Cleaning Gear

[wr0t]

Some people have asked me about my comment in another posting about some people cleaning Collins gear with Simple Green.

Yes, it is really done by some people and I have seen it done but I refused to do so.

The procedure is to remove all covers, tubes, xtals, dials, knobs, etc and blow out with high pressure air. Spray down with straight Simple Green and use a small stiff brush and scrub all the wiring, sockets, cans etc. Spray down again with SG and let soak for 15 min.

Wash the rig with hot water from a sink spray and blow dry with high pressure air and then bake in an oven at 140 deg for about 2 hours, let sit overnight and reassemble.

What you have is a very clean rig and now you can even coat the solder joints with a red a marker so they look like new.

Presto, what you now have a a brand new looking rig. What you also have is a rig that will have many intermittent problems in tube sockets, solder joints, coils, moving parts, corrosion inside cans and under screws, etc. in a few months and more than likely you will spend some big $$$$$ getting it repaired or replaced.

These types of things are some of the reasons that I no longer have or collect Collins as well as the attitudes of some of the collectors..... Many people will deny this practice but believe me it was being done daily.

Ever wonder why your shiney like new Collins rig has dull and chauky solder joints? Look around the chassis and tube socket screws, see corrosion? Yep, it has probably had a bath..

Well, spray some SG on an old term strip or the like and wash and dry. Then look at it again in a week. You will be surprised...

Some people even went to the trouble of then spraying with Armor All and then blow drying. The prevents some of the corrosion but it will still happen, it will just take longer.

The ones that will flame me, know all too well that it is true.

[N5JFJ]

Thanks Bill for that very informative truth, about the "Simple Greeners" I wonder Bill??? What would the U-RAGS - ID - be for that one, be??? Maybe "SG" for Simply Greened? or Maybe we'll see AAA...for "All Armor All"...God, I have to smile, sometimes...even - when it is simply, so sad!
God Bless...73's... De N5JFJ