Useful Hints

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 28, 24 January 1930, Page 28

Useful Hints

Haniling Components, N the handling of wireless compon-. ents generally it is not unusual for familiarity to breed, if not contempt, at least a certain amount of carelessness. Coils of the standard plug-in type, for instance, should al‘ways be gripped by the plug portion when inserted in or withdrawn ftom a holder. Care is also needed in handling low-loss coils on "skeleton" formers, since ebonite is notoriously brittle material. A skeleton cylindrical former, for example, should preferably be grasped by the ends, if not too long for the span of the hand. Too firm a grip round an interchangeable coll of this type may displace the winding or may eyen break the former, especially if the coil is tight in its mount and tends to come away rather suddenly when withdrawn. Preventing Corrosion. _ PASTE that will prevent cor" n at battery terminals may he prepared very cheaply at home, Corrosion is checked by the use of grease or vaseline, but although this prevents ereeping of the acid, some alkaline preparation should be used in connec‘tion with either to neutralise the acid. Fill a 3-pint cup with a cheap grade of vaseline, transfer this to a pan and melt it over a slow fire. When melted, add three tablespoonsful of common baking-soda, remove the pan from the fire and stir the mixture until the soda is thoroughly dissolved. Spread the paste over the battery terminals after they have been thoroughly scraped and cleaned. Any acid solution that has been sprayed over the top of the battery when charging, or spilled when a hydrometer reading is taken, should be carefully removed with a rag moistened with a weak. solution of household ammonia,