[CQ-Contest] [Amps] Fizzing From Amp

[David Pruett]

When I went to college down in Arkansas, I used to operate with John, the 
original N5DX (now an SK).  He was a dedicated DXer and a heavy smoker, and 
he used to blow the smoke into his C-Line while he operated.

When I showed up with my brand new (and smoke free) C-Line, this was 
immediately apparent as my dials were the light Drake blue, while John's 
were *green*.  Inside, the radio was covered with the gunk Ian describes.

If that doesn't drive you away from smoking, nothing will...

Dave/K8CC


At 04:20 AM 6/24/2005, you wrote:
>Adrian Rees (M1LCR) wrote:
> >Hi all
> >My Dentron ML2500 has just started making interesting "Fizzing" noises.
> >This appears to be from the Tune + Load Caps, and happens whenever I Tune
> >Up, or on air.
> >
> >The amp is putting out its usual power, but I wonder if its a build up of
> >dust and Nicotine on the Cap Plates that is causing this.
> >
> >(The nicotine from our chain smoking contest ops)
>
>Nicotine - or rather, the tar deposits - can be very bad for switches,
>variable capacitors and other contact surfaces. Amplifiers can be
>particularly bad, because the fan collects hours and years of smoke and
>pushes it through the insides.
>
>Having once cleaned out an SB-220 for a friend who was a heavy smoker, I
>wouldn't ever do it again - not for anybody. It was absolutely
>disgusting: the insides were plastered with a mixture of house-dust and
>sticky tar, and the inserts on the control knobs were not silver
>coloured: they were gold. Aerosol foaming cleaner would shift it, but
>the whole job took a can-and-a half of cleaner, two whole kitchen
>rolls... and a long, long shower afterwards.
>
>Take a look inside the amp: if that really is the problem, make THEM
>clean it out!
>
>Sadly my friend is now SK, from... yes, you guessed. Aerosol cleaner
>only works on amps, not inside people  :-(
>
>
>--
>73 from Ian GM3SEK         'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
>http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek
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