[TowerTalk] Roller Inductors

[Keith Dutson]

Ha!  I love stories like this.  Years ago I washed about 2000 Winchester AA
cartridges in the XYL's washing machine.  They were placed inside a zip-up
pillow case.  The cartridges came out beautiful but the case was ruined.  It
would have been cheaper to buy new, already loaded cartridges compared to
the tab for a new washing machine and case I was forced to purchase.

73, Keith NM5G

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of zl1aih at ihug.co.nz
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 1:50 AM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Roller Inductors

> I recently returned to the air after an eight year absence.  The 
> roller inductors in my Nye MB-V-A and my Ten Tec 4229 antenna tuners 
> have corroded and are intermittent.  I have squirted contact cleaner 
> on the coils and rollers and run the rollers back and forth with no 
> improvement.  Does anyone have any suggestions?
> 73, Hank, W6SX
> Mammoth Lakes, California



The RCA manual for their AT3 transmitter (WW2) recommended a mixture of 
anhydrous lanolin and carbon tetrachloride as a lubricant for the roller
carriages.
I still have some anhydrous lanolin but carbon tet is no longer available in
NZ.

My local chemist ('drugstore' in US) sold me a small bottle of
trichloroethylene after 
strict examination and sure information from the RCA manual revealed that my

intentions were entirely legal.
   
This mixture works very well - one of these big roller inductors
(edge-wound) is in 
daily use in a "C-L-C" antenna tuner and has not needed any maintenance
during 
three years of serious CW contesting - not bad for 1942 manufacture.   

I salvaged several roller inductors and big Hammond variable capacitors from
the 
AT3 - all were covered in dust, gunge and mould.   While the XYL was away
visiting 
her mother, I put them all through the dishwasher - ceramic end-plates came
out 
pristine white and the metal looked brand-new.

73, Ken ZL1AIH (one of the ZM1A Team)







    

    

      
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