A Surprise!

[KA8WTK]

  I have a SB-200 I haven't used for several years. Having purchased a new appliance, I decided to get it hooked up again. Before I did hook it up I opened it up to be sure I had done certain mods. (Soft start, glitch resistor, new PS caps and meter resistors - memory said I had done it, but I needed to check)
  Imagine my surprise when I slid the chassis out and half of a resistor fell out. Not like the "left" half or the "right" half, it was the bottom half. I say bottom because when you looked at the rig, you couldn't immediately see where it came from. Turns out it was one of the grid resistors. There was no sign of overheating or arcing and the rig was running fine before. So I replaced it and all seems as it should be.

Weird.

Bill KA8WTK

[W1ITT]

It's been known for a while, but is becoming more apparent as time progresses, that carbon composition resistors don't age well.  Those in the SB-200 may be approaching a half century old.  Materials and methods have improved over the years and it makes sense to suspect all carbon composition resistors of that vintage, especially when things just don't seem to operate as they should.  Come to think of it, some of my components aren't all that they were a half century ago either.
73 de Norm W1ITT

[W3RSW]

Pretty neat, just as if two sides were 'glued' together at the factory.  Out of focus but they sure look awfully shiny.  You sure you didn't replace those grid resistors with overseas   replacements back when you did the mods?

[KA8WTK]

Nope, can't say as I did. 
Was really good to hear your voice the other night. Hope to talk to you soon.

Bill KA8WTK

[W3RSW]

Yeah Bill,  Good to hear you too.  I came in late to the QSO.
You, VJB and others were already on. 
Great QSO roundtable, what? over two hours? Just like old times.