Miata Mailing List: August 1993, Message #16
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   From: Jeff Maurer 
Subject: radio gremlins (fwd)
   Date: Tue, 3 Aug 1993 10:47:08 -0400


Forwarded message:
> From miata@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Mon Aug  2 05:38 PDT 1993
> Reply-To: buck@granite.ma30.bull.com (Kenneth J. Buck)
> Sender: miata@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
> From: buck@granite.ma30.bull.com (Kenneth J. Buck)
> To: Multiple recipients of list 
> Subject: radio gremlins
> Date: 	Mon, 2 Aug 1993 08:36:22 -0400
>
> i recall a couple others mentioning some radio gremlins
> recently, but i forget the details, so perhaps this will
> rekindle some memories...
>
> my radio (1990, Pkg A. radio with in-dash CD player) has
> recently suffered brain damage on two occasions.
> the attacks occurred 2 or 3 weeks apart.  in each case,
> the circumstances were almost identical, as described below:
> - the car was left parked for a day or more, in mostly foggy
>   weather on the Maine coast.  don't know if dampness plays
>   a role here, but it's possible.

This all sounds suspiciously like what many stereo components do when
they sense the likelyhood of condensation in the circuits.  A lot of
VCR's have a condensation or "dewpoint" light that comes on when you
bring them in from a cold, moist environment to a warm house.  The light
comes on and they refuse to run until things warm up enough to eliminate
the possibility of condensation.

Hard to imagine this feature in the stereo of an open cockpit car, but
the symptoms fit.  Maybe after driving a while the warmth from the engine
and heater eliminates the condensation and it's happy again.
_
/        Jeff Maurer, Sr. Analyst
_  ___/ _ __   Service Applications, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
/ /  / / / /  Uucp: ...!uunet!sequent!jdm
/ /__/_/   /  Internet: jdm@sequent.com
__/             (503) 578-5062

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