Help- I've fallen and I can't stop buying-UPDATE!

[Carl WA1KPD]

This beut followed me home today from a local antique shop. Dismember or repair?

I think I need some serious mediaction changes.....




It could be such a great radio

 ARRRRRRGH!!!! I wish I never went into the basement area...

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Damn, that looks like it was in a fire... or maybe on fire.  :shock:

Good luck though!

[W1UJR]

Hey Carl, sad, but that looks like it really served time as a boatanchor.

I hate to see a good radio go, but that old no longer looks like a good radio.
In my book, it’s a parts rig, and it does have xtal calibrator which is a plus.
I had a FB-7 in similar shape; some one had drilled multiple holes in the cabinet, over sprayed it with glossy black paint, JSed in new parts and in general buggered up the unit beyond ordinary repair efforts.
It was the donor to get two other FB-7s back on the air, a noble purpose and sacrifice.

Of course, if you are really up for a challenge, it would be an interesting project.

I have a pair of early HROs which look like it, kept in a dark, damp cellar, does not favor for the units. Be sure to bake the xformers before applying voltage.

The cache of easy to restore radios is drying up; perhaps we will see the day when your new rig is considered a simple restoration.

Keep the filaments lit OM!

[KB2WIG]

looks like a basket case, but, it just might work.....












HELP!! I've fallen and can't reach my drink!

[Bill, KD0HG]

That guy's going to need a full body-off restoration, but it's do-able.

The question really should be, are you willing to spend a half year or longer on the project?

[w3jn]

I've restored one that was almost as bad.

You're lucky, because National used quality components on these radios.  I'd be willing to bet that it works after some judicious replacement of capacitors and baking out the power tranny.

You'll go thru lots of wire brushes and put way more time in it than it'll ever be worth, but you'll have the satisfaction of bringing something once treasured and honored and now discarded back to its original glory.

73 and good luck!  John

[Carl WA1KPD]

I opened up the bottom and it looks brand new down there.  Even has a few orange drops installed very nicely. The major damage on the front is smoke and it does not want to seem to come off.  Anyone have sugesstions? No sign of melting anywhere so the actual  exposure to heat may have been minimal. The white corrosion iinside comes right off with a little Deoxit. Quick check of B+ shows xfrmr is OK.....

Coil is for 160 and 75 where I do 99% of my listening.

Decision right now is to not part out unless I start finding bad IF xfrmrs etc.

But it in line behind the 100 other projects !

[W1GFH]

I opened up the bottom and it looks brand new down there.  Even has a few orange drops installed very nicely. The major damage on the front is smoke and it does not want to seem to come off.  Anyone have sugesstions? No sign of melting anywhere so the actual  exposure to heat may have been minimal. The white corrosion inside comes right off with a little Deoxit. Quick check of B+ shows xfrmr is OK.....

Coil is for 160 and 75 where I do 99% of my listening.

Decision right now is to not part out unless I start finding bad IF xfrmrs etc.

But it in line behind the 100 other projects !

A local ham here in LA found a Collins 75A1 at the TRW swap meet a while back. It was in similar condition to your HRO. I saw it. It was a mess, corroded, rusted, dented. A group of other hams I was with laughed when the guy bought it for $50. We were smugly confident it was a total loss and his purchase was foolish.

Elbow grease and patience took care of the corrosion. Beadblasting and powder coating took care of the paint. All else was basic troubleshooting and a few replacement parts.

A few months later, he unveiled it, competely restored. It was showroom-new-looking! In my opinion, bringing something back from the dead seems much more satisfying than paying big bucks for a fully functional rig. It certainly was impressive.

Think of the before and after photos you can wow us with.

I say go for it.  

[xe1yzy]

Carl are you still planing come to Mexico in June, cause I have several parts for the hro 60!

Regards

Pedro

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Carl - If I were you , I'd install new filter caps , where necessary, loosen up and lube all of the controls and put the "fire to the wire". If she sings for her supper I betcha it'll convince you to keep her alive and well.

Hell, your HRO-60 isn't that bad. I've seen rigs a lot worse.

