[TenTec] TT 1220 problem premature capacitor failures among electrolytics in last two years

[Stuart Rohre]

Just a clarification.  The failing aluminum electrolytics were ones made in
Taiwan from a pirated mainland Chinese electrolyte formula that was
mis-copied.   That made it highly corrosive, and the caps soon bulged or
burst.   This was publicized enough on web and in industry that
manufacturers of equipment replaced their stocks of Taiwan caps with
Japanese or known good brands.

The computer board industry was hardest hit; where they use multiple 6000 mF
caps in parallel for main 5 volt board filtering for example, or other large
values such as 1000 mF.  Ten Tec would have caught such a problem in their
factory check.  The failing caps are very distinctive, they bulge at the end
before rupture.

Just finished re capping some computer boards like this here at work.
-Stuart
K5KVH