[Boatanchors] Anal obsessive capacitors -> and going dangerously near OT...

[Randy and Sherry Guttery]

On 1/1/2012 8:36 AM, Carl Nord WA1KPD wrote:

>We all do to some degree unless all we do is replace faulty components and leave the rigs with all dust etc intact,

I've been reading this thread with some amusement...  after all - NONE of these radios we're talking about are really antiques... And the "real" antique I have just buttoned back up - well - dust was the last thing on my mind.  I had to repair replace several parts - and while the "device under repair" was not even close to being "boatanchor" in the sense we normally consider - Old, Heavy - and definitely ancient technology it is.  What amused me was even though this "thing" is not even a radio - it's amazing how similar some "paths" are...

We often talk about replacing all of something (like paper caps) as they are all going to fail "sooner than later"...  And I find - I just replaced 88 parts - for the exact same reason - several had failed - and it certainly wouldn't be long before the rest did - so all of them in one "operation". Yet there were three parts (out of a similar count) that were replaced as they had failed - but none of the rest of that part replaced at this time - as it's unlikely they will fail without some "outside" cause... so - a few "replaced only when they fail" - not worth gundecking...

And yes - for the most part - the "dust" is still in place - despite several hours of intensive "top to bottom" work...

If you're curious about this antique sound producing device - which has entertained people for 100+ years...

http:www.comcents.com/rg/ak.html

-- 
randy guttery