[Amps] Nicotine from last owner :-(

Ian White GM3SEK gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk
Sat Dec 8 05:07:13 EST 2007


Steve Thompson wrote:
> >Hi all,
> >        I have now got my Alpha 87A working. Now I have a small
> >problem with
> >the smell of nicotine from last owner.
>Being really pedantic, what's troubling you is mostly tar, not
>nicotine. That will point you at effective solvents if you want to
>wash it away.
>The alternative is to drive off the volatile content
>which gives the smell.
>
Rather than using that as an alternative method, you may get quicker 
results by cleaning out the worst places by hand, and then move on to 
the method Steve suggests.

Foaming aerosol cleaner is very good for removing nicotine tar. Look for 
all the places where tarry dust has collected - particularly the fan, 
which you may need to remove. Mask off any electrical parts that 
wouldn't appreciate a water-based spray, and then spray and wipe off 
with paper towels. Repeat as  many times as it takes.

Other places where tarry dust can collect are the air inlet and outlet 
holes in the covers - which are very easy to spray and clean - and also 
the anode coolers of the tubes.

It's not surprising that you had problems with the bandswitch. If the 
former owner didn't change bands very often, deposits of tar will have 
oxidized to a tough, insulating film. (Most likely the initial 
"bandswitch not moving" error came from the smaller, low-current switch 
contacts that are used sense the movement, rather than the heavy 
contacts on the tank circuit itself.)

And then...

>Take the covers off and blow a fan heater at it for a couple of
>days in a shed, or bake it at 50C in an oven for as long as you
>can get away with it, opening the door regularly to let all the
>evaporated stuff escape.
>
The practical target is to be able to use the amplifier without any 
noticeable smell in your shack. But beneath the covers, it never 
entirely goes away.


-- 

73 from Ian GM3SEK         'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek


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