Just a heads up folks. One Mimeo 1 builder had a P-8667 transformer fail. The windings must have shorted out. Good thing that the Mimeo was being monitored and could be shut down before any serious damage to the Mimeo or building in which it was operated, occurred. Anyway, the result was a smokey, smelly transformer that no longer works, but no damage to the motherboard or anything else. I’ll put up a picture of the transformer, when I get a chance. It is unclear what triggered this failure, but it probably was a manufacturing problem with the transformer.

As I point out in the build manual, do not operate your Mimeo, unless someone is present to take immediate action in case of component failure. These old designs don’t have all the safety features of modern consumer electronics. Some of the components supplied with the kit are over 30 years old, so unexpected, early failure is always a possibility that should be accounted for.

One more little tidbit I picked up from the owner of this unit. Mounting the two transformers at right angles to each other, should help reduce stray coupling between them. I don’t know how much of an effect this has on performance, but I figured I’d share the tip.