CLEANING/DUSTING OUT TUBE GEAR

[Sonar]

In a week or so I'm going to be listing several items in the sell/swap on this forum.
All the tube gear I will be selling have been serviced (recapped,retubed/new HV) within the last six months.
I'm fairly sure they were cleaned when serviced.
Unfortunately i don't cover them and some dust has most likely built up.
I have to remove the covers in order to photograph and would like to get rid of any dust build up.
I've used a can of compressed air on a computer keyboard.
I didn't like the compressed air I used.
To my surprise a liquid was released along with the air and that's something I definitely don't want happening.
I'm sure the dust is light and most likely built up on the tubes.
I would think the easiest way to remove it would be with a fine horse hair brush but am concerned about static building up especially when passing it over those (parasitic diodes?) that cross between tubes.
I also dont want to electrocute myself by sticking a micro fiber cloth in a piece of equipment that can kill or hurt me.
I would hate to have to picture them looking dusty.
Don't want to seem paranoid but it's obvious I don't know what I'm doing when it comes 2 sticking my fingers into anything that contains high voltage. Would it be advisable to wear some rubber gloves? God! That sounds so crazy but I was zapped by a dx100 when I was 10 years old and lost a fingernail. I was lucky. It wasn't a good experience and I'm not going to repeat that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[543_Dallas]

Compressed air is the ticket. As long as you don't shake or invert the keyboard duster no liquid will come out. If it does it is just refrigerant and will evaporate.

If you aren't sure how to make sure the caps are discharged I recommend that you keep your hands out of it. You are right to be paranoid. Some tube stuff has enough juice to shock you and some will just kill you.

Got a leaf blower?

 

[Sonar]

Compressed air is the ticket. As long as you don't shake or invert the keyboard duster no liquid will come out. If it does it is just refrigerant and will evaporate.

If you aren't sure how to make sure the caps are discharged I recommend that you keep your hands out of it. You are right to be paranoid. Some tube stuff has enough juice to shock you and some will just kill you.

Got a leaf blower?

I do not have a leaf blower but that's a great idea.
Is there a brand of compressed air you could recommend?
After the liquid douched my keyboard I threw the can out.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Compressed air is compressed air. I take my gear to the shop and use my air hose from my compressor. MUCH cheaper than over paying for a can of air. LOL As for the tube gear, those are not diodes on the plate leads BTW. The parasitic suppressors are made up of a resistor with a coil of wire wrapped around it.. The power supply is most likely discharged after all this time but to make sure you need to take a clip lead from the chassis and touch the other end to the plate leads of the tubes and also to the power supply capacitors. Touch both ends of the caps to be sure. KEEP YOUR FINGERS OFF ANYTHING EXCEPT THE INSULATION OF THE CLIP LEAD. There will be a little spark and a SNAP!! if there is any voltage left in the caps. Of course this is all done without having the unit plugged in.

 

[543_Dallas]

I use an air compressor but the canned stuff is all the same. If you lay it on its side or shake while spraying you will get liquid. Cheaper than freeze spray for troubleshooting.

 

[Road Squawker]

...I also dont want to electrocute myself... it's obvious I don't know what I'm doing when it comes 2 sticking my fingers into anything that contains high voltage...

follow CK's advice above.
also put one hand in your front pocket and use one of these with the other




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

 

[2RT307]

I like the stories I have heard about folks putting their old Drake tube type rigs in the dishwasher to clean 'em up!

73,
Brett

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I like the stories I have heard about folks putting their old Drake tube type rigs in the dishwasher to clean 'em up!

73,
Brett

One ham that collected and modified tube type AM broadcast transmitters for use on 160/80/40 meters used to take out the heavy iron and hose them out with a garden hose or pressure washer. I wish I could find the website showing him taking it home and hosing it out. LOL I couldn't believe it until I saw for myself. It looked new when he finished.

