• Updated 2023-07-12: Hello, Guest! Welcome back, and be sure to check out this follow-up post about our outage a week or so ago.

Suitable RIFA Replacement for International Mac Plus

pfuentes69

Well-known member
I'm checking this right now and I was thinking that the big RIFA was 0,47uF for the Int'l version... now you made me doubt
 

68kPlus

Well-known member
Thanks for the links!
From Mouser would cost $36 for two capacitors - a bit much.
Do you think the AliExpress caps would work ok? Even if they didn't work well I would have 8 more to spare.
Alternatively, I could just remove the caps and not replace them. Is there any long-term disadvantages of not having the RIFAs installed?
Thank you for your help.
 

pfuentes69

Well-known member
I think these cheap caps should be good... I will just measure them before installing.

I heard the RIFA aren't really needed, as are to filter the power line of interferences created by the computer, so it doesn't affect other appliances in the house... I will just put it because I like this stuff to be as much as possible like it was originally.
 

68kPlus

Well-known member
I don't have any way to test the caps unfortunately. Do you really need to test them (if anyone knows this, please let me know)?
Thanks
 

pfuentes69

Well-known member
Well... you can simply trust it's fine. I just like to take the multimeter and verify that are OK by checking the value.

Capacitors are cheap components, so I don't think these are a target for fakes...
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
These are safety caps, and their working correctly is really important for 'not giving the user electric shocks' purposes. Their capacitance is not their most important property, by far.

I would strongly advise not replacing them with generic unbranded ones. For many components you can get away with cheap stuff, especially in these older chunkier machines, but for your own sake and the sake of the people who get the machines after you, please replace safety caps with proper replacements. Yes, they will be comparatively expensive. That's just life, I'm afraid.
 

68kPlus

Well-known member
That's fair enough. I might go with a full kit from this console repair store in the USA, which is $56 AUD but I get the whole set.
Thank you for all your help.
 

pfuentes69

Well-known member
That's reasonable. Although, frankly speaking, the cap sold by Console5 seems to me quite similar
Be careful that the big Rifa is not included in the kit, you need to order it separately.

I got from them several kits and all was OK (including a couple of these kits for the Plus PS). They are serious and it's a safe option.

BTW... you mention that you need 2... just to say that the PS has three RIFA caps... 2 are 4700pF and one is the 0,47uF
 

68kPlus

Well-known member

Attachments

  • DSCN9866.JPG
    DSCN9866.JPG
    5.5 MB · Views: 11
Last edited:

68kPlus

Well-known member
Thanks @grone ! The caps I need (C33 and C36) match the ones you used, so the ones I'm going to get (RIFA branded replacements) should work fine. Mouser's shipping costs are way too high for me so I'll go for element14's.
Thank you!
 

grone

Member
I got free shipping- probably went over a minimum order amount.

The capacitors I received were RIFA branded, and were drop in replacements.

If you're near Melbourne I can lend a hand. I've just done all this for the first time myself (discharging a CRT, replacing capacitors, etc.).
 

68kPlus

Well-known member
Shame, I'm in Tasmania. How did you go about discharging the CRT? I am currently discussing this with some others. I've never done it myself, and apparently you can damage your logic board and analogue board doing it.
The other discussion:
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
RS also has a presence in Australia and might be worth a look. Their UK arm is pretty good, anyway.

Discharging - the main thing for 'not destroying anything else' is to make sure you ground it to the right place.
 
Top