Whatever you decide, the best of luck with it.

[K1MVP]

Hi Carl,

 Looks like you have a "challange" on your hands, but with a bit of
 time, patience and the right approach,--it could be "brought back"
 IMO.

 I restored an SX-71 (rusted and corroded) and tried various cleaning
 methods(wire brushing, a high speed grinder etc) but found the only
 "effective" method was to dissasemble the receiver and sand blast
 the receiver (both cabinet and top part of the chassis)--it was the
 only way I found the rust and corrosion could be removed in the hard
 to get places.
 Although it was a bit time consuming, the receiver turned out great.

 I have an article on East Coast Sound on the SX-71 if which describes
 in more detail what I did.--It might give you some ideas.

 In any event, good luck, if you decide to restore it.

                                     73`s, Rene, K1MVP  

 
 rs

[w3jn]

Carl, to remove soot, cigarette tar, or any other filth, go to Wallymart and buy some Westley's White Wall Cleaner.   This stuff will remove it like magic.

BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, make sure the bypass caps associated with the rectifier and secondary of the power tranny are not shorted.  This has been the cause of the demise of many a HRO 50/60/NC183 power tranny.  

Glad you decided to restore the ol' workhoss.

73 John

[k4kyv]

Be sure NOT to use a product like 409 or Fantastik to clean up the bakelite tuning knob.  I found out the hard way that that stuff will wash away the "skin" from the bakelite surfaces, and no amount of polishing will bring back the sheen.

What happens is that bakelite and similar phenolic materials are mixed with a filler, that may be anything from powdered mica to fine sawdust (yes, wood). Electrostatic repulsion in the mould pushes the filler away from the surface, leaving a thin layer of pure phenolic, resulting an a natural shine.  Wash it with one of these cleaners, and the skin is gone, exposing the filler.  Getting the sheen back would be like trying to polish a sponge.

The best agent for cleanig bakelite is plain old soap and water.  I use a mild solution of dish detergent.  Be careful even with the water, as the stuff may absorb moisture and become soft.  I have also found that paint remover doesn't affect it, but I would try a test patch on the underside of the knob first. Don't even think of putting it in a dishwasher.

I once heard of someone who ruined the bezel on a KW-1 with 409.  In my disaster, I ruined a couple of mint condition 4" black bakelite National type A velvet vernier dials.

I would say that if the damage to that HRO is from heat from a fire and not moisture, it is mostly cosmetic damage, especially if there is no visible smoke damage under the cover.

[w3jn]

You can restore the sheen to almost new by taking the shaft from an old volume control, attach the knob to it, then chuck it in your drill press.  Then use plastic polish, Brasso, or similar very fine abrasive polishing compound on the knob as it spins.  Works well on the smooth face but the compound tends to build up in fluting.

And Westley's is another cleaner that will wreck the sheen on bakelite.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Wow, Carl - you sure know how to pick 'em!  :shock:

This rig sortakinda reminds me of a 75A-4 in a pawn shop up in Littleton, NH a few years back(mid-90s): someone had oversprayed much of the cabinet in black, going around the labeling in an attempt to retain it, hole drilled in front near filters for extra control and knob, R-390A-type filter in one of the slots. Standard tuning knob, none of the 'oooooo LQQK R@RE!' options like 4:1. I was interested in it as a parts donor, but the $500 FIRM price was a bit ridiculous. And it was in a pawn shop, not on epay!

I suspect you can restore much of that receiver provided as you say, there are no IF issues or other nasties waiting to be found. It's not always as simple as 'can it be done': virtually anything can, with enough time and money. While it can be very rewarding as someone stated, to revive such a rig, you have to ask yourself if it's really worth it to you with all of the other projects waiting and your limited available time. Factor in what a decent example would go for, too.

The guys who don't have any projects waiting in the wings would love such a challenge. I've seen Rene's SX-71, it came out pretty damned good for what he started out with. SX-71s are fairly plentiful and still pretty cheap, compared to the time and work he put into it. But Rene likes a challenge, and certainly rose to the occasion. I would've passed it up or offered it up as a parts donor simply due to lack of time. He was able to ressurect it instead.

