Detecting the outer foil of a non-polarized cap

[EarWorm]

The vintage bug bites softly at first.   

 

[Paul Birkeland]

Paul,

Did you count the oscilloscopes?  I see 11. 

Yeah, you really need that 12th scope to get the job done!

 

[EarWorm]

This might be that 12 th scope.  Looks like a beauty too. Over 100 vacuum tubes.
http://youtu.be/BvbNBZX6kNE

 

[Grainger49]

I know them well.  I have many, many hours using them for measurements of all kinds.

They also came with a small roll of sliver solder (the "L" is not pronounced) inside them.  Techs would pop them open and take the solder.

 

[EarWorm]

I've always pronounced it without the "L" myself. I just thought that was how it was pronounced, until I began to notice that Canadians and some other English speaking folk pronounce the"L".

Now I cannot pronounce the word at all.

 

[Grainger49]

I should have said here we don't pronounce the L.  Well some guys do and they also pronounce the L in salmon also.

 

[mcandmar]

I pronounce it like the "American English" sample here http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/british/silver which clearly pronounces the L to my ears.  I'm confused?

 

[Doc B]

Solder, not silver.

 

[mcandmar]

Ooh right. Still cant hear it without an L, even when i say it with an american accent

 

[Doc B]

It's kind of like the way you put an invisible "I" in aluminum.

 

[mcandmar]

lol

 

[Flyin_V]

I did measure a number of cap and used a wall wart w/ 19VAC. I attached the red lead to the center and the black to the outer portion of the plug. Then attached the leads to the cap and measured the voltage from the foil to each lead. The red lead had consistently lower readings. If I swapped sides with the clips, the side that previously had the higher voltage (black lead) now had the lower voltage w/ the red lead. Anyone else notice this?

Am I missing something?

Thanks.