![]() ![]() Now remove the four screws in the battery box. It’s not going to be that easy here.įlip over the radio and remove the battery cover and batteries. Many times, you can expose a radio’s entire innards by carefully popping off the plastic back. (Start a parts collection in a small plastic tub now.) Then Remove the two screws on the face under the dial. Remove the tuning dial by unscrewing the big center screw. I have damaged more than one radio by enthusiastically ripping it apart in a hurry to make it great again. Let’s take apart that Admiral find and then look at the components inside. This is a great idea, particularly on complex, valuable radios that you are seeing for the first time. Some hobbyists I know videotape the disassembly process, talking to themselves as they work. ![]() During reassembly, the use of a long screw where a short screw belongs can cause serious physical or electrical damage. ![]() Pay particular attention to the lengths of screws. They do wear out but are inexpensive, and easy to replace. You can also purchase cell phone repair tools like the ones on the right I got from Amazon. I like the automotive trim removal tools available in auto parts stores and online. Chewed up slots will detract. The radio on the left has coin slot damage while the right one is undamaged. Pristine coin slots add to a radio’s value. The plastic is often brittle and becomes more so over time. I advise even avoiding screw drivers as pry tools.Many vintage radios require you to pry open all or part of the radio’s plastic case every time you replace batteries. Coin Slotsĭo NOT use coins to open radios. Only one of the three hidden screws in the Regency TR-1 shown on the right should be removed.Look the radio over carefully. The Motorola radio in the photo on the left is an example.īy the way, just because a screw is visible doesn’t mean you should remove it. In addition, there might be "hidden" screws that need to be remove when separating the electronics from the case. It's not uncommon for folks to cause damage by failing to notice this. Zenith Royal 500 radios, for example have two outside screws. Failing to do so, and then yanking on the case will likely crack it. ![]() You’ll be the person putting it back together.Īre there any hidden screws to contend with? It’s not unusual, for example for there to be a screw under the tuning dial.Sometimes there are hidden screws that need to be removed. It’s easy to lose bits and pieces as you work, so have some parts trays handy and get into the habit of using a different parts tray for each radio you have opened at the same time. Stop working when you get tired or distracted. When working on important radios I like to put down a clean kitchen towel as the work surface. A touch from a hot soldering iron will permanently damage any plastic case, so pay attention whenever you bring a radio to your bench. The workbench is a great place to nick and dent grills as well. As plastic radio cases become brittle with age it is easier and easier to accidentally create heartbreaking scratches, cracks and chips. Just as medical doctors seek to “do no harm,” you need to use extreme caution each-and-every time you open a vintage radio. ![]()
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