[K6BW] Some helpful radio hints

[Josh Heide]

Here are a few things I have found over the years. Hope you find something 
useful here. Maybe some others here can pass on some helpful hints.

1. If the display of your HT or mobile has been slightly scratched, try 
polishing it with Brasso metal polish.
2. Use a small length of surgical tubing or automotive vacuum line as 
extention for small knobs. Makes them muich easier to grasp and turn. I 
learned this one from the Sheriff's deputies in Napa.
3. Use the same tubing as shaft couplers to provide insulation on things like 
variable capacitors. This will also allow for some offset betwees the shafts.
4. To really clean up glass that has a dirty film on it that won't come clean 
by other means try using a product called "Bar Keeper's Friend". Works really 
well on the car's windshield to remove road film.
5. To lubricate the gears and other mechanical parts of the older military 
radio equipment (R-390, R-1051 and such) I use a mixture of Marvel's Mystery 
Oil and Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil mixed in equal amounts. Really keeps the 
parts operating smoothly and does not gum up.
6. To clean the mechanical parts of the above mentioned radios, go to an 
automotive paint store and get some wax and grease remover. This is used 
before painting to clean the surface. It will not harm most painted surfaces. 
I have not had any trouble with it bothering the lettering or laquer on the 
coils and chassis of my R-390. It will really cut through the old hard 
grease. (PPG number DX-330)
7. To lubricate coil forms to allow the slugs to move freely, like in the 
rack on a R-390, carefully clean the coilform and them dust it lightly with 
ground mica. This is available from gun shops with a good selection of 
reloading supplies.
8. A reat product for all around corrosion prevention and lubrication is 
called Corrosion-X. It is available ar marine supply houses. I use it on 
everything from guns to autmotive to electronics. It can be used on jsut 
about anything. If applied to the end of a piece of coax when the connector 
is put on, water will not migrate into the cable if it becomes exposed to the 
elements.

73 de KD6KML   Josh Heide