I am not a purist. I do however get excited about alternative
successful optional methods when it involves saving money, time or length of
repairs, or longevity of the repair.
The issue I am thinking of is the slow, sluggish, wind back the set
frequency a bit when you let go of the tuning knob. Solutions abound with
rather difficult repair instructions using Ten-Tec’s special grease that holds
things in place and provides the “correct” tension with which the tuning knob
operates. Wow! What a pain all that can be.
My solution is much simpler, its done in a fraction of the time and- to
date it lasts almost 18 years.
It began back in 1998 or 9 when a bicycle lubricant called “Tri-Flow”
was recommended for my then new BikeE recumbent bike. This spray lubricant,
costing about $10 a can, is manufactured with minature silicone bearing balls
within the liguid.
Take the rig out of its case. Take the VFO covers off. As an
alternative you could take the VFO out, but I generally don’t. I put the radio
over a bench with newspapers under the rig. Then I spray the PTO mechanism and
slowly gently start to ‘work’ the knob. As things loosen up I continue to bathe
the mechanism in the Tri-Flow lubricant. It will continue to loosen the TT
grease and it will drain off along with the lubricant. When the gearing is
sufficiently loose I let it drain off over night. Button it up and you are
done.
My results: it works, it lasts for years, it doesn’t require
dismantling the PTO mechanism, its’ inexpensive and it’s not nearly as
frustrating.
Or course if you do have actual worn out parts that is a different
issue. My experience has been to not need a new brass tuning shaft. Brass on
brass shouldn’t wear out. In the grand scheme I don’t believe a tuning shaft
ever gets turned as much as a clock motor before it fails, and gets the same
repair.
"Hey, Mikey.try it,. you’ll like it.”
73 de Dave in NH, K1OPQ
(same call since 5/60)
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