Also included in this column:
• Perry Pumps Web site
information
• APP Powerpole High
Current Battery Test Clamp
• “Foam-friendly” Krylon
spray paint
• It could be your receiver
crystal ...
THIS IS THE 35th monthly column in
which I try to give you the best possible
answers to questions you have written or Emailed
to me. Each new inquiry is given a
sequential number for identification
purposes.
Many questions and answers have been
posted to the AMA Web site at www.model
aircraft.org/mag/faq/index.asp. Unfortunately
that posting stopped in August 2005 and will
not continue until this section of the AMA
Web site is revamped. In the meantime, if
you can’t find the subject matter you are
interested in, drop me an E-mail or letter and
I will try to assist you.
Q275: “I have a new Li-Poly battery charger
and was surprised to see that the power input
cable employs a 12-volt auto-type cigarettelighter
connector. This cable is intended to
plug into the 12-volt accessory port that is
supplied with most modern-day
automobiles.
“My concern is that I am constantly
hearing that you should remove your battery
pack from your aircraft prior to charging and
that you should never put that battery inside
the passenger compartment of your auto
during charging.
“If charging inside the car is a concern,
why supply a connector that only works
inside a car? What is your advice?”
A275: This is a good point. Yes, we do
recommend that the battery be removed
from the aircraft while it is being recharged.
We also recommend that no battery be
charged in the passenger compartment of a
car.
Auto fires have started while a battery
was being charged inside the passenger
compartment. This is especially true when
traveling (car in motion) and attempting to
charge the battery pack simultaneously. You
can’t be watching that battery and charger
and be driving at the same time.
I recently reviewed an electric-powered
RC aircraft, and the balanced-type charger
that was provided had a 12-volt auto
cigarette-type connector on the input cable. I
liked the charger and it did have a
proprietary balancing connector, so I really
wanted to use it.
The easiest fix proved to be a visit to my
local RadioShack store, where I purchased a
battery-terminal 12-volt DC adapter
accessory outlet. It is catalog number 270-
1527 and costs roughly $8.
The cable is approximately 20 inches in
length. On one end is a pair of heavy-duty
alligator clips you attach to the terminals of
your auto battery (with the hood open,
naturally).
At the other end of the cable is the
female, or mating, half of the cigarette-lighter
Li-Poly battery charger with 12-volt automotive cigarette-lighter plug on input cable
(lower left). RadioShack cable allows charger to be connected to auto-battery terminals,
so charging happens outside car.
Using RadioShack adapter cable, Bob
attached charger input lead to car-battery
terminals. He uses old folding snack table
and ceramic hot plate placed adjacent to car.
The unsafe way to charge: with auto-type
cigarette-lighter input plug. Use suggested
adapter cable and always charge the
battery outside your vehicle.
little aerosol cans cost only $2, so you are
not investing a lot of money in a small
model paint job.
Q279: “I wanted to relate a recent story to
you. I had installed a new popular-brand
single-conversion RC receiver into my new
aircraft. When I made my first flight, I got
the feeling that the controls were somewhat
intermittent.
There were times I commanded rudder or
elevator on my sport/trainer aircraft and got
no response. On one of my attempted flights
I was about to hand launch the airplane
when the electric motor stopped and the
controls no longer worked.
I realize it is hard to diagnose via Emails,
but do you have any ideas on this
problem?”
A279: Normally I would tell you that
solving your problem could be difficult
without having a chance to look at the
model’s radio and power systems in person.
After reading your description of the
problem, one might assume it is a loose wire
or, more likely, a loose connector. That is
always one of the first things to check.
It is especially important to pull lightly
on all the cable wires as they go into the
connector housing. Sometimes a wire can
break off a pin and you can’t see it.
connectors into your testing device, such as
the CBA II.
Q278: “Lately I’ve been building micro/
indoor RC models constructed primarily of
foam. I heard on several of the model
forums that Krylon now has a spray paint
that comes in small cans and it is “foam
friendly.” Have you heard about this
product?”
A278: Readers, you have to use the search
engines more! They can help you locate
things faster than I can.
The Krylon Products Group has come
out with a new aerosol spray paint called
“Short Cuts.” It comes in small 3-ounce
cans and is claimed to be the perfect size for
small painting projects. This paint is
considered safe to apply to ceramic items,
craft-type foams, glass, metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
Go to the Krylon Web site at www.
krylon.com and search for “Short Cuts.”
