What is wrong with SOZO?

[guitarmike2107]

I have been waiting since October, and since the beggining of this year have not recieved any e-mail replies to dozens of e-mails I have sent, FYI I am meant to be an authourised reseller.

I had an order for 200 caps in and now have run out of 0.0047uf caps, so that would be an order for 300 caps that I get no response on.

Whatever is going on it doesnt look good. it would be better for them to close up shop for a while until they get things sorted out and on top of things..

Mike

[renshen1957]

just got an email from lisa, saying the 100uf cap will be some time before its ready

Hi,

Although this is a little late for comment. the SoZo Royal 67 Capacitors™ 100uf caps have been out of stock and on order for over for a year plus.

I was going to use these in a build, but a dated notice on the Sozo's website stated that there would be a delay. That message was up for quite some time, and only when I checked recently did I observe the notice (with a date) had been removed (prior to its first anniversary), however the website still lists the caps as out of stock.

As I wanted to give business to a US company, I kept checking the website, periodically to see if the SoZo Royal 67 Capacitors™ were back in stock (I think one year ago the ETA was Oct of that year.)

I eventually went with French mfg 47 Uf Solen 630 Volt PP caps, which will last longer than the "87,650 hours", which lack the Electrolytic distortion, and were less than 50% of the price for the two caps I would have used otherwise. and would have required to achieve 50 UF. If I required a higher voltage, Solen makes a 51 Uf, PP 1500 V cap, (requires a cap clamp) still for less money than the two caps.

I have used Sozo's caps (standard and vintage mustards, and the blue molded replacement) and at that time, more than a year ago last Oct-Nov, the communication by email was fine (usually within 24 hours). I haven't had problem with product or shipping.

Jupiter Caps (the film and foil variety) are very good, too as posted however, CEdist. carried and discontinued (didn't re-order or couldn't get stock) After my initial purchase.

One of Jupiter's previous distributors of the disc. Jupiter "Astron" caps ended their association with a statement on the distributor's website about supply problems, inferring the company couldn't meet deadlines for delivery.

The only people that seem to have in stock supply of the Red Tinfoil and film caps by Jupiter the last time I checked was in England.

Just my two pence's worth.

Best Regards,

Steve,

PS I now reside in a town which has an honest to goodness capacitor factory, haven't called them yet. They offer, a hermetically sealed wax paper and foil caps, polyester caps, et al at higher voltage. (400 volts, 630 volts).

When I have some spare time, I will telephone and see who they distribute through. At least I know where the factory is located.

[diagrammatiks]

There are plenty of companies in America,

a lot of them in So-cal actually that are "honest-to-goodness" capacitor factories.

that means that they develop the dielectric formulas and make the capacitors.

most of these companies have been in continual business since the 60s and 70s.

all of them survived on precision military and aerospace contracts, making capacitors that were way above fender's paygrade.

[dorrisant]

There are plenty of companies in America,

a lot of them in So-cal actually that are "honest-to-goodness" capacitor factories.

that means that they develop the dielectric formulas and make the capacitors.

most of these companies have been in continual business since the 60s and 70s.

all of them survived on precision military and aerospace contracts, making capacitors that were way above fender's paygrade.

Can you drop some names?

[diagrammatiks]

rti and electrocube are both in southern california.

[Structo]

I wasn't familiar with Electrocube.

Looks like they offer a lot of different choices.

http://www.electrocube.com/products/customfilm/

[diagrammatiks]

let's not forget new york

http://www.customelec.com/index.htm

and

http://www.stkelectronics.com/site/home.php

[Reeltarded]

I wasn't familiar with Electrocube.

Looks like they offer a lot of different choices.

http://www.electrocube.com/products/customfilm/

I want to be electrocubeded.

[pablogt]

Anyone near Madrid? How about rolling your own?

http://hackaday.com/2011/05/09/roll-you ... apacitors/

If we follow this trend to it's very end we will have to learn to set up a fire with two stones

[SoundPerf]

Anyone near Madrid? How about rolling your own?

http://hackaday.com/2011/05/09/roll-you ... apacitors/

If we follow this trend to it's very end we will have to learn to set up a fire with two stones

Oddly enough, I potted a friends 52 RI Tele pickups this past week. We got some 100% beeswax from a local bee keeper and used it. We melted about 2 lbs. of the stuff and after finishing had all this beeswax leftover. I got to thinking about this thread and caps in general and was wondering just what's involved in making hand-made high quality caps.

Alot of trial and error, I'm sure.

[dorrisant]

I tore open one of my sozos last night... Milled off the ends (the epoxy)... Peeled the tape wrapper off and kept going to the center. It looks like they used a small plastic spindle in the center as a bobbin of sorts... It is probably twisted off or cut off so that it keeps the foil spooling straight until it is full then the outside portions are removed to accommodate the leads.
Anyone else interested in really making their own?

[SoundPerf]

I tore open one of my sozos last night... Milled off the ends (the epoxy)... Peeled the tape wrapper off and kept going to the center. It looks like they used a small plastic spindle in the center as a bobbin of sorts... It is probably twisted off or cut off so that it keeps the foil spooling straight until it is full then the outside portions are removed to accommodate the leads.
Anyone else interested in really making their own?

Yeah, I figured there had to be a way to start the wrapping very small and very tight so to get the most layers in the smallest area and maintain a consistent wrap. I guess the other area of experimentation would be types of materials like dielectrics.

Like all thing, maintaining quality control will be the hard part.

[Structo]

How are the leads attached to the film and foil?

[dorrisant]

Each lead is attached to a strip of foil. Layers are as follows: foil, poly film, foil, poly film. Just as the leads come off the foil they are twisted into a pigtail and then countinue out to the terminal end. This pigtail is then buried in the epoxy that fills the ends of the cap... A good way to keep it secure. No real tube as in some designs... The poly film is about 8" longer than the foil and continues to wrap around the body of the cap, then a piece of tape about 3" with the Sozo label is wrapped around last.

If I could source the film and foil I would try to make these in house.

I'll break out the tape and post some measurements later if you guys want.

[katopan]

This sorta came up at Wattkins but no one has made a start as yet. Some links I found...
Pics of cap internals:
http://mhuss.com/Capacitors/
Dielectric constant and voltage breakdown info:
http://www.sentex.net/~mec1995/circ/hv/hvcap/hvcap.html
Paper in oil real example made for Jazz Bass tone control:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-de ... ild-6.html

Another thing I read at the time is ESR is improved greatly by having all the end of each foil layer connected by a conductive end plate, as different to the lead being the only connection to the foil. This is done by having the two 'plates' of foil off set from each other so that the edge of one overhangs the poly and is accessible at one end of the cap, the other 'plate' edge overhangs and is accessible at the other end of the cap. Voltage breakdown is worked out off standard material data for the dielectric you're using with a factor of safety applied (mylar/PET happens to have the highest breakdown voltage rating of the common polymers used, and so can be made with thinner film and therefore smaller cap physical size for a certain capacitance and voltage rating). Capacitance is then a case of calculate, then trial and error for the real value. Oh, and the rolling has to be real tight. Air gaps drastically reduce the capacitance. Other characteristics can then be measured and compared against other known 'good' commercial caps. Lot of work but some of us are dumb enough to have wound our own transformers, so this would probably appeal to someone.