[TowerTalk] WWII Caps

[Hal Kennedy]

Mica domino style caps from WW II onward (also known as transmitting
micas) are remarkably stable and efficient at RF (what they were made
for).  Most of them are Mil-Spec.  Most of the date codes on the ones
here are from the 1960s BTW, not the 1940s, although I would not
hesitate to use one from WW II. 
 
They are $1 at any hamfest - typically found in junk boxes under a
table.  Blow one up?  $1 lost. They do not self-heal.  I have only
shorted one - after about five years of use.  I use them at 1500W in the
L networks for my 160 top loaded vertical and numerous other wire
antennas.  I use them outside in the rain - don't even both to cover the
things.  Most have current ratings that are around 5 amps but will do
much more.  Loss at HF is negligible.  You can feel them after a minute
of key-down, they are not even warm.  Series and parallel applications
work out fine.  
 
They have little in common with the Tesla application, which requires
1000-amp-plus pulses to be delivered at high rep rates, and loss factor
(ESR and DF) optimized in the 100-200 KHz region.
 
Try 'em, you will like 'em.
 
73, Hal
N4GG