There is a wide range of colors, including
metallic finishes and a clear. This paint will
dry in roughly 30 minutes and has a highgloss
finish.
Many stores carry this product. In my
area of Long Island (NY) I found a good
selection at the Michaels craft store. These
82 MODEL AVIATION
Pen tip points to tape Bob added to singleconversion
RC receiver to hold crystal
tightly in place. A loose crystal can lead to
intermittent or no radio operation.
connector. You plug the connector from your
charger into this receptacle. No soldering is
necessary and you won’t have to worry
about battery polarity (except when attaching
the alligator clips to the battery terminals).
When I travel to my local flying field I
bring an old folding snack table and an
equally old Corningware heat plate. With the
added cable, plus the charger’s cable, I can
move the table several feet away from my
automobile. I set the battery pack and
charger on top of the heat plate. You must
always stay with the battery pack while it is
being charged. However, by following this
simple procedure you won’t have a fire
inside your vehicle’s passenger
compartment.
Q276: “I am looking for a pump to correct a
low-fuel-tank-draw problem. I found a Perry
Pump but it appears to work off crankcase
pressure and this would require some drilling
on the engine.
“It seems to me years ago that Perry also
made an oscillating pump that operated from
the inherent engine vibration. Are these
pumps still being sold?”
A276: Using a few of the popular search
engines I found Perry Pumps listed in the
Tower Hobbies catalog. I also learned that
Conley Precision now offers the Perry
Pumps line as a separate division.
When I went to the Web site—www.perry
pumps.com—I realized that it included
almost all the original Perry products,
including the Perry carburetors for model
engines. There are even special pump
models you can use for smoke, gas, or diesel
fuels.
My reader friend was looking to use the
oscillating pump on a regular two-stroke
engine. Apparently this particular pump is
designed for use with four-stroke engines. If
you need a pump for a particular application,
contact Conley Precision and ask about it.
Q277: “I saw a device that allows you for
test purposes to clamp to both ends of a
single battery cell, bringing out an electrical
connection for both the positive and negative
terminals.
“I can’t seem to find any reference to this
product. Can you help me out?”
A277: The “tool” you are referring to is the
APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp. It is supplied by West Mountain
Radio, which is the company that developed
the popular CBA II battery-testing device.
You can see in the photo that a standard
carpenter’s clamp has been fitted with
contacts that press onto both ends of the
battery cell. The clamp holds the contacts
tightly until you release it. You can find
details of this clamp at www.westmountain
radio.com/order_RC.htm.
The only thing I would like to see is a
larger clamp that would be capable of
attaching easily to AA-size cells and the new
A123 Systems Li-Ion cells. After clamping
to the battery cell you plug the APP
West Mountain Radio APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp, based on popular carpenter’s clamp, lets you connect to
single battery cell for testing.
Perry VP-20 pump operates from vibration
generated by four-stroke engines. Several
types of pumps are available.
Krylon’s Short Cuts
come in many
colors and cost
roughly $2. The
paint is “friendly”
to ceramic, crafttype
foams, glass,
metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
However, a recent personal problem
turned out to be something different that
you might not expect or look for. It involves
your receiver’s crystal.
I have a new single-conversion RC
receiver that is a popular brand and
extremely lightweight. My radio system
behaved exactly as you described at the
flying field.
I did a little networking and learned
that for some reason the pins on singleconversion
receiver crystals have a much
smaller diameter than crystals in a dualconversion
receiver. I also learned that the
sockets for these “thin-pinned” crystals
don’t provide the best fit. As such, when
plugged into the socket on the receiver,
the crystal can actually “wobble” because
it is so loose.
I examined the crystal in my receiver,
and it was so loose that it fell out in my
hand. I couldn’t get at the socket pins to
make them tighter, but I did come up with
a fix. I wrapped tape around the entire
receiver case several times, and that held
the crystal tightly in place. My
intermittent radio problem went away and
I haven’t had a problem since.
The message here is to not only check
your wiring and connectors, but to check
your crystal as well. If your crystal is
soldered in place, that isn’t going to be
your problem. I’d like to hear from you
readers if this suggestion proved to be
helpful. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Also included in this column:
• Perry Pumps Web site
information
• APP Powerpole High
Current Battery Test Clamp
• “Foam-friendly” Krylon
spray paint
• It could be your receiver
crystal ...
