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Striped capacitor value?

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 7:40 pm
by Beta 5
Does anyone know how to read the values of the old striped/dipped capacitors? I've got an old emergency light with one which has become damaged so ideally needs replacing.
The colours from bottom to top (leads at the bottom) are Brown, Red, Black, Orange, Purple, Yellow, and the size is about 10mm width.

Also in the same fitting are a pair of 470uF 16V electrolytic capacitors (Nippon Chemicon CE04W) I assume these are for smoothing the rectified DC output from the transformer/rectifier. As these are NOS from the early 80's should these be replaced as a matter of course?

Re: Striped capacitor value?

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 9:13 pm
by Alex
I need a picture because tge arangnent of the stripes is if impotance

Re: Striped capacitor value?

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 9:51 pm
by Beta 5
Here is a photo, I de-soldered it from the board and it looks like the bottom one I said was brown may actually just be the capacitor body rather than a stripe.
When I de-soldered it one of the leads broke off so the one pictured here is an identical looking one I've just found in my components box and soldered in.

It measures about 46nf so going off what I have read online it may be a 47nf cap? The electrolytics seen to the left are the ones mentioned here too.

Re: Striped capacitor value?

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 8:45 am
by Alex
47nF

yellow 4, pink 7 orange three zeros so 47.000pf or 47 nF

Re: Striped capacitor value?

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 4:36 pm
by Beta 5
Thanks Alex :)