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Audio Gain Pot-Replacement

 

Well I hit return and sent before I finished...The "Audio Gain" pot need replacement on my SX-115.? It looks like you need to remove the from panel of the right?? Is there an easy way to replace this thing?? Any help is depreciated.? George Deitz-KN3PAT
 

George
What is the failure mode of the audio pot?
Jim?

Logic: Method used to arrive at the wrong conclusion, with confidence.? Murphy


On Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 10:38:56 AM CDT, george deitz via groups.io <georgedeitz@...> wrote:


Well I hit return and sent before I finished...The "Audio Gain" pot need replacement on my SX-115.? It looks like you need to remove the from panel of the right?? Is there an easy way to replace this thing?? Any help is depreciated.? George Deitz-KN3PAT
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

George, are we to assume that you know that a shot of pot lube stuff will not be good enough to restore operation? ?


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don??? va3drl
 

It is all "scratchy" and some breaking up of the audio when it is used.? I see no easy way to replace the think.? I just dont really feel like removing all the knobs, and the front panel to replace it.? Looking for some ideas, other then replacement!? Thanks-George KN3PAT
 

Don:? You can assume anything you would like to!
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Well George, thanks, I just made another ¡®assumption¡±. +its all going to POT.

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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of george deitz via groups.io
Sent: Friday, May 2, 2025 1:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [HallicraftersRadios] Audio Gain Pot-Replacement

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Don:? You can assume anything you would like to!

_._,_._,_


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don??? va3drl
 

George
I would try penetrating oil spray from the dollar store.? It is usually found in the automotive department in a black and yellow spray can.? Much cheaper then what is usually suggested.? I don't think that the pot is actually sealed so spray where the terminals leave the cover and work the pot end to end several times.? This process is a bit messy so position a paper towel to catch the drips.??
This has always worked for me.
Jim

Logic: Method used to arrive at the wrong conclusion, with confidence.? Murphy


On Friday, May 2, 2025 at 12:49:10 PM CDT, george deitz via groups.io <georgedeitz@...> wrote:


It is all "scratchy" and some breaking up of the audio when it is used.? I see no easy way to replace the think.? I just dont really feel like removing all the knobs, and the front panel to replace it.? Looking for some ideas, other then replacement!? Thanks-George KN3PAT
 

George, what are you looking for? A way to remove and replace the potentiometer without removing the front panel?
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It might be possible, I did it once years ago. Is there a nut between the chassis and front panel? I was able to find a thin 1/2" wrench (A stamped one about 3/32 thick) that could hold the nut. After removing the wires from the pot, and removing any obstacles that prevent rotating the pot, you should be able to unscrew it from the nut by turning the pot body. I'm not familiar with the SX-115 so I can't say if it is possible to do this on it. Holding the nut in place to install the new pot was nigh-on impossible until I cemented the nut to the wrench with two small daubs of rubber cement. It was easy to break the bond once the nut was threaded on. You'll probably have to loosen the nut and play around to where, when the pot is tight against the chassis, the terminals are pointed correctly. After it was done, I think it would have taken less time to remove the front panel (As long as you don't have to do any restringing).
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What have you tried in the way of cleaning the pot element? Fader Lube from the same people who make Deoxit is a good product for quieting noisy potentiometers. I think Don was asking what you had tried, if anything?
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Bob, AF6C
 

There is NO nut at the front panel!? There is the front panel, then another front panel behind the real front panel.? There is perhaps 3/8 in. between the two.? The nut on the pot is on the second panel.? The pot is kind of buried behind both panels.? To make it harder, there is a "lip" at the bottom of everything!? I think I replaced the pot maybe 40 or so years ago! ? There are a total of 15 knobs and switches that would have to be removed to get the front off.? They use a special wrench-a"Bristol" which I have. I was much younger, and dumber then.? At 78 I'm not sure I really feel like attacking this job!? I am not familiar with fade lube, but if you need to get it on the inside of the pot-good luck!? I have not really tried anything yet, because I dont see any real option other then replacement because of access!? I was hoping someone might have some thought on an easy removal!? These old Hallies are built like battle ships-maybe that's why after 65 years they still work well! Check out my QRZ page to see my collection of them! Keep thinking about this for me!? Any thoughts are appreciated! THANK YOU! George KN3PAR
 

Thats a thought Jim.? I don't think I could even get some kind of spray into it.? See an earlier post where I addressed the placement of the pot.? Its well hidden!
Keep thinking for me of ideas!? Murphy had things right!? THANKS, George KN3PAT
 

Greetings to George and the Group:
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The "lip" on the edge of the panel presents some additional difficulty, but is not insurmountable.
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Here's how I changed the volume pot on my Hammarlund HQ-129 (from ARF):
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After putting up with a horrible volume control in my HQ-129-X receiver for years, I finally got around to replacing it.
( I have had the replacement pot in stock now for at least a couple of years, but it works superbly and was a good fit..... Thanks to Mark Oppat.)
The problem is that the HQ-129-X has a front panel that is spaced about 1/8" from the front chassis apron. Several of the controls (including the volume control) mount to the chassis with nuts and the shafts extend through the hole in the front panel to receive the knob. It would appear that the normal procedure would be to remove the front panel in its entirety in order to access the control mounting nut.
I really didn't feel like doing this so I made a wrench out of heavy gauge sheet metal. This allowed me to insert the wrench into the narrow gap and loosen the nut. The nut could then be unscrewed by poking the flats with a small screwdriver. Before removing the nut all the way, I taped some hook-up wire to the pot shaft. As I pulled the old pot out, the wire followed, trapping the nut more or less in place. I then taped the wire to the shaft on the new pot and fed the pot shaft through the hole in the chassis. The wire allowed me to position and re-start the nut with little difficulty. Once the pot was in position, the nut was tightened with the home-made wrench.
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The moral is that the special tool (home-made) is your friend.?? Either fabricate an "S" bend wrench out of flat stock or get out your torch and bend a cheapie end wrench of the correct size from Harbor Freight.?? Be sure to use the wire trick.?? If you can't get a small screwdriver in to turn the nut once it is loose, a large diameter soda straw or similar piece of tubing can be slid over the wire and then the pot shaft and through the outer panel to remove the nut.?? After inserting the new pot, start the nut with the tubing and tighten with the custom wrench.?? After all is done, then and ONLY then, remove the locating wire.
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Good Luck,
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Jim T.
KB6GM
 

THANKS!? I am going to check that out.? Seems like the 2 companies might havs had some engineers in common!
 

I want to thank every one for their thoughts!? After a lot of thinking on this, I have decided to let the pot as it is!? Might not be the best decision, but my wife wants the dining room table back!? And I just am not up to this project, at 77 I might not see it completed!!!!! Thank you all for you thoughts/ ideas!? George

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