REL-CAP PCT22A1.5A 0.22uF 50V 5% Vintage Axial Capacitors 2 PCS Tested

Pair of vintage REL-CAP (Reliable Capacitors) precision axial-lead capacitors rated 0.22uF (220nF), 50VDC, with ±5% capacitance tolerance. These yellow cylindrical capacitors feature wire leads extending from opposite ends and are marked PCT22A1.5A.

Both capacitors were measured individually, with reported capacitance readings of 0.224uF (224nF) and 0.228uF (228nF), assuming the meter readings were displayed in microfarads. These values fall within the marked ±5% tolerance range of 0.209uF to 0.231uF.

These vintage capacitors may be useful in guitar amplifiers, analog audio equipment, vintage hi-fi electronics, signal coupling networks, tone-control circuits, filters, and restoration projects requiring the appropriate capacitance, voltage rating, dielectric characteristics, and axial construction.

The exact dielectric material used in this PCT series has not been independently verified.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Reliable Capacitors, widely recognized under the REL-CAP name, was an American specialty capacitor manufacturer associated with precision and high-performance film capacitors. Its products included several film dielectric families intended for electronic applications where capacitance stability, electrical characteristics, and component construction were important.

REL-CAP components became familiar in specialty audio equipment, high-fidelity electronics, and analog circuit applications. During the development of modern audio and electronic equipment, film capacitors offered designers nonpolarized alternatives to electrolytic capacitors for certain signal-path, timing, filtering, and coupling applications.

Axial-lead capacitors such as these reflect an earlier generation of component construction commonly encountered in vintage electronic equipment. Their leads extend from opposite ends of the body, making them particularly recognizable in older point-to-point assemblies and through-hole printed circuit boards.

Reliable Capacitors was subsequently associated with Wilson Audio Specialties, the American high-end loudspeaker manufacturer. The REL-CAP name remains historically connected with specialty film capacitor production.

The PCT22A1.5A is treated here as an obsolete legacy component. Its exact introduction date, original production period, and specific dielectric formulation have not been independently established.