What Irked You Today?

[NOBLNG]

This!🥵

 

Edited Sunday at 06:55 PM by NOBLNG

[A modeler named mike]

I went to bed at 11:00 pm feeling tired but couldn't fall asleep. I felt as if I was wired up. So I tossed and turned and the last time I remember seeing on the clock was 3 something am. I just woke up after having a crazy dream about my now deceased dad. He had come home after being gone (missing) for two days. Only he was NOT himself in mannerism. He was smoking a cigar in the house (that was NEVER allowed nor was smoking for that matter), when he took off his shirt he had a Japanese style full back tattoo and one also on his chest (he was dead set against tattoos), he tried to pull apart his grandfather clock that he had made and prized. The worst thing was I was not able to figure out for the life of me how to use my cell phone to call anyone that could help with figuring out what the heck was going on with dad and I also couldn't find any written phone numbers list that I knew I had written. Then some how the two brothers from a local pizza shop was in the house (I had just visited that shop two days ago), they couldn't help me either with what was going on...I felt so fricken helpless. Craziest dream I've had in awhile. Now I'm wide awake and don't really want to go back asleep fearing I may have a continuation of that dream.

Edited 22 hours ago by A modeler named mike

[peteski]

On 5/10/2025 at 9:07 AM, Falcon Ranchero said:

It is a transistor; this is the inside of it

Going by the date on the speaker, that thing is older than I am.   I assume you cleaned the battery contacts. 

The variable capacitor used for tuning is the large transparent cube in the upper left corner.  Since there aren't any contacts in those, they shouldn't need cleaning, but you might want to quickly spin the tuning knob fast few times from one end of the dial to the other .

The on/off and volume control potentiometer is the black circular item with three rivets located in the upper right side under the ferrite antenna.  That might need a spritz of tuner cleaner.  With a new battery does the speaker make any sound (like crackling) when you quickly change the volume from min to max?

The electrolytic capacitors could have dried up, but I would have expected this to happen gradually, not suddenly. Those are the cylinders with heat-shrink sleeve over them.  I guess one of the transistors could have died. Those are the cylindrical metal components with no heat-shrink.  rest of the components (ceramic disc caps, inductors, transformers) are pretty much bullet-proof but I guess maybe there might be a cold solder joint somewhere.  If you have an old-fashion TV/radio electronic repair shop or a Ham operators club nearby, they might be able to look at it and maybe fix it, but electronic repair shops and skilled techs familiar with old technology are getting rare.

[Falcon Ranchero]

7 minutes ago, peteski said:

  With a new battery does the speaker make any sound (like crackling) when you quickly change the volume from min to max?

Thanks for all the pointers; I do have yet to clean the battery contacts, though when I did put in the new battery, and squeezed it against the contacts while turning the volume, I did get louder crackling. Though I will attempt to clean and service all those parts you mentioned. If it still doesn't work after that, I know my dad says he knows some guy who is like a whiz with this sort of thing, so I may be able to have it fixed. But it's wierd the problem happend just suddenly, as it was working perfectly.

[peteski]

37 minutes ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Thanks for all the pointers; I do have yet to clean the battery contacts, though when I did put in the new battery, and squeezed it against the contacts while turning the volume, I did get louder crackling. Though I will attempt to clean and service all those parts you mentioned. If it still doesn't work after that, I know my dad says he knows some guy who is like a whiz with this sort of thing, so I may be able to have it fixed. But it's wierd the problem happend just suddenly, as it was working perfectly.

Good luck with it. Old electronic gadgets are fun!

[TonyK]

I used to enjoy tinkering with electronic gadgets. The old Heathkits were so much fun and I loved the smell of electronic parts and solder, etc.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Ah yes, todays irk. Same as most days: second, third, and fourth rate overpaid "experts" doing as little real work as possible, and what they do being poorly executed, sloppy, and just flat wrong...with all of 'em thinking they're actually worth what they're paid, and their employers too ignorant or too afraid to call 'em out.