THIS IS THE 35th monthly column in
which I try to give you the best possible
answers to questions you have written or Emailed
to me. Each new inquiry is given a
sequential number for identification
purposes.
Many questions and answers have been
posted to the AMA Web site at www.model
aircraft.org/mag/faq/index.asp. Unfortunately
that posting stopped in August 2005 and will
not continue until this section of the AMA
Web site is revamped. In the meantime, if
you can’t find the subject matter you are
interested in, drop me an E-mail or letter and
I will try to assist you.
Q275: “I have a new Li-Poly battery charger
and was surprised to see that the power input
cable employs a 12-volt auto-type cigarettelighter
connector. This cable is intended to
plug into the 12-volt accessory port that is
supplied with most modern-day
automobiles.
“My concern is that I am constantly
hearing that you should remove your battery
pack from your aircraft prior to charging and
that you should never put that battery inside
the passenger compartment of your auto
during charging.
“If charging inside the car is a concern,
why supply a connector that only works
inside a car? What is your advice?”
A275: This is a good point. Yes, we do
recommend that the battery be removed
from the aircraft while it is being recharged.
We also recommend that no battery be
charged in the passenger compartment of a
car.
Auto fires have started while a battery
was being charged inside the passenger
compartment. This is especially true when
traveling (car in motion) and attempting to
charge the battery pack simultaneously. You
can’t be watching that battery and charger
and be driving at the same time.
I recently reviewed an electric-powered
RC aircraft, and the balanced-type charger
that was provided had a 12-volt auto
cigarette-type connector on the input cable. I
liked the charger and it did have a
proprietary balancing connector, so I really
wanted to use it.
The easiest fix proved to be a visit to my
local RadioShack store, where I purchased a
battery-terminal 12-volt DC adapter
accessory outlet. It is catalog number 270-
1527 and costs roughly $8.
The cable is approximately 20 inches in
length. On one end is a pair of heavy-duty
alligator clips you attach to the terminals of
your auto battery (with the hood open,
naturally).
At the other end of the cable is the
female, or mating, half of the cigarette-lighter
Li-Poly battery charger with 12-volt automotive cigarette-lighter plug on input cable
(lower left). RadioShack cable allows charger to be connected to auto-battery terminals,
so charging happens outside car.
Using RadioShack adapter cable, Bob
attached charger input lead to car-battery
terminals. He uses old folding snack table
and ceramic hot plate placed adjacent to car.
The unsafe way to charge: with auto-type
cigarette-lighter input plug. Use suggested
adapter cable and always charge the
battery outside your vehicle.
little aerosol cans cost only $2, so you are
not investing a lot of money in a small
model paint job.
Q279: “I wanted to relate a recent story to
you. I had installed a new popular-brand
single-conversion RC receiver into my new
aircraft. When I made my first flight, I got
the feeling that the controls were somewhat
intermittent.
There were times I commanded rudder or
elevator on my sport/trainer aircraft and got
no response. On one of my attempted flights
I was about to hand launch the airplane
when the electric motor stopped and the
controls no longer worked.
I realize it is hard to diagnose via Emails,
but do you have any ideas on this
problem?”
A279: Normally I would tell you that
solving your problem could be difficult
without having a chance to look at the
model’s radio and power systems in person.
After reading your description of the
problem, one might assume it is a loose wire
or, more likely, a loose connector. That is
always one of the first things to check.
It is especially important to pull lightly
on all the cable wires as they go into the
connector housing. Sometimes a wire can
break off a pin and you can’t see it.
connectors into your testing device, such as
the CBA II.
Q278: “Lately I’ve been building micro/
indoor RC models constructed primarily of
foam. I heard on several of the model
forums that Krylon now has a spray paint
that comes in small cans and it is “foam
friendly.” Have you heard about this
product?”
A278: Readers, you have to use the search
engines more! They can help you locate
things faster than I can.
The Krylon Products Group has come
out with a new aerosol spray paint called
“Short Cuts.” It comes in small 3-ounce
cans and is claimed to be the perfect size for
small painting projects. This paint is
considered safe to apply to ceramic items,
craft-type foams, glass, metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
Go to the Krylon Web site at www.
krylon.com and search for “Short Cuts.”
