Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Inspired by a recent twitter thread about dissecting a relatively modern electrolytic capacitor, I dug this weird device out. This is a variable capacitor that uses liquid mercury as one of the plates, contained inside the main body with some clever shaped internal mica insulators as the dielectric. As the main body rotates, the amount of mercury exposed as a plate changes, and thus the capacitance changes. Anyone have one of these but taken apart to confirm this? Very complex and completely obsolete.
Yes, this is the reshoot to correct some technical issues.
Hey, did you like the video? Do you want to help out? One dollar is all it takes!
patreon.com/Uniservo
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And of course, thank you to all my supporters.
v2
Inspired by a recent twitter thread about dissecting a relatively modern electrolytic capacitor, I dug this weird device out. This is a variable capacitor that uses liquid mercury as one of the plates, contained inside the main body with some clever shaped internal mica insulators as the dielectric. As the main body rotates, the amount of mercury exposed as a plate changes, and thus the capacitance changes. Anyone have one of these but taken apart to confirm this? Very complex and completely obsolete.
Yes, this is the reshoot to correct some technical issues.
Hey, did you like the video? Do you want to help out? One dollar is all it takes!
patreon.com/Uniservo
paypal.me/Uniservo
And of course, thank you to all my supporters.
v2
