Sunday 22 May 2016

Deep Bronze Green - Everywhere!

Yesterday, when I had a huge number of jobs to do on the veg patch, it absolutely pissed it down almost all day. So, instead of weeding the veggies, I painted Clansman radios.

Before I write about that though, i'll just put up this link...

How I connected the Frequency Counter

Ive had quite a few emails recently asking about how I added the Frequency Counter module to the Chinese Airband Receiver kit. Since the only place I talk about that kit is on the blog, clearly these enquiries have come from here, so if you are wondering how I did it, follow the link above which will take you to the blog entry detailing the connections.

So, on with the painting! I pinched a couple of Julies new brushes in order to start with this. As well as the radios and ancilliaries, the carry frame for the PRC-351/2 also needed some serious work. So I started by removing all the straps and fittings, and taking the adaptor plate off.


Ther frame itself just needed a bit of a go over with a wire brush in places, before a good coat of paint. Its now sat drying on a couple of wooden blocks


The rest was not so easy! The adaptor plate needed quite a bit of peeling paint removing, as well as the coax link cable for the amp block. This is also now sat on the wooden blocks.

I did have one disaster though - it turns out the control knobs of the RT-351 are not friction fit as I thought, but held on at the back of the panel with circlips. I now require a replacement mode knob! In order to remove the knobs the entire radio has to be totally stipped down, not a nice task on flexi-pcbs nearly 40 years old!


The innards of the -351 are now on the bench with yet another 'Do Not Touch' sign on them. The main casing, along with the main case of the RT-320, and the 20w amp and 4w SURF, are all drying on the work bench


The -320 is the priority, as its planned to use that up on Snowdon in a week or so's time! To make that easier, and to keep the radio safe, ive acquired a new (or at least grade A1) radio bergen!


This will also be used for the Lions Mid-Summer Walk in June, all I have to do now is get the form back to Ofcom, and decide on the best frequencies to use!

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