 

[Sonar]

One ham that collected and modified tube type AM broadcast transmitters for use on 160/80/40 meters used to take out the heavy iron and hose them out with a garden hose or pressure washer. I wish I could find the website showing him taking it home and hosing it out. LOL I couldn't believe it until I saw for myself. It looked new when he finished.

That doesn't sound advisable.
Is that something you'd consider ever consider?
I'm thinking if he restored equipment it's something he did more than once and if so those hosed down transformers probably worked after their baths. If not I'd venture to guess he only did that once and never again.
I always thought internal electronic components and liquid didn't mix.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

That doesn't sound advisable.
Is that something you'd consider ever consider?
I'm thinking if he restored equipment it's something he did more than once and if so those hosed down transformers probably worked after their baths. If not I'd venture to guess he only did that once and never again.
I always thought internal electronic components and liquid didn't mix.

Read my post again. I said he removed all "the heavy iron". The term "heavy iron" is used to mean transformers, modulation chokes and reactors as well as power supply chokes because in broadcast transmitters those things are HEAVY and made of iron. Old buzzard AM types would have caught that right off however some may not even know the term "old buzzard". LOL

It kind of freaked me out at first thought then I had another thought about and figured as long as the heavy iron was out of it why not. I'll try and find the site again if it even exists. IIRC it was a Gates BC1 series 1Kw AM transmitter just like one I used to service and that is what freaked me out the most I think.

As for electronics and liquids not mixing well, as long as the power is off and it contains no transformers or chokes and things dry out before it is powered up things should be fine.

 

[Sonar]

Read my post again. I said he removed all "the heavy iron". The term "heavy iron" is used to mean transformers, modulation chokes and reactors as well as power supply chokes because in broadcast transmitters those things are HEAVY and made of iron. Old buzzard AM types would have caught that right off however some may not even know the term "old buzzard". LOL

It kind of freaked me out at first thought then I had another thought about and figured as long as the heavy iron was out of it why not. I'll try and find the site again if it even exists. IIRC it was a Gates BC1 series 1Kw AM transmitter just like one I used to service and that is what freaked me out the most I think.

As for electronics and liquids not mixing well, as long as the power is off and it contains no transformers or chokes and things dry out before it is powered up things should be fine.

I've never heard the term in reference to transformers, chokes etc etc. The old buzzards are getting thinner every day.
I've either read or heard that there are on some bands at certain times operator's of boat anchors get together and qao about old transmitters, recivers ect whilst using that very type of equipment.
I wouldn't be surprised if most of them knew what the term heavy iron meant.
I didn't but if someone writes of it again I'll know what their referring to.
I learn at lest one thing everytime I'm on this site and that's a good thing. 73

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I've never heard the term in reference to transformers, chokes etc etc. The old buzzards are getting thinner every day.
I've either read or heard that there are on some bands at certain times operator's of boat anchors get together and qao about old transmitters, recivers ect whilst using that very type of equipment.
I wouldn't be surprised if most of them knew what the term heavy iron meant.
I didn't but if someone writes of it again I'll know what their referring to.
I learn at lest one thing everytime I'm on this site and that's a good thing. 73

Tune into 3885 in AM mode some evening and you will hear lots of heavy iron on the air and lots of old buzzard transmissions.

 

[Tallman]

I've never heard the term in reference to transformers, chokes etc etc. The old buzzards are getting thinner every day.
I've either read or heard that there are on some bands at certain times operator's of boat anchors get together and qao about old transmitters, recivers ect whilst using that very type of equipment.

Our feet don't fit the tree limbs as well as they used to and we fall asleep and then fall out of the trees. Synchronized napping is how we get our air time together.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

FOUND IT!! I was looking for a Gates transmitter and it was a Bauer.

Story here http://www.qsl.net/ve7khz/broadcast.html

 

[BBB]

I use various sized paint brushes and a Vacuum to get the loose crud off the chassis and components. Then wipe the t00bs with a baby wipe. Be careful as touching your fingers directly to, or using more than one swipe with the baby wipe will take the silkscreen right off the tube faster than you can say "dammit"