Re: Goff Replacement Caps

["Frank Grabner" <fgrabner@eldec.com>]

Dave,
Have read your posts in the past and love your input.

I'd say that one needs reasonably good soldering skills to pull this off.  
The trick is to get off the old caps and reattach the new ones without 
damaging the filter transformer magnet wire.  I generally had good luck  
but struggled with a couple, and I'm a pretty experienced solderer.  One I 
particularly had a problem with ended up removing it completely and 
make-shifting a couple new solder lugs (melted the originals) and had to 
have one of our experienced assemblers at my workplace reattach the magnet 
wire.  Again, mine is quite old and "brittle" so it may have been 
especially difficult.  The more you can access the tone generator the 
better.  My rig is "cut-down" and I can quite easily lift up the manuals 
out of the way and work comfortably.  Good lighting is a must!  This is 
not a job to be rushed.  A real pro could probably do the swap (ignoring 
time to acquire access) in, say 6 hours.  I spent two full days at it 
because I was really trying to be careful.  One last tip:  Be sure to use 
a top quality soldering iron; something that will get you a 700 or 800 
degree tip.  You must get on the joint and off it fast to minimize chance 
of damage.  In summary, wouldn't recommend it for a novice solderer but 
should be no problem for someone with some respectable skills.  If in 
doubt, find a good electronics assembler and pay then a weekend's wages.  
Hope this is of some help.
Frank
> 
> Frank,
> 
> I read your glowing endorsement coincidental to a private inquiry with Al Goff
> about the replacement kit.  Could you answer two questions for me?
> 
> (1) About how long was the labor to install them?
> (2) Could any dork do it, or do you have to be pretty technically & 
>     mechanically proficient?
> 
> Thanks if you can help,
> 
> Dave
> farrell@tellabs.com
> 
> 
> 
Frank Grabner
Fgrabner@ELDEC.COM