UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Radio (domestic)

Notices

Vintage Radio (domestic) Domestic vintage radio (wireless) receivers only.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 14th Aug 2020, 12:06 pm   #1
Julesomega
Nonode
 
Julesomega's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 2,085
Default Gooey stuff on tuning mechanism, Roberts RC-9907

Found this radio-cassette portable somewhere, looked good to be a worksite radio. The battery connectors had corroded beyond restoration but on mains all worked well, except the tuning pointer had disappeared off one end of the scale. All the signs were that someone had opened it up, can't think why, and had failed to understand how to assemble the dial mechanism.

Like many recent radios the messy pulleys and string system has been replaced by a flexible mouled rack and pointer driven by a pinion. I first saw these in several Sony portables. The tuning gang and the pointer should be set to the LF end, then when the pinion is inserted the job is complete. Doing this I found my fingers covered in sticky goo so I cleaned them and the pointer strip with white spirit before realising the guides for the rack were similarly covered, so it was intentional. I can now see that a degree of stickyness would act to prevent sympathetic rattling and buzzing in time with speech and music. I'm sure this goo must have been - still is being - applied to radio mechanism. It is also on the cassette eject-retain mech to give a smooth, slow release. Something similar is found on posh self-closing kitchen units. I imagine dust would be its enemy - what is it called and where do you get it to smear on newly cleaned and restored radios?

This set is 20 years old and is unusually sensitive, on L/M/VHF. The high build quality is typical of Sangean who have been manufacturing for Roberts since they moved production offshore. I surmise that Panasonic had moved their radio production there in the 90s resulting in an accomplished offshore design department.
__________________
- Julian

It's good here
Julesomega is offline  
Old 14th Aug 2020, 12:15 pm   #2
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Gooey stuff on tuning mechanism, Roberts RC-9907

It was probably a low viscosity grease to lubricate the rack and pinion. Time and everything has turned the lube into goo. That's my guess.
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is offline  
Old 14th Aug 2020, 12:25 pm   #3
Julesomega
Nonode
 
Julesomega's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 2,085
Default Re: Gooey stuff on tuning mechanism, Roberts RC-9907

Forgot pics, Bah
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Roberts RC-9907.jpg
Views:	83
Size:	127.3 KB
ID:	213438   Click image for larger version

Name:	Roberts RC-9907 inside.jpg
Views:	87
Size:	79.6 KB
ID:	213439  
__________________
- Julian

It's good here
Julesomega is offline  
Old 14th Aug 2020, 6:40 pm   #4
paulsherwin
Moderator
 
paulsherwin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,787
Default Re: Gooey stuff on tuning mechanism, Roberts RC-9907

Sangean are an important manufacturer in their own right, but they certainly do a lot of OEM contracting.
paulsherwin is offline  
Old 14th Aug 2020, 9:55 pm   #5
Julesomega
Nonode
 
Julesomega's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 2,085
Default Re: Gooey stuff on tuning mechanism, Roberts RC-9907

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehertz View Post
It was probably a low viscosity grease to lubricate the rack and pinion. Time and everything has turned the lube into goo.
That's the big question, whether is was sticky from the start or just very viscous. Anyone got a new cassette deck with soft opening that they could take apart to find out?
__________________
- Julian

It's good here
Julesomega is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 7:05 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.