> > Possible you installed the caps backwards but the Tantalums would probably > tolerate and work OK anyway, at least for awhile. Wouldn't likely be > intermittent. The black rubber seals were the positive end. No, no, no!!! If you install Tantalums backwards then they will definitely go bad. They WILL get hot, and they might even explode. The same applies to electrolytic capacitors. If you put them in backwards and already had voltage connected: THROW THEM AWAY. Something else to consider: Most tantalum caps are not very surge resistant. So if you really want to use them, take the ones which can withstand voltage surges. I would recommend using film capacitors (up to approx. 2.2µF) or ceramic capacitors (up to approx. 220nF). Ralf. VIN10284 (electronic engineer)