'Repairs'?

[Steve_P]

Sometimes, for one reason or another, you may have had to repair something in a way that others wouldn't think of, or in my case as a Vintage Radio Cowboy, others wouldn't dare do.

Recently, a KB Nocturne radio was smoking because a small wirewound was breaking down, It fed the rectifier valve, which was full wave. It had also damaged the board. So, what did I do? I got a 100w resistor from a PA amp, and fitted that out of the way with wires to the board. And had a scrape of the board to eliminate any tracking.

Didn't smoke after that....

Come on, tell us your awful tales of 'servicing'.

Cheers,

Steve P.

[Jamie-Skinner]

I left some mr waxies in my EKCO U353 but they're not leaky..(yet) and this was my first working radio and my first repair! :P

[tiv48]

the worst bobge ive ever seen was a gec 2112 ex rental colour set that had a spring off resistor clamped togather with a clothes peg (vision hire short of solder?).a hitchi colour set with the frame panel bent over with gaffer tape, oh and a 3v23 video that had been fitted with a xmas tree light bulb the list is endles what surprises me was the poor work done by the big rental groups
rob t

[Jamie-Skinner]

Unrelated a bit, but one of the cars we got (1984 Chevrolet Camaro) The speedo wasn't working, dad pulled out the dash and THERE WAS JUST A SEA OF BLUE WIRES! Every wire had been replaced with blue, no wonder it didn't work, In the end we left it and sold it on..

[beam me up schottky]

Back in my youth, during my initiation into things radio and electronics I recall a set I was given, don't remember make and model, that needed repair. Found a resistor that had broken in two which I didn't have a replacement for so I set a salvaged potentiometer to the correct value and soldered that in place !! Used the set like that for a few years and it then disappeared in a move so could still be out there somewhere ! Always wondered what a future owner might think of that bodge !

[Yorkie]

Most will know that Ekco AC86 radios are considered a classic, and really, only competent and concientious restorers should lay hands on them. Here are a few pics of an AC86, with the handiwork of a so-called 'professional restorer' on display, who someone had paid good money to in good faith to 'restore' the radio to working condition. It later came into the hands of a collector when the true horrors were revealled, and he set about putting it right. It's as good an example as any to illustrate why most of us prefer only to buy radios which haven't gone through the hands of 'Bodgertronics & Co'. Such people should be doing time - not doing up vintage radios!

Warning: You might need to view the pics from behind the sofa as they're very scary!

David

[Jamie-Skinner]

Even I can solder better than that! And I need a new tip!

[tiv48]

begs the question why hope he did not pay too much even if it was a repair and not a restorasion getting the right value resistors is not hard
rob t

[OldTickTock]

I reckon the cough! repairer never got over making daisy chains as a child, perhaps he happily sit's in sunny-tarium rocking gently making chains

[beam me up schottky]

Obviously a case of what the eye doesn't see the wallet doesn't grieve over, from the bodgers perspective of course !