I’m back… and old radio parts

Ok, first post since returning from a trip all the way across the states…… and I’m not posting about the trip. I know, big disappointment, but I will post about it soon. Just not now.

So dont ask when I will.

 

Right now I’m more interested in posting about a little experiment I have going on. A friend has an Emerson BJ-200 radio that doesn’t work because the oscillating coil is busted. I wind coils, so I thought “Hey, what the heck it’s already broke, right?” The last time I thought that it didn’t turn out so well, repairing cell phones while intoxicated was a bad thing, but I still bust out with a smile everytime I think about it.

So, no drinking during this attempted repair.

My friend Louis (who is repairing the radio) pulled the coil out for me to repair. I couldn’t believe what he handed me, it looked like this….

What the hell is that mess about half way up the coil? I mean really people, it shouldn’t look like a fishing reel after my ex-girlfriend tried her first cast. All of that should be nice and orderly, smooth layers of even windings. So, either this radio saw a REALLY bad day or someone else has been playing with this. I started deconstruction of the coil to see where everything was loosing connection. I had a pretty good idea where some of it would be when I saw the the green death-rot on some of the exposed windings.

     See that ugly little bit of green on there? That is the pure copper wire turning into oxide powder. Oxide powder doesn’t conduct, it just crumbles into dust and leaves a gap where wire should be. I needed to look deeper so I did, and found more rot.

Mmmmm. Tasty, like licking a penny when that green rot-powder starts floating through the air. And yes, this is where all the problems are at. Time to order some of the proper size wire and get to winding. So, as soon as I get the wire I just ordered in the mail we will continue this experiment and see if we can get the radio to work again.