Northstar Horizon

From: Frank McConnell <fmc_at_reanimators.org>
Date: Thu Jun 3 22:33:11 1999

"Fred Cisin (XenoSoft)" <cisin_at_xenosoft.com> wrote:
> Any good sources for routine and/or user information about the Horizon?
> f'rinstance: what's the pinout on those 15 pin D "parallel" connectors?
> Any chance the signals are close enough to be cabled into a centronics
> style port? I haven't applied power to it yet; anything exceptional to
> watch out for?

Yeah. Fire.

I'm only half joking: Stan Sieler and I have had about the same
experience, which is that one of the tantalum caps near a voltage
regulator (connected between +mumble and ground on the input leg of
the regulator) turns into a noise, fire, and magic soot emitting
diode on first application of power to the card(s). As near as I can
tell, the cap shorts to protect the regulator from voltage, but I'm
a software weenie with a soldering iron so what do I know?

So leave the cover off after you re-insert the cards (you're going to
pull them to check the power supply voltages, right?), for that matter
make sure you leave some space between the cards when you put them
back in, and be ready to hit the switch.

ObTony: this problem is amenable to component-level repair. Clean the
soot off and replace the capacitor.

-Frank McConnell
Received on Thu Jun 03 1999 - 22:33:11 BST