piner@pur-phy.UUCP (Richard Piner) (08/08/84)
I am posting this to net.micro since the MAX-80 runs under both CP/M and LDOS. The MAX-80 has a heat problem with the power supply. The power supply module runs hot. I have had one fail after 10 months of operation. It was at the boss' house and so I can't say how hot the room was, but it was not air conditioned and it is summer. The one I have here in the lab has not had any problems and it is over a year and a half old. It has been on for the whole year and a half too. So, if you have a MAX-80, you could have a problem with the power supply. Keep it cool. Don't run your computer in a room where the tempature is 90 degrees or higher and don't block the air path for convection cooling. This warning applies to most other computers as well. Finally, I attached small heat sinks to the backs of my MAXes and that did lower the tempature of the power supply by about 5-10 degrees. This might be a good idea to try. To say a few words in defense of Lobo. The power supply module is the only thing they didn't design themselves. I expect they regret that now. Also, their repair was quick and free. The MAX has a one year warranty. When they fix a machine, they install any hardware improvements that have come up since you got the machine, and they burn it in after all the work is done. They do this for free under warranty. So they stand behind their product. Other than this one problem, the machines have functioned perfectly for quite awhile now. So I would still buy from them. But keep them cool. Rich Piner Purdue Physics Dept. P.S. Lobo is now shipping CP/M 3.0 with the MAX, and offering updates from 2.2 for current owners.
toma@tekchips.UUCP (Tom Almy) (08/10/84)
On my MAX-80, I removed the cover of the power supply (it is completely enclosed and inside the MAX case as purchased) so that it would run cooler. I have had no problems, but heard of other people with problems doing this.