. Excellent prices and fast shipping.

I've purchased a few of their electrolytics but have not used many. I feel more comfortable sticking with name brand caps for electrolytics.

[bgadow]

I can say that my last order from JustRadios.com had a sticker on the mailing label that stated "country of origin: Taiwan" which, I agree, is better than China. Heck, Admiral, RCA, Philco, Zenith, etc., were building TV sets there before I was born!

[Kevin Kuehn]

I beleive ETR is the manufacture behind these and they now sell to about everyone. I bought these at Antique Electronics way back in the late 80's early 90's. I suspect they also manufacture the CD and Illinois capacitor brands. Also the same caps Just Radios sells, and I see Digikey is even stocking some, although they are not giving them away. http://www.etr.com.tw/eng/dc_use_fil...itors/dc01.htm

[tvdude1]

I have had no problems with any of his parts even use his 1200volt yellow caps

[Chris K]

Wow...JustRadios has those 6000V long white axial caps. Haven't seen them anywhere for a while. Is ETR a trusted manufacturer Kevin?

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by bandersen

I've been getting most of my plastic film caps from them the past few years. No problems with those MPT caps. Excellent prices and fast shipping.

I've purchased a few of their electrolytics but have not used many. I feel more comfortable sticking with name brand caps for electrolytics.

One of the things that concerns me about the electrolytic capacitors is, despite 105 degree C ratings, the lifetime rating is 2000 hours. That doesn't seem very long.

[bandersen]

That's 2000 hours at 105C and full voltage. Standard lifespan for generic caps.
Cap life is an exponential function of temp. It will last much, much longer than that at room temp.

Just Radios has had the 6,000 volt axial caps for years and the main source for them since Allied dried up.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by bandersen

That's 2000 hours at 105C and full voltage. Standard lifespan for generic caps.
Cap life is an exponential function of temp. It will last much, much longer than that at room temp.

Just Radios has had the 6,000 volt axial caps for years and the main source for them since Allied dried up.

Thanks...what do they mean by shelf life being 1000 hours???

[bandersen]

Probably means they will no long ready factory specs if left sitting unused for 1000+ hours. Apply some voltage to reform and they'll get back up to spec quickly.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by Chris K

Wow...JustRadios has those 6000V long white axial caps. Haven't seen them anywhere for a while. Is ETR a trusted manufacturer Kevin?

I would say yes based on their long track record. I've never experienced one failing in operation. Just be mindful not to graze the plastic wrappers with your soldering iron, because the outside wrap is very thin, and the heat will instantly cut right into the metalized film layers.

[Chris K]

I ordered some of the Supertech electrolytic caps from Affinity for Artifacts just to check out quality. The seller on eBay stated that in 2022, he put in a bulk order in various values and various form factors. The shrink wrap over the caps he recieved was identical looking to the Supertech caps described on their website.

I peeled off the shrink wrap label and found this:



Not sure what to think about this. As commented, many here don't trust any product that's not from the major manufacturers of electrolytic capacitors. These look like Supertech but obviously are not. The eBay seller is the same seller of the MPT yellow caps that some on this forum are utilizing in their projects. Two different products...same seller. Does anyone have feedback on this other than the risk of getting counterfeit products when you don't buy reputable brands? I know the risks, but I'm confused and do not think the seller would sell both reputable and disreputable products coming from the same source or maybe it was him who got scammed in his bulk order. I don't know.

[Electronic M]

^ you don't have this issue from mouser or digikey. They may not have the yellow film caps, but those yellow caps are objectively worse parts for anything but restuffing, and most of us don't restuff most of the time.

I mostly use the red ceramic Panasonic film caps in my repairs and only use the yellows for restuffs. The yellow caps can be instantly destroyed by accidently touching the body with a soldering iron. You don't get the with the Panasonics. The leads of the Panasonic caps may not be quite as long, but 1/10 caps I instal having some 18ga bare solid core copper inline western union spliced on and tinned so they can reach the terminals in the chassis isn't the end of the world....Heck, the yellow caps sometimes need an extension splice to match original routing too!
The 630V Panasonic films tend to be too tall for easy restuffing, but the 1.6kV parts tend to be short and skinny enough to be condusive to restuffs and last time I ordered caps, for most capacitances, the 1.6kV were cheaper than 630V.

[Chris K]

Mouser and DigiKey I believe sell only Illinois Capacitor caps in the yellow axial format and don’t carry no name film caps as far as what I’ve seen. IC film caps are about the finest in the axial configuration sold. Does anyone recognize the logo on the mystery electrolytic above?

[Kevin Kuehn]

Unfortunately you cant place much merit in only the heat shrink labels, because the Asian OEM will spit out any label the purchaser desires. Nichicon and Panasonic were manufactured in Japan, but I would not be surpirsed to find they're also outsourcing to Taiwan and China