There is a wide range of colors, including
metallic finishes and a clear. This paint will
dry in roughly 30 minutes and has a highgloss
finish.
Many stores carry this product. In my
area of Long Island (NY) I found a good
selection at the Michaels craft store. These
82 MODEL AVIATION
Pen tip points to tape Bob added to singleconversion
RC receiver to hold crystal
tightly in place. A loose crystal can lead to
intermittent or no radio operation.
connector. You plug the connector from your
charger into this receptacle. No soldering is
necessary and you won’t have to worry
about battery polarity (except when attaching
the alligator clips to the battery terminals).
When I travel to my local flying field I
bring an old folding snack table and an
equally old Corningware heat plate. With the
added cable, plus the charger’s cable, I can
move the table several feet away from my
automobile. I set the battery pack and
charger on top of the heat plate. You must
always stay with the battery pack while it is
being charged. However, by following this
simple procedure you won’t have a fire
inside your vehicle’s passenger
compartment.
Q276: “I am looking for a pump to correct a
low-fuel-tank-draw problem. I found a Perry
Pump but it appears to work off crankcase
pressure and this would require some drilling
on the engine.
“It seems to me years ago that Perry also
made an oscillating pump that operated from
the inherent engine vibration. Are these
pumps still being sold?”
A276: Using a few of the popular search
engines I found Perry Pumps listed in the
Tower Hobbies catalog. I also learned that
Conley Precision now offers the Perry
Pumps line as a separate division.
When I went to the Web site—www.perry
pumps.com—I realized that it included
almost all the original Perry products,
including the Perry carburetors for model
engines. There are even special pump
models you can use for smoke, gas, or diesel
fuels.
My reader friend was looking to use the
oscillating pump on a regular two-stroke
engine. Apparently this particular pump is
designed for use with four-stroke engines. If
you need a pump for a particular application,
contact Conley Precision and ask about it.
Q277: “I saw a device that allows you for
test purposes to clamp to both ends of a
single battery cell, bringing out an electrical
connection for both the positive and negative
terminals.
“I can’t seem to find any reference to this
product. Can you help me out?”
A277: The “tool” you are referring to is the
APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp. It is supplied by West Mountain
Radio, which is the company that developed
the popular CBA II battery-testing device.
You can see in the photo that a standard
carpenter’s clamp has been fitted with
contacts that press onto both ends of the
battery cell. The clamp holds the contacts
tightly until you release it. You can find
details of this clamp at www.westmountain
radio.com/order_RC.htm.
The only thing I would like to see is a
larger clamp that would be capable of
attaching easily to AA-size cells and the new
A123 Systems Li-Ion cells. After clamping
to the battery cell you plug the APP
West Mountain Radio APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp, based on popular carpenter’s clamp, lets you connect to
single battery cell for testing.
Perry VP-20 pump operates from vibration
generated by four-stroke engines. Several
types of pumps are available.
Krylon’s Short Cuts
come in many
colors and cost
roughly $2. The
paint is “friendly”
to ceramic, crafttype
foams, glass,
metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
However, a recent personal problem
turned out to be something different that
you might not expect or look for. It involves
your receiver’s crystal.
I have a new single-conversion RC
receiver that is a popular brand and
extremely lightweight. My radio system
behaved exactly as you described at the
flying field.
I did a little networking and learned
that for some reason the pins on singleconversion
receiver crystals have a much
smaller diameter than crystals in a dualconversion
receiver. I also learned that the
sockets for these “thin-pinned” crystals
don’t provide the best fit. As such, when
plugged into the socket on the receiver,
the crystal can actually “wobble” because
it is so loose.
I examined the crystal in my receiver,
and it was so loose that it fell out in my
hand. I couldn’t get at the socket pins to
make them tighter, but I did come up with
a fix. I wrapped tape around the entire
receiver case several times, and that held
the crystal tightly in place. My
intermittent radio problem went away and
I haven’t had a problem since.
The message here is to not only check
your wiring and connectors, but to check
your crystal as well. If your crystal is
soldered in place, that isn’t going to be
your problem. I’d like to hear from you
readers if this suggestion proved to be
helpful. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/02
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Also included in this column:
• Perry Pumps Web site
information
• APP Powerpole High
Current Battery Test Clamp
• “Foam-friendly” Krylon
spray paint
• It could be your receiver
crystal ...
