[ARC5] BC-AN-229 Follies, part 2

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 15 Nov 2014 at 19:26, WA5CAB--- via ARC5 wrote:

> The problem with the propane torch is that if the can is oil-filled, you 
> will quickly have a fire on your hands.

Ah, yes. I had forgotten about that...

>  I use a 200 watt American Beauty with a
> chisel tip just under 3/4" dia.

I have a large 350 watt Weller that works pretty well for this stort of stuff.

>  With it, I have done a bunch of the rectangular
> can types that are found in the BC-312 family.  I've forgotten exactly how the
> ones in the GR/RU and SCR-183/283 family are constructed.  But on the ones I
> have done, I remove the top, not the bottom.  Then when the can has cooled,
> invert it to dump out the oil and then leave it inverted for a few hours to let
> the remainder of the oil drip out.  Then I use a 40 watt Weller and a Pace
> desoldering handpiece to remove the individula capacitors.  I'm afraid that if I
> heated and removed the bottom with capacitors still attached, the heat would
> ruin the feedthroughs and seals.

Good point.

>  Plus, if the unit has one side of the
> capacitor grounded, the ground lead is captured by the lip of the top and you
> wouldn't be able to smoothly lift off the bottom from the can because the other
> end of the capacitor(s) is still attached to the can. 
>  Removing the top first, there are no wires to deal with during the messy 
> hot part of the job.
> 
> Two more comments - it's much easier if you remove the cans from the radio
> first, although I did do two without doing that.  And put the vise holding the
> can in a shallow rectangular (cake) pan, especially if you have a wooden work
> bench.

Well, thanks for the info, Robert.

I have some bathtub types to do in at least one of my RCH receivers. It is 
deaf, and the trouble has been traced to the RF stage.

Later,

Ken W7EKB