Finding the foil end on Orange Drops

[Ed_Chambley]

I have never used many orange drops as I cannot seem to locate the polarity.  I made one of those boxes with clips and plug into an amp and I cannot hear any difference when I flip it.  This is really no difference than just touching it to the tip and ground of a cable plugged into an amp.  I was trying again last night and I cannot hear any difference in noise.   Maybe I am not listening for the correct thing, but I thought it would just be louder and the quietest when applied to the tip should be the tube side and the other is ground.

Anyone got any tips.  It maybe my hearing, but I had a Super Reverb on 8 while attempting this.  Would a higher gain amp be better?  Is there a better way?

[Boots Deville]

I use the OD PS Series caps sometimes, and I too built the box to test for the outter foil.  I can hear a difference with those caps.  It's more pronounced with lower value caps.  IIRC, there were some higher value caps, i.e. .1uF, .22uF, where I could barely here a difference, if any.

It's been a while..., but I seem to remember it worked better if I didn't hold the box in my hand (the box with the toggle, clips, holding the cap).  In other words, set it on the bench and touch it only to switch the toggle.  See if that  helps.

[Willabe]

It's more pronounced with lower value caps.  IIRC, there were some higher value caps, i.e. .1uF, .22uF, where I could barely here a difference, if any.

See now geezer or tubenit or both said the same thing. But I built 1 of those test boxes and the smaller the caps value, i.e. .005 tone cap for a 5E3/5G9, the harder it was to hear any difference at all. The larger the value the more pronounced the buzz/noise was. I was testing Mallory 150's. I didn't touch or hold the box when testing and ran it into my BF PR on 3 and that was loud. (Cats and dog ran into the other room for cover.   ) I can't imagine testing the caps with a SR on 8.    

To me because the cap is wound like a roll of paper towles the smaller the cap the closer the start/inside is to the finish/outside, so less isolation from each other. Which would cause less of a shielding effect.

The only other thing I can think of is with a small cap holding it between your thumb and first finger the leads are almost touching your fingers.



                      Brad      

[Ed_Chambley]

I can't imagine testing the caps with a SR on 8.    

[/quote]
Believe it or not, it wasn't that loud.  I kept turning it up so I could hear a difference and ended up on 8.  I need to set the box down it looks like.  I had it in my hand.

I believe I remember reading Geezer saying he used a champ and a patch cord and just flipped the cap from tip to ground.  It is really the same thing is it not?

[tubenit]

Just for reference, here is the original thread on cap foil orientationt:

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=11427.0

I typically use the clean channel (not high gain).  I tend to have the bass tone knob turned somewhat low, and the treble turned up somewhat higher.

I have not needed the volume up very much at all.  It's been very easy to hear the difference.

I would touch my thumb and a finger on the cap numerous times (sort of opening and closing that touch), and by doing so it helped be clear which side was which.  Doing this method and rotating the cap the other direction would give me a clear indication.

With respect, Tubenit