[ICOM] Cleaning out a dusty radio

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

When Mister Twister came calling on us on 3 May 99, he
collapsed the house and destroyed our seven vehicles!
 
When we got into a new house some 9-10 weeks we then retrieved
our 30" Toshiba TV from a buddy's garage.  I removed the chassis
(including CRT) from the case, disconnected the HV connector,
sealed the CRT connection with clear packing tape, and then
disconnected the speakers and various controls that might be
susceptible to damage (luckily, all had quick-disconnect cables
to the main circuit board).  I sat the whole works out in the
concrete driveway in the hot July sun.  Next came the garden
hose and a heavy duty scrub brush.  Cleaned everything I could
reach and left it to dry at about 105F for several hours.
After reassembly everything worked just fine and continues
to do so 10 years later.
 
We do the same sort of thing at the FAA depot here where I work
except we have drying "ovens" to let a chassis dry overnight.
 
Works like a champ!
 
-----------------
73 - Mac, K2GKK/5
(Since 30 Nov 53)
Oklahoma City, OK
-----------------



> From: w3jo at verizon.net
> To: icom at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:20:44 -0400
> Subject: Re: [ICOM] Cleaning out a dusty radio
> 
> Yes, yes, yes, Gary.
> 
> I did the same with the older gear, and I didn't live in the desert. Used Mr. Clean/water mixture,and a stiff paint brush, rinsed as you did, then I used compressed air to remove most of the moisture, then a hair dryer. Never had a problem after making certain it was completely dry.
> 
> Joe...W3JO
> 
> 
> 
> I've been following this thread with some amusement. You might be 
> appalled at how a buddy of mine and I handled this when I lived in 
> the SoCal desert. He was a collector and restorer of vintage radio 
> equipment. I was mostly an accumulator. Anyway, when we would find 
> some new treasure at a hamfest or garage sale that had years of dirt 
> accumulated on it we'd simply spray it liberally with 409, hose it 
> off with the garden hose and let it sit in the desert sun for several 
> days. We never had any problem as a result of this treatment. Just 
> my $ .02, adjusted for inflation.
> 
> 73,
> Gary - W6GVS