[R-390] Hosing those 390A, a short pictorial

[ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/19/2006 12:25:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
n2fq at sbcglobal.net writes:
I used Simple Green and a water hose, perhaps I committed HariKari.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Hi Fernando, thanks for the interesting pictures of your R-390As being 
sprayed with simple green and hosed off with a garden hose. There are several things 
I would worry about with this procedure. It looks like you left the tubes in 
their sockets? The dirt and muck loosened up from the simple green and water 
could settle in the sockets causing problems? I would also worry about water 
possibly migrating into the fiberlass insulation in the crystal oven and PTO and 
just sitting in there wet unless the covers were removed and allowed to 
air-dry. Not likely but water could get into the meters and it could also get 
inside the carbon pots and RF/IF transformer cans and sit in there. The only thing 
I would dare to give the radio like the R-390A a bath in would be something 
non-conductive like Kerosene or Diesel fuel. In that case you have to remove the 
small ceramic trimmers or else the kerosene will get into the rubber gaskets 
and cause them to swell up, but normally kerosene will not rust or short out 
electronic components. But your radios may turn out just fine if everything is 
allowed to thoroughly dry. I know people have rebuilt the Blue-Stripers and 
they were sitting out in the weather and rain for who knows how long. I once 
washed and hosed off a really dirty SP-600 with soap and water and it is the best 
working SP-600 I have. I put it in front of a dehumidifier for 3-4 days and 
it was bone dry but I did have to take the meter apart to dry it and took off 
all the covers from the IF cans, etc.to air dry the innards.  Good luck and let 
us know how the R-390As turn out!  73 Todd WD4NGG