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After switching on, the voltage can reach 120 V * 1.414 = 170 V.
Later, after all the tubes have heated up, the voltage will reach the nominal value.
The minimum voltage for these capacitors is 200 V. Better is 250–300 V.
If you want to work, lie down and sleep, and everything will pass.
(This post was last modified: 08-04-2025, 12:04 AM by
Vlad95.)
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Electrolytic capacitors were rated in "working volts" (WV) and could take a certain amount of overvoltage. In theory, the voltage could be more than 150, but in practice, there is a rather high voltage drop across a 35W4, 35Z5 or similar tube. These tubes took a longer time than a 5Y3 or similar tube to heat up to full output. I would stick with 150WV or 160WV. I wouldn't go above 200WV
When I was young, the practice was to not use an electrolytic capacitor with a much higher working voltage value because the cap would not "form" or have the same capacity at a lower voltage than rated for. This was a property of electrolytic capacitors, not of the paper-foil capacitors which should be replaced with caps having the highest practical voltage value.
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MrFixr55
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Ok. Thanks. I went with the 160WV as suggested. They’re cheaper and the values matched exactly. Not that 22mf vs 20 mf means much.
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Those old 20s had a tolerance of 20 percent, as most of the components in these old sets.