On Thursday, August 24, 2017 at 1:53:09 PM UTC-4, rickman wrote:
John-Del wrote on 8/24/2017 1:38 PM:
Across the line use a type X cap, and 250V is fine. You could (should) add a fuse in between the cap and the line for an extra margin of safety.

I thought the X and Y capacitors were used when a short would be a safety
problem as in a shock hazard. Why would there be a shock hazard if a cap
across the power line shorts? If you use a fuse any concern about a fire is
eliminated. Then why would you need the X cap?

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998



I agree with you, but the company line says to use X caps across the line..

These vintage radios rarely were equipped with fuses and generally used standard caps across the line. In all my years in consumer electronics I only saw a few of them short (spectacularly) and they were in RCA tube TVs in the 60s. They all made a bloody mess under the chassis but none caused fires.. RCA issued a recall that included new ceramic tubular caps and we changed them whenever we serviced these chassis.

I've replaced some in my own radios with mylar caps but always fused them. Nowadays I've got tons of late model power supplies that are donors for all kinds of parts, X and Y caps included.