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radio aerial (antenna) won't stay in position

john said:
We have a small portable sony radio, and it has the usual type of
extendable aerial (antenna) that you get on small japanese radios.

It now refuses to maintain its position at an *angle*. Slowly but surely
it drops down until it reaches the horizontal position.

The small screw has been tightened up, but even as tight as we think we can
do it without stripping the slots in the screw head, it is not enough to
*clamp* the aerial to stop it dropping down.

Basically the aerial at its base is a square shape with one small bronze
coloured washer each side of it and that all sits in a ' U ' shaped base
with it all being clamped with a small screw.

Are there any tricks you know of, to get it to behave? Thanks.
 
R

Richard Crowley

Jan 1, 1970
0

I've never seen two alike. Ever. Not even once.
Several varieties of portable radio telescopic aerials are available from
Maplins in the UK for less than 5 pounds. There are many other suppliers.

Certainly. And there are lots of them available over on my side of the
pond as well. But they are all "NOS, annonymous surplus". Nobody
knows which radios they fit, and I've never been lucky enough to find
one that fits any radio needing a new antenna. Perhaps you don't have
as many different radios in your world, or you are more lucky than me.
 
R

Richard Crowley

Jan 1, 1970
0
Take that hammer, and maybe a nail, brace the swivel against a solid
object, and tap the other side until the swivel stiffens up a bit.

Safer to use a BIG pair of pliers (with lots of leverage) and squeeze it
hard.
Hammers and electronics inside plastic are something I try to avoid. :)
 
D

DNA

Jan 1, 1970
0
Richard Crowley said:
"DNA" wrote...

I've done exactly this repair myself (to more than one radio).
This is a proven and practical repair technique.
Dunno what "DNA" is thinking?

shhhh! I'm a huntin' wabbit.
 
J

jakdedert

Jan 1, 1970
0
JIMMIE said:
I had one do this. It was caused by wear from folding and unfolding
the antenna. I think the problem started when the chrome plating was
worn off the base metal. About the only thing you can do short of
replacing the antenna s to shim it where it hindges. I used a piece of
brass shim stock I had on and. Most hobby shops carry it. There may be
worn hardware such as washers that can be replaced.

Jimmie

The problem is with the small brass washers. They've worn down over
time and are not as thick as they used to be. Also, they've been
polished to slickness by all the moving. Find replacements or at least
rough them up a bit, and squeeze the fitting a bit as other respondents
have suggested.

jak
 
S

Sal M. Onella

Jan 1, 1970
0
john zeiss said:
We have a small portable sony radio, and it has the usual type of
extendable aerial (antenna) that you get on small japanese radios.

It now refuses to maintain its position at an *angle*. Slowly but surely
it drops down until it reaches the horizontal position.

The small screw has been tightened up, but even as tight as we think we can
do it without stripping the slots in the screw head, it is not enough to
*clamp* the aerial to stop it dropping down.

Basically the aerial at its base is a square shape with one small bronze
coloured washer each side of it and that all sits in a ' U ' shaped base
with it all being clamped with a small screw.

Are there any tricks you know of, to get it to behave? Thanks.

It used to be OK, right? What may have changed is that the mating pieces
have been polished by repeated movement and they are now quite slick and
smooth.

If so, you take them apart and rough up the mating surfaces. This restores
what one of my witty friends called "stiction," a combination of "sticky"
and "friction."

I have some dental picks that I might use for scratching the smooth surfaces
to restore the lost stiction. A large sewing needle or the tip of a steak
knife could work, too. Sandpaper wrapped around the tip of a nail file? An
Emory board?
 
D

Desk Rabbit

Jan 1, 1970
0
Richard said:
"Desk Rabbit" wrote ...

How many of these have you repaired yourself?
Or are you guessing? I'm speaking from first-hand experience.
I've been a City & Guilds qualified Radio & Television engineer since
the early 1970's
 
A

Arfa Daily

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ron said:
Geez. It`s just gone a bit floppy, the spring washers have lost their
tension, it shouldn`t be beyond the wit of man to either retension them,
find an old aerial from which the springs can be salvaged or if it comes
to it, purchase a replacement aerial from which the springs can either be
used or if he`s lucky enough to find a good match, the whole twig can be
used.

Here in the UK several companies spring immediately to mind who stock
quite a good range of generic replacement aerials, a bit of fiddling will
probably result in a workable solution.

