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HW-16 Restoration – Repairing the RF Gain Potentiometer

 

HW-16 Restoration – Repairing the RF Gain Potentiometer

Filed in Vintage Radio on Feb.08, 2014

When I bought this HW-16 at the hamfest, I got a great deal on it – Partly because both the RF Gain and the Power Adjustment pots were frozen solid. After getting the rig home, the first thing I tried was some Fader Lube from DeOxit. This was not effective at all. Next, I tried WD-40, letting it soak in over night and attempting to break the controls lose the next day. Again, they would not budge.

 
Original 200 ohm potentiometer – frozen solid.

Finally, I decided that I would just replace them. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find a 200 ohm linear taper potentiometer new. Eventually, I resorted to rummaging through my stash of old parts that the grandsons had torn out of some old electronic junk that I had laying around.

 
Stash of old pots

I found several 200 ohm pots, as well as the 10-K pot for the power control.

 
“New” old 200 ohm pot

 
 
“New” old 10K ohm pot

 
I soldered new wires the the new pot, and mounted it to the front panel.
 
 
 
New RF gain pot in place


 
Wire routing for RF Gain control


 
Red & White wire terminations


 
Blue wire terminations

 

Work will continue on replacing the 10-K Power control potentiometer…


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