[ARC5] Tuning Capacitor Removal - Help, please!

[Andy Young]

HI Ken,
Many thanks for your quick reply and the detailed advice!
Just what I wanted, I knew nothing about the pin, and was thinking I would 
have to remove the capacitor completely.
I'll give it a go.
Andy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
To: "Andy Young" <andy-young at supanet.com>
Cc: <Arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 3:54 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Tuning Capacitor Removal - Help, please!


> On 20 Mar 2011 at 15:09, Andy Young wrote:
>
>> I have a BC-946 whose antenna connector has been bent down by 45
>> degrees in transit, distorting the front panel.
>
> A common problem.
>
>> I have concluded that
>> the only way to straighten the panel will be to remove the tuning
>> capacitor.
>
> With that large of a bend, probably that will be the only way.
>
>> Can I have some advice on its removal from someone who has
>> done it before, please, before I break something!
>
> I just did that yesterday.
>
>> In particular, I
>> assume I need to remove the dial by getting a socket on the big nut on
>> the front
>
> Correct. They usually aren't all that tight, and usually are more-or-less 
> sealed
> in place with black paint.
>
> BUT!!! Be very careful NOT to turn the dial itself when you do this. There 
> is a
> very small pin that aligns the dial correctly with the capacitor. To 
> remove the
> dial, once you have removed the large nut, CAREFULLY pry up on the
> edges of the dial by sliding something thin between the dial and the front
> panel and prying up at several points around its circumference. The dial 
> will
> come loose fairly easily. Watch for the pin and the corresponding hole in 
> the
> dial. That hole is usually covered with paint and since the pin is so 
> small, it
> can be hard to find.
>
>> - what will react the torque I apply, I don't want to strain
>> anything. Apart from unsoldering the wires, is there anything other
>> than the screws on the front panel holding the capacitor in place?
>
> There are four largish screws that hold the cap to the front panel, but, 
> once
> you have removed those, there is also a small tubular ceramic capacitor 
> that
> is soldered to the antenna post and to a connection on the tuning cap. The
> leads on this cap are very short. You will have to remove at least one of
> those leads in order to tilt the tuning capacitor far enough to the rear 
> of the
> radio in order to give yourself enough room to work on the bend.
>
> In MOST cases you do NOT have to entirely remove the tuning cap.
>
> Once you have unsoldered one end of that antenna-to-tuning cap cap, you
> SHOULD be able to tilt the tuning cap to the rear enough to give you the
> necessary room.
>
> The aluminum of the front panel is very soft, and you shouldn't have to 
> work
> very hard to get it all back in place.
>
> There is a small nut, usually with red glyptol sealing it, on the rear of 
> the
> ceramic antenna connector. You should remove that, then remove the
> antenna connector in order to straighten out the front panel, then 
> reinstall.
>
> The antenna connectors are somewhat easy to break.
>
> Red nail-polish will suffice to hold the nut securely once you put it back 
> on.
>
> Let us know how it goes.
>
> Ken Gordon W7EKB
>