Ron

I agree Ron. I've never seen so much nonsense spouted about what is
fundamentally a simple problem, which those of us in the trade see all the
time, and have posted back here how to fix with a minimum of fuss and
tools - certainly not including drills ... !

Arfa
 
A

Arfa Daily

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ron said:
Take the two washers out and restore the 'curl' in them by pressing them
over the shaft of a screwdriver.

This is the 'correct' fix for the problem - I have had to do it many times
to radios which have crossed my bench, and are similarly afflicted. If you
want to 'belt and braces' it, you can remove the antenna and the curl
washers from the yoke part that stays in the radio, and then treat the yoke
to a *gentle* squeeze with a pair of Mole grips. FWIW, the screw can go up
quite tight without breaking or stripping threads. Also, if you prefer to
work on it not attached to the radio, the connection inside is usually made
by a fixed strap, so you can simply undo the screw just below the antenna
base, remove it completely, and then lift the complete antenna out of its
mounting hole.

Arfa
 
K

Keyser Söze

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don't forget, with all this mention of glues and paper washers, that
you still want a decent electrical connection between the two bits :)

Horses have bits, people have pieces ;-)
 
B

Baron

Jan 1, 1970
0
Arfa Daily Inscribed thus:
I agree Ron. I've never seen so much nonsense spouted about what is
fundamentally a simple problem, which those of us in the trade see all
the time, and have posted back here how to fix with a minimum of fuss
and tools - certainly not including drills ... !

Arfa

A simple paper washer probably is all it would take !
 
I've never seen such a set of ludicrous and impractical suggestions. The
solution is simple. Go to a birthday party and obtain one or more gas-filled
balloons. Attach a balloon to the tip of the aerial. This will hold it up,
and will also look nice.
Bill
The offshore radio station laser tried that in the 80's and gave up
after the exposure to the winds over the North Sea quickly removed
them . An apocryphal story tells that one ballon ended up around a
traffic bollard in Colchester.

G.Harman
 
R

Richard Crowley

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've been a City & Guilds qualified Radio & Television engineer since the
early 1970's

And I've been repairing and constructing electronic equipment for at
least 10 years more than that. Repeating: "Perhaps you don't have as
many different radios in your world, or you are more lucky than me."
In either case, you seem to be in a better position to match replacemnt
antennas with consumer equipment. I'm happy for your success.
 
K

Keyser Söze

Jan 1, 1970
0
Keyser Söze said:
:

Frank Erskine wrote:

Don't forget, with all this mention of glues and paper washers,
that you still want a decent electrical connection between the
two bits :)

Horses have bits, people have pieces ;-)


Not true. Lots of people have been bit. Some were even bit by
horses.

I was pieced [sic] by a rat once.


Did it die?

I think it used whitworth ;->

--
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to
an understanding of ourselves. Jung

In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties,
nations, and epochs it is the rule. Nietzsche
 
A

Arfa Daily

Jan 1, 1970
0
Michael A. Terrell said:
Two bits is a Quarter.

If a quarter is 25 cents, how does that work Michael ? Presumably not
possible to have one bit ? Nothing cheaper available than a two-bit whore ?
:)

Arfa
 
A

Arfa Daily

Jan 1, 1970
0
Keyser Söze said:
Keyser Söze said:
:

Frank Erskine wrote:

Don't forget, with all this mention of glues and paper washers,
that you still want a decent electrical connection between the
two bits :)

Horses have bits, people have pieces ;-)


Not true. Lots of people have been bit. Some were even bit by
horses.

I was pieced [sic] by a rat once.


Did it die?

I think it used whitworth ;->

Michael might not understand that one. He's in sunny Florida ... d;~}

Arfa
 
B

Bob Mannix

Jan 1, 1970
0
Arfa Daily said:
If a quarter is 25 cents, how does that work Michael ? Presumably not
possible to have one bit ? Nothing cheaper available than a two-bit whore
?
:)

Cos he's wrong. 2 bits (5c) is a dime (10c)
 
B

Bob Mannix

Jan 1, 1970
0
Since when?

Since I got it wrong. Mea culpa (or my bad as we are US). 2 bits is indeed
an old colloquial expression for a quarter. I'll get my coat....
 
D

Desk Rabbit

Jan 1, 1970
0
Richard said:
...

And I've been repairing and constructing electronic equipment for at
least 10 years more than that. Repeating: "Perhaps you don't have as
many different radios in your world, or you are more lucky than me."
In either case, you seem to be in a better position to match replacemnt
antennas with consumer equipment. I'm happy for your success.
<shrug>
 
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