So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

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original45
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So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

Looking for your tips to cleaning even protecting your radios from your cb to your hf.

What are you all using to keep them looking spic n span. I don't want to be making a mess with furniture polish so on.

Need to clean over my jackson 2 and yaesu 450d so their clean but not glossy.
Cheers
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ch25
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by ch25 »

Nothing. I just cover them when unused and wash my hands.
Dust rag is fine time to time.
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Cousinjack
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Cousinjack »

Air line and a clean (new) paintbrush ...
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Mudslinger »

If I get a radio which is dirty I usually remove the front panel and knobs, then clean them with washing up liquid and a soft nail brush. To keep them clean I just use a duster.
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original45
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

Cheers for the ideas. Yes I too usually remove pannels but not so grubby these.just dust sitting year or so.
Ah Chris prevention ,washing hands nice.
Well soft clean brush n vac to pick up dust and looking good again so far.

Used baby wipes years back to Good effect.But not now as unsure of the oils
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by The Collector »

I use aloe-vera wet-wipes or a toothbrush with anti-bac' spray for grubby knobs (if they can't be easily removed and soaked in a bowl), microphones and radio casings and sometimes just a clean duster for most front panels.

Just watch anything that's got a lacquered-over shiny front panel like Cobras etc as anything with the wrong chemicals in could start peeling it off.

Some screen-printed lettering (Magpies, Mercury's, Westward PT2 etc) can also be damaged or worn off completely by certain chemicals or heavy-handed rubbing, so go gently and never, ever use any stainless steel cleaners as they're far too nasty :)
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Cousinjack »

Jeez you lot are picky ....
if I could get the pressure washer in the cab ..........


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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Tim »

The only time you need to clean your radio equipment is just before you photograph it to put it on eBay. :D
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

Tim
lol 😂
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

I'm now even considering looking for the 450d foam polystyrene box inserts as mine are missing.
God I feel kind of ott here now
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Tim »

A mate of mine bought a s/h boxed 450D that was missing the foam inserts so I used mine as a template and made them, they are not polystyrene, they are a sort of expanded plastic dense rigid foam.
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by The Collector »

I bought another boxed Fidelity homebase, just so I could have the poly inserts from it to caress my own Fidelity in it's original box (my 1st ever radio), as I'd lost the inserts during 3 house moves somewhere.

As for cleaning the radios just before selling them on ebay - please tell that to 20% of the population that still seem to sell them whilst covered in dust, spittle, toe-nail clippings, ectoplasm, bogeys and (if they've been used in a tractor) cow sh**. ;)
original45
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

Will see if I can get some rigid foam.

I have had radios with a 1 to 2mm coating of dust on board, all over .power packs worse.
Nothing worse than a greasy Mic with cigarette smoke from 70s
Omg scruffs
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by Tim »

I think the 20% estimate of dirty radios for sale is an under estimate, I would put it at more like 70%. There's nothing worse than handling a microphone with 40 years of someone's breakfast blocking the grille/gauze!
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Re: So what do you clean your radios with externally ?

Post by original45 »

Lol and I had 2 base mics like that. Thick and greasy like a pork bbq lolipop .nom nom
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