[Hallicrafters] Dial Cord -- Slip No More Forever

[Carl Nord]

Why not use double sided tape?
Carl
WA1KPD
Visit My Boatanchor Collection at http://pages.cthome.net/nord/wa1kpd.html
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Evans" <cosmos41 at ix.netcom.com>
To: "hallicrafters" <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 2:57 PM
Subject: [Hallicrafters] Dial Cord -- Slip No More Forever


> Greetings, Halli-gang
>
> Well, the restringing of the bandspread capacitor on my S-85 is
> accomplished, and I just have to share a technique I blundered onto that
> may come in handy for you sometime.  Many of you will have your own
> particular technique, and I'm hoping you will share it with the list.
>
> First, I have to say that unless you "pre-stretch" the dial cord from
> AES, you can be in trouble, depending on the receiver you are working
> on. Their catalog proudly states that their cord is, "a no-stretch black
> cord made of nylon over a fiberglass core." Black...yes.  Nylon...yes.
> Fiberglass core...yes.  But "no-stretch"?? No cigar!  It does stretch
> even under the moderate tension imposed by properly stringing a dial cord.
>
> I discovered this on my maiden voyage, restringing a Hallicrafters
> S-38D.  Everything worked perfectly immediately after the repair.  But
> the next morning -- total failure.  The cord had stretched overnight.
> You could turn the bandspread knob forever, but the cord would slip
> hopelessly on one of the small idler shafts.  You have a pretty good
> idea which one or ones may give you trouble if the restringing
> instructions prescribe going around the shaft...say 3 1/2 or 4 turns.
>
> I removed the cord and begin thinking how I could increase the friction
> between the cord and the idler shaft.  Luckily, the idea that first came
> to me worked perfectly and is still working after three years.  I took
> an ordinary gummed label and cut a strip as wide as the area the string
> would traverse and long enough to go completely around the shaft.  (I
> also had sanded the label lightly with very fine sandpaper to rough it
> up a little.)  I wrapped the label, gummed side down, around the shaft,
> installed the line cord again, and celebrated my victory!
>
> Since that time I have found something that works even better.  I take a
> piece of masking tape, coat it with rubber cement, and allow it to dry.
>   Then I wrap the tape around the shaft as before.  No slipping!  You
> can do this on as many shafts as the cord traverses.  It won't hurt if
> the tape goes around the shaft more than 360 degrees, but I wouldn't
> build up too much tape.  The string has the happy effect of applying
> pressure on the tape, keeping it in place even if the tape should dry
> out in time.
>
> Works for me!  What other methods have you hit upon that keep dial cord
> from slipping if it begins to stretch?  The little spring on the large
> pulley is supposed to do that job but rarely does it, in my limited
> experience.  I've heard that one can apply rosin to the cord to keep it
> from slipping also, but I haven't tried it yet.
>
> So, what tips or techniques can you share?
>
>
> --
> *********************************************************
> K5MVR - Loving the "glow" since 1957
> K (Kilo) 5 (Five) M (Mercury) V (Vapor)  R (Rectifier)
> mailto: cosmos41 at ix.netcom.com
> http://www.geocities.com/sweetvengeance
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>
>
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