14 Feb
2010
14 Feb
'10
3:26 p.m.
the issue was definitely normal electrolytic capacitors. The Dell GX-270 desktop computer
was one of the victims. We had over 100 of these and Dell replaced nearly every
motherboard due to this specific manufacturer's defect. The electrolytic caps used
around the cpu would bulge on the top and in some cases burp out electrolyte out of the
top. I didn't research the actual cap manufacturer.
best regards, Steve Thatcher
-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Dawson <rdawson16 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Feb 14, 2010 10:45 AM
To: classic computers <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: RE: Getting to dislike tantalum caps
Dwight,
There was some criminal stuff going on with electrolytes in this era, from the asian
manufacturers. Almost everybody associated with the type of electronics that was not
'throw away' remembers this. I had a note from a pro video repair shop, saying
that to get a $15,000 pro video camera back in operation would require the replacement of
all the tant caps, as they were all destined to fail, and yet another trip to the shop.
Anybody else recall this? There was one chemical manufacturer pinpointed, that was
supplying XR7 or whatever electrolyte to all the manufacturers. They shortcut their
process and cut costs, and several years of electronic products were affected.
Please pots your analog computer work! Have you read the Electronic Research Associates
books out there (IIRC)
Randy