THIS IS THE 35th monthly column in
which I try to give you the best possible
answers to questions you have written or Emailed
to me. Each new inquiry is given a
sequential number for identification
purposes.
Many questions and answers have been
posted to the AMA Web site at www.model
aircraft.org/mag/faq/index.asp. Unfortunately
that posting stopped in August 2005 and will
not continue until this section of the AMA
Web site is revamped. In the meantime, if
you can’t find the subject matter you are
interested in, drop me an E-mail or letter and
I will try to assist you.
Q275: “I have a new Li-Poly battery charger
and was surprised to see that the power input
cable employs a 12-volt auto-type cigarettelighter
connector. This cable is intended to
plug into the 12-volt accessory port that is
supplied with most modern-day
automobiles.
“My concern is that I am constantly
hearing that you should remove your battery
pack from your aircraft prior to charging and
that you should never put that battery inside
the passenger compartment of your auto
during charging.
“If charging inside the car is a concern,
why supply a connector that only works
inside a car? What is your advice?”
A275: This is a good point. Yes, we do
recommend that the battery be removed
from the aircraft while it is being recharged.
We also recommend that no battery be
charged in the passenger compartment of a
car.
Auto fires have started while a battery
was being charged inside the passenger
compartment. This is especially true when
traveling (car in motion) and attempting to
charge the battery pack simultaneously. You
can’t be watching that battery and charger
and be driving at the same time.
I recently reviewed an electric-powered
RC aircraft, and the balanced-type charger
that was provided had a 12-volt auto
cigarette-type connector on the input cable. I
liked the charger and it did have a
proprietary balancing connector, so I really
wanted to use it.
The easiest fix proved to be a visit to my
local RadioShack store, where I purchased a
battery-terminal 12-volt DC adapter
accessory outlet. It is catalog number 270-
1527 and costs roughly $8.
The cable is approximately 20 inches in
length. On one end is a pair of heavy-duty
alligator clips you attach to the terminals of
your auto battery (with the hood open,
naturally).
At the other end of the cable is the
female, or mating, half of the cigarette-lighter
Li-Poly battery charger with 12-volt automotive cigarette-lighter plug on input cable
(lower left). RadioShack cable allows charger to be connected to auto-battery terminals,
so charging happens outside car.
Using RadioShack adapter cable, Bob
attached charger input lead to car-battery
terminals. He uses old folding snack table
and ceramic hot plate placed adjacent to car.
The unsafe way to charge: with auto-type
cigarette-lighter input plug. Use suggested
adapter cable and always charge the
battery outside your vehicle.
little aerosol cans cost only $2, so you are
not investing a lot of money in a small
model paint job.
Q279: “I wanted to relate a recent story to
you. I had installed a new popular-brand
single-conversion RC receiver into my new
aircraft. When I made my first flight, I got
the feeling that the controls were somewhat
intermittent.
There were times I commanded rudder or
elevator on my sport/trainer aircraft and got
no response. On one of my attempted flights
I was about to hand launch the airplane
when the electric motor stopped and the
controls no longer worked.
I realize it is hard to diagnose via Emails,
but do you have any ideas on this
problem?”
A279: Normally I would tell you that
solving your problem could be difficult
without having a chance to look at the
model’s radio and power systems in person.
After reading your description of the
problem, one might assume it is a loose wire
or, more likely, a loose connector. That is
always one of the first things to check.
It is especially important to pull lightly
on all the cable wires as they go into the
connector housing. Sometimes a wire can
break off a pin and you can’t see it.
connectors into your testing device, such as
the CBA II.
Q278: “Lately I’ve been building micro/
indoor RC models constructed primarily of
foam. I heard on several of the model
forums that Krylon now has a spray paint
that comes in small cans and it is “foam
friendly.” Have you heard about this
product?”
A278: Readers, you have to use the search
engines more! They can help you locate
things faster than I can.
The Krylon Products Group has come
out with a new aerosol spray paint called
“Short Cuts.” It comes in small 3-ounce
cans and is claimed to be the perfect size for
small painting projects. This paint is
considered safe to apply to ceramic items,
craft-type foams, glass, metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
Go to the Krylon Web site at www.
krylon.com and search for “Short Cuts.”
