DUST IN RECEIVERS

Shannon News, 15 March 1929, Page 3

DUST IN RECEIVERS

Even when the cabinet of a wireless receiver is carefully constructed and apparently effectively sealed it will be found that there is a tendency for dust to accumulate on the components. Although the dust itself is practically non-conducting ' and can cause little trouble if kept dry, usually it tends to collect moisture, and therefore, causes serious short circuits in the received. These short circuits result in in the speaker, loss of volume, flatness of tuning, and often in the rapid deterioration of high-tension batteries. The cleaning of a wireless .set is often difficult owmj to tlio complicated nature of the wiring and the inaccessibility of some of the components, but it can be facilitated by tho use of a vacuum cleaner, especially if ii be fitted with a blower device as iwell as suction apparatus'. Dust can a'su be blown from inaccessible pr.rts of a cabinet by 'means of a motor-ear or bicycle pump, or a more constant source >f compressed air can be obtained for this purpose by inflating ari old motor c;.tsr inner t'ibe and releasing, the nir contained in it through a nozzle connected over the valve piece by a length of rubber tubing. A small, soft brush of the type used by artists can be inserted into even the most inaccessible- corners of >a cabinet, and will be found valuable in removing dust. In cleaning a receiver special attention should be given to the vanes of variable condensers. Dust is liable to lodge between vanes, and when the vanes are meshed it will cause short circuits between the fixed and moving plates. _Unless some form of- blowing device is used it is difficult to dislodge. A slip of thin cardboard cut to n convenient shape en n sometimes be slipped between condenser vanes to brush out dust.