[Boatanchors] NC-183, Broken Xtal Phasing Capacitor

[Philip Atchley]

Hi,

This was also forwarded to the 'National' list.

Even though it was working, I felt that there was something physically 
'wrong' with the Xtal phasing capacitor in my 'new'  National NC-183.  So, I 
removed the wires and pulled the entire Xtal filter can out of the radio. 
Sure enough, the rectangular ceramic piece that holds the variable capacitor 
together (with two chassis mount screws at either end) was broken across the 
entire width, in two places (either side of the shaft) so that the center 
section was just kind of "floating in space".  It appears that a good 
"smack" on the front of the Phasing knob could have done the evil deed. 
Luckily there weren't any missing pieces or chips out of it, and the rotor 
was still in it's proper relation to the stators.  So I covered the entire 
back side with a nice layer of JB Weld (the slow drying kind) and am 
presently letting it set up.

After it's thoroughly cured I will remove the four screws that holds it in 
place and do the same for the front side of the capacitor.  I'm sure the 
electrical characteristics of JB is different from Ceramic, but I hope that 
it doesn't affect the capacitance or other electrical characteristics of the 
unit TOO much.  But it is the ONLY way that I could figure out to make a 
permanent "fix" of it.  I probably won't get the unit put back into the 
radio until sometime tomorrow as I want to let it set up really good before 
putting any strain on the shaft.

73 de Phil,  KO6BB
DX begins at the noise floor!

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