There is a wide range of colors, including
metallic finishes and a clear. This paint will
dry in roughly 30 minutes and has a highgloss
finish.
Many stores carry this product. In my
area of Long Island (NY) I found a good
selection at the Michaels craft store. These
82 MODEL AVIATION
Pen tip points to tape Bob added to singleconversion
RC receiver to hold crystal
tightly in place. A loose crystal can lead to
intermittent or no radio operation.
connector. You plug the connector from your
charger into this receptacle. No soldering is
necessary and you won’t have to worry
about battery polarity (except when attaching
the alligator clips to the battery terminals).
When I travel to my local flying field I
bring an old folding snack table and an
equally old Corningware heat plate. With the
added cable, plus the charger’s cable, I can
move the table several feet away from my
automobile. I set the battery pack and
charger on top of the heat plate. You must
always stay with the battery pack while it is
being charged. However, by following this
simple procedure you won’t have a fire
inside your vehicle’s passenger
compartment.
Q276: “I am looking for a pump to correct a
low-fuel-tank-draw problem. I found a Perry
Pump but it appears to work off crankcase
pressure and this would require some drilling
on the engine.
“It seems to me years ago that Perry also
made an oscillating pump that operated from
the inherent engine vibration. Are these
pumps still being sold?”
A276: Using a few of the popular search
engines I found Perry Pumps listed in the
Tower Hobbies catalog. I also learned that
Conley Precision now offers the Perry
Pumps line as a separate division.
When I went to the Web site—www.perry
pumps.com—I realized that it included
almost all the original Perry products,
including the Perry carburetors for model
engines. There are even special pump
models you can use for smoke, gas, or diesel
fuels.
My reader friend was looking to use the
oscillating pump on a regular two-stroke
engine. Apparently this particular pump is
designed for use with four-stroke engines. If
you need a pump for a particular application,
contact Conley Precision and ask about it.
Q277: “I saw a device that allows you for
test purposes to clamp to both ends of a
single battery cell, bringing out an electrical
connection for both the positive and negative
terminals.
“I can’t seem to find any reference to this
product. Can you help me out?”
A277: The “tool” you are referring to is the
APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp. It is supplied by West Mountain
Radio, which is the company that developed
the popular CBA II battery-testing device.
You can see in the photo that a standard
carpenter’s clamp has been fitted with
contacts that press onto both ends of the
battery cell. The clamp holds the contacts
tightly until you release it. You can find
details of this clamp at www.westmountain
radio.com/order_RC.htm.
The only thing I would like to see is a
larger clamp that would be capable of
attaching easily to AA-size cells and the new
A123 Systems Li-Ion cells. After clamping
to the battery cell you plug the APP
West Mountain Radio APP Powerpole High Current Battery Test
Clamp, based on popular carpenter’s clamp, lets you connect to
single battery cell for testing.
Perry VP-20 pump operates from vibration
generated by four-stroke engines. Several
types of pumps are available.
Krylon’s Short Cuts
come in many
colors and cost
roughly $2. The
paint is “friendly”
to ceramic, crafttype
foams, glass,
metal, paper,
plastic, and wood.
However, a recent personal problem
turned out to be something different that
you might not expect or look for. It involves
your receiver’s crystal.
I have a new single-conversion RC
receiver that is a popular brand and
extremely lightweight. My radio system
behaved exactly as you described at the
flying field.
I did a little networking and learned
that for some reason the pins on singleconversion
receiver crystals have a much
smaller diameter than crystals in a dualconversion
receiver. I also learned that the
sockets for these “thin-pinned” crystals
don’t provide the best fit. As such, when
plugged into the socket on the receiver,
the crystal can actually “wobble” because
it is so loose.
I examined the crystal in my receiver,
and it was so loose that it fell out in my
hand. I couldn’t get at the socket pins to
make them tighter, but I did come up with
a fix. I wrapped tape around the entire
receiver case several times, and that held
the crystal tightly in place. My
intermittent radio problem went away and
I haven’t had a problem since.
The message here is to not only check
your wiring and connectors, but to check
your crystal as well. If your crystal is
soldered in place, that isn’t going to be
your problem. I’d like to hear from you
readers if this suggestion proved to be
helpful. MA