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Re: [TenTec] Bad Capacitors (WAS: Orion II master resetting each turn on

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Bad Capacitors (WAS: Orion II master resetting each turn on)
From: Gary J FollettDukes HiFi <dukeshifi@comcast.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 16:26:03 -0600
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
There is generally some swelling of the can on top where he vent is located. 
However, I agree with all who say, replace them now all at once and be done 
with it.

Gary



> On Nov 15, 2015, at 12:50 PM, Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
> Is there a way to look at the capacitors on the power board and know if I 
> they are suspect? Or should I simply bite the bullet and buy the capacitors 
> specified in the Wiki (for the Orion II) and plan to spend an afternoon doing 
> the job?
> 
> Kim N5OP
> 
> On 11/14/2015 11:23 AM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi wrote:
>> I think the reason Ten Tec its so adamant about having people routinely do 
>> the capacitor change is that, when the suspect capacitors fail, it us 
>> usually without warning and can be quite dramatic, causing irreversible 
>> damage to PC boards. Also, likely inhaling the results of the vaporization 
>> of the chemicals in the capacitors is not in one’s best interests either. 
>> Therefore, to avoid possible liability issues, Ten Tec has chosen the path 
>> of strongly encouraging this upgrade even if the radio is working fine.
>> 
>> In reality, I agree with them on their approach, though I wish they would be 
>> forthcoming as to the reason and admit that they too went with “the lowest 
>> bidder” on these capacitors. That openness would probably encourage more 
>> people to do the work as a preventative measure instead of waiting for the 
>> inevitable failures to take place.
>> 
>> Going forward, every Orion I pass through my buying and selling business 
>> will get this upgrade before leaving my hands, just for the added safety 
>> level it offers for my buyers.
>> 
>> 
>> Gary
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 14, 2015, at 7:56 AM, Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> What a fascinating article on those capacitors! I've seen those failures on 
>>> computer motherbaords. My O II was purchased June 2007 and hasn't yet shown 
>>> any signs of capacitor problems. I wonder if it will bite me like it has so 
>>> many others? It was sent to TT service for transmit power output issues in 
>>> 2013 and they replaced the battery as a matter of course, so I should be 
>>> good for a while yet on that. So far, it's been a wonderful rig!
>>> 
>>> Kim N5OP
>>> 
>>> On 11/13/2015 9:25 AM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi wrote:
>>>> I have considerable  background in Aluminum processing as well as in the 
>>>> analytical methods used by the researchers in the Woki article surrounding 
>>>> the electrolytic plague.
>>>> 
>>>> I must admit that I was very impressed by the Wiki article in terms of its 
>>>> detail and depth. Anyone who wants to understand electrolytic capacitors 
>>>> and why they do what they do should read this.
>>>> 
>>>> Thank you for the reference. I learned a lot from it.
>>>> 
>>>> Gary
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On Nov 13, 2015, at 8:37 AM, Duane Calvin <ac5aa1@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks for the reminder, Ron.  I notice the Wiki article is not complete.
>>>>> It leaves out the news story that came out a while after the plague began
>>>>> that told of how someone had infiltrated the premiere electrolytic maker 
>>>>> in
>>>>> Taiwan and stole the recipe for the "secret sauce" inside.  Problem was, 
>>>>> the
>>>>> company had hid away the real recipe, and had left a phony copy where it
>>>>> could be stolen in order to foil competitors.  And, sadly, that is how we
>>>>> have been cursed with the bad capacitors for lo these many years!  Here's
>>>>> one of the online references with a slightly different twist, but it's
>>>>> close:
>>>>>  http://www.pctools.com/security-news/faulty-capacitors/
>>>>> 
>>>>> And that's our intrigue for a Friday morning, the 13th!
>>>>> 
>>>>>   73, Duane
>>>>> 
>>>>> Duane Calvin, AC5AA
>>>>> Austin, Texas
>>>>> ac5aa@ac5aa.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ron 
>>>>> Castro
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 11:10 PM
>>>>> To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
>>>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Bad Capacitors (WAS: Orion II master resetting each
>>>>> turn on)
>>>>> 
>>>>> The bad capacitors were produced from around 1999 to 2003, but the effects
>>>>> lasted for several years afterward.  Dell got burned for some $420 
>>>>> Million,
>>>>> also Apple, HP, Intel, IBM and others got hit for huge sums.  Here's the 
>>>>> sad
>>>>> story from Wikipedia:
>>>>> 
>>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague
>>>>> 
>>>>> At the end is the speculation about the stolen formula, which is 
>>>>> intriguing
>>>>> to say the least!  This hit Ten Tec as well, and even if you sent your 
>>>>> radio
>>>>> back to them, they replaced the caps with ones from the same bad batch
>>>>> before all of this was known.
>>>>> 
>>>>>          Ron Castro
>>>>>           N6IE
>>>>>    www.N6IE.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> Member:
>>>>>                  ARRL
>>>>>     Redwood Empire DX Assn.
>>>>> Northern California Contest Club
>>>>> Northern California DX Foundation
>>>>>  Society of Broadcast Engineers
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Duane
>>>>> Calvin
>>>>> Sent: November 12, 2015 8:33 PM
>>>>> To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
>>>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II master resetting each turn on
>>>>> 
>>>>> For some period of time a few years back, EVERYONE had problems with
>>>>> electrolytics due to a stolen fake formula for the electrolytic compound 
>>>>> in
>>>>> the caps.  Sure caused a lot of problems.  I had to repair my Samsung
>>>>> big-screen TV by replacing electrolytics on the power supply board, for
>>>>> example.  I used to know the years this occurred, but no room in my memory
>>>>> for that any more!
>>>>> 
>>>>>   73, Duane
>>>>> 
>>>>> Duane Calvin, AC5AA
>>>>> Austin, Texas
>>>>> ac5aa@ac5aa.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> TenTec mailing list
>>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> TenTec mailing list
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>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> -- 
>>> 
>>> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP 
>>> SEL/MEL/Glider, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL)
>>> 
>>> /"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in 
>>> practice, there is." //– Attributed to many people; it’s so true that it 
>>> doesn’t matter who said it./
>>> 
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>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP 
> SEL/MEL/Glider, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL)
> 
> /"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in 
> practice, there is." //– Attributed to many people; it’s so true that it 
> doesn’t matter who said it./
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

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