[Boatanchors] SX-71 Dials

[JAMES HANLON]

Larry,

I suggest you avoid using any silicone product to secure that pointer.  If there is any silicone oil left over after the gel sets up, it will spread over all available surfaces and in particular may end up on switch contacts.  If the contacts produce a low energy arc when they switch, silicone oil will break down into a non-conducting silicon cinder and foul up the switch conductivity.  A higher energy arc will also break down the oil, but the arc will blow it away.  Telephone folks found out about this the hard way years ago with the type 400G Key Telephone Units which had a source of excess silicone oil on them that fouled up relay contacts.  It took a few thousand switching operations.  So just to be on the safe side, I would not purposely introduce any possible source of silicone oil to my radio.

Why not try good old Duco Cement?

Jim, W8KGI