As far as 409/Fantastick type cleaners, I avoid them like the plague except for very difficult crap in very controlled areas and circumstances. This come from a bad experience in high school when I was cleaning an antique sign for a friend's family and washed off some of the paint before realizing what was happening. I'm sure these cleaners have their place, I've just yet to find it, comfortably. Soap/water/Windex seem to handle 99% of my radio-cleaning needs. Those small disposable foam paint brushes are really handy, too. Excellent for getting between IF cans and so on.

Some OT once told me that Bakelite knobs had a kind of shellac coating, which as Don says, does wash off. I've had this come off with simple soap and water before. A very dull, coarse knob results. While Brasso seems to work FB on known-good knobs, I've had no luck with the really bad ones already missing their coating. Sounds like I need to try the 1/4" shaft - power polishing routine.

It's all good.....well...most of it, anyway....

[w3jn]

I've restored bakelite bezels (from an SX-28? can't remember) that had gouges in them by sanding them down with progressively finer paper, ending with 1000-grit wet, then polishing vigorously with Brasso.  Doesn't look *quite* like new but they had a reasonable shine and looked much better than they were before with the craters in them.

[WD8BIL]

Don,

Have you tried a coat or 5 of a high gloss polyurethane

Just curious. Perhaps I'll dig an old knob outta the junkbox and 'spariment!

[N3DRB The Derb]

Some of the Hallicrafter recievers I restored (SX-28A, SX-16 ) were almost that bad. Check the IF cans and bake the power Xformer for around 20 hours @ 120 F.

The thing about that radio is the paint. National and their damned hammertones. Black Crackle forever, baby!

[Carl WA1KPD]

Holy %^*_)*(&%*    IT WORKS...... Nicely. Talk about "takin a licken and still ticken.."

I put in the old 6F6 for the missing 4H4C and brought it up slowly. I could hear background noise so I took a VOM lead and put it on the antenna screw. Sat there on the garage floor – I did not want to power it up in the house- on a piece of cardboard listening to 160 and 80  on a pair of phones.. No noise in any control, even the volume control that is as close to frozen as one can get.

Nice sounding audio, blackened S meter works well.

Now to find a cabinet and some other coils

[k4kyv]

National and their damned hammertones. Black Crackle forever, baby!

I agree.  Hammertone has to be the ugliest finish ever put on a radio.  If not black crackle, I prefer grey, such as on the T-368, R-390(A) or Gates transmitters.  I think the Collins 20V uses a similar grey finish too.

To me, hammertone gives a piece of equipment a cheap look.

Anyway, glad to hear that the HRO works.

[w3jn]

The HRO-50/60 isn't hammertone.  It's a dark gray with a small bit of metallic sheen to it.

I found a fairly close substitute for it in one of those Duplicolor spray bombs from the auto parts store.  IIRC it was dark smoke metallic Chevy truck color.  Not a *really* close match and there's way too much metallic, but it went on easy and after baking was very tough.

Get some white lacquer stick from AES and fill in the engraved lettering and you'll have a presentable (if not quite 100% accurate) receiver.

73 John

[xe1yzy]

The HRO-50/60 isn't hammertone.  It's a dark gray with a small bit of metallic sheen to it.

I found a fairly close substitute for it in one of those Duplicolor spray bombs from the auto parts store.  IIRC it was dark smoke metallic Chevy truck color.  Not a *really* close match and there's way too much metallic, but it went on easy and after baking was very tough.

Get some white lacquer stick from AES and fill in the engraved lettering and you'll have a presentable (if not quite 100% accurate) receiver.

73 John

Hi John...

What I do to have the original color in my HRO 60, was waxed a little in the inner part of the cabinet  to have the color, then go to the paint store and ask for a copy of the original color works grate...

for the engraved letters I use acrylic paint, and before the paint is dry, I apply a transparent coat all over looks great!

how was dayton?, hope you come back home with the trunk full