[TenTec] Orion II A9 Board Failure...Again!

[pfizenmayer]

The TenTec capacitors in my O 565 and O 566 were NOT Chinese made - nor were 
any others of which I am aware (about 5 other Orions) - they were made by 
Illinois Capacitor - the capacitors were of good quality - just not selected 
properly and being run considerably over the ripple ratings. I do not know 
what current production is -

Hank K7HP


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Speer, Doug" <Doug.Speer at FairbanksMorse.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 9:21 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II A9 Board Failure...Again!


> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:08:49 +0300
> From: "Geoffrey S. Mendelson" <gsm at mendelson.com>
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II A9 Board Failure...Again!
> To: geraldj at storm.weather.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> <tentec at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <20080625160849.GA15020 at cable.mendelson.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> If the low quality Chinese electrolytic capacitors are a well known
> problem in the electronics industry, my question is has Ten-Tec done
> anything about it for late s/n production?  I purchased a new Orion 2
> within the past couple of months which represents a significant
> expenditure for my ham radio hobby budget.  I would hate to think I
> purchased anything less than top shelf quality.  So maybe my question is
> one for Ten-Tec directly but has Ten-Tec procurement changed how they
> specify and buy components for production and / or service parts to
> insure they (we) are getting top quality components?
>
>
> Doug, W9PN
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:08:49 +0300
> From: "Geoffrey S. Mendelson" <gsm at mendelson.com>
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II A9 Board Failure...Again!
> To: geraldj at storm.weather.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> <tentec at contesting.com>
> Message-ID: <20080625160849.GA15020 at cable.mendelson.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> On Wed, Jun 25, 2008 at 09:23:01AM -0600, Dr. Gerald N. Johnson wrote:
>> Lots of lowest bid Chinese electrolytics are poorer when new than I
> find
>> acceptable, so they age poorly. A few years ago there was a large
> batch
>> of capacitors often applied to computer motherboards that exploded
> when
>> power was applied for the first time. My guess is that the factory
>> didn't understand the formation process and hadn't finishing making
> the
>> electrolytics.
>
> This was very well documented in the press. A Tiwanese engineer worked
> for a Japanese manufacturer of electrolytics. He stole the formula for
> the electrolyte (the liquid inside the capacitors). His employers knew
> what he was doing and gave him access to an incomplete formula.
>
> It worked perfectly in new capacitors but as it aged the capacitors
> failed.
>
> His Tiawanese employers underbid everyone on the market and the world
> was flooded with products that eventually failed when their capacitors
> exploded.
>
> Geoff.
> -- 
> Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
>
>
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