What are some common caps I should have on hand for repairs etc? I'm not
sure what I'll be working on in the future, but lately I've been repairing
LCD monitors.
- Mike
While Arfa's suggested list is a good one, I (and probably others)
have discovered that Murphy's Law comes into force with a vengeance
where components are concerned.
i.e.
The capacitor you need for a particular job is nowhwere to be found in
your stock of perhaps several hundred or more.
Not only are capacitance value and voltage important but so to is the
physical size and shape. Often, where value/voltage and/or space is
not critical, you may be able to make do with something other than the
original size which you do have in stock, but over time this is less
likely to be the case.
I have literally 1000's of electro's in stock which have been ordered
in over many years and while they will all measure as new with regard
to ESR, they are physically too large for modern electronics
equipment. Such is the problem where technology advances result in
smaller and smaller components which make the older and larger items
obsolete for many purposes.
Take it from me,,, until you have established the major trend of your
repair trade, buy in only small quantities (eg,5 - 10 off) of the
sizes you are currently using for repairs. Even after you have
established your regular stocking list you will often have to buy in a
special or a one off (usually fairly expensive) for a particular job.
Because you had to do quite a bit of research to find that particular
item you might be tempted to buy 10 or so thinking you might have to
do a similar job some time in the future. You will probably find them
still in the drawer in 5 years time. For smaller types costing less
than 20 - 40 cents it won't be a big loss but for anything over $1
you can end up carrying quite an overhead in non profitable stock.