jettstarblue

Well, my "vintage" Futaba AM and FM radios are history.
I went out TODAY and bought some "electric parts cleaner".
It is totally my fault that this happened, because in part, I read only the BIG LETTERS on the can.

So ALWAYS READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS FIRST!

I decided to get all neat and clean up the radios, and got 'em all out, and started to spray them with some "electric parts cleaner". I got the first two done, and then went to set them aside, and I heard a rattle. "Oh good thing I'm cleaning these, I found a loose piece in one!" Within seconds BOTH radios had begun to self destruct, and within one minute, the destruction was final.

I was gonna spray 'em ALL, then go back, and brush clean them!!!
Here are some pictures, notice how the plastic looks "fractured".

Do not try this at home.

Sabot

wow your sooooo lucky you didnt spray the new radios.

what does it say on the can about exploding when you spray it in something. or did you forget to take the battery pack out?

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry for the destruction. Just think something good came out of all that. You have warned all RC'ers with older radios about potential damage. Won't make you feel any better I know, but thanks very much.

J.Paul Saure

WOW, I never thought my still strong, 10 year old Attack-4 AM was "vintage", I just thought it was "old".......
Sorry for the loss.....

huey-pilot

My Feedback: (17)

I tried the same cleaner a few years ago and it did the same thing to some plastic stereo parts, it's strange how the parts don't get sticky like if you used acetone or other solvent, they just crumble and fall apart.

MHawker

My Feedback: (16)

Wholly self destruct batman....... You "did" test in a small inconspicuous spot for color fastness, right?

That's a shame, dude. Sorry to see that.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Holy crap Jetts! It's really hard to believe that spraying the radios with the CRC would cause that. [X(]

But now that I see the front of the can and it says, "Degreases Fast" and "Removes Oil and Dirt", I guess it makes sense. After all, grease & oil are petroleum products, and many plastics are petroleum based.

At least you sprayed those first.
Dennis-

jettstarblue

Interesting- as I picked up the first one, I said "Uh oh, it sounds like something loose." After a minute or so, the whole mess had come apart. I looked at the pieces again, under a magnifying glass, and they all look like they were bashed with a hammer.
I also looked at the directions with a magnifying glass, and sho' nuff, it says " don't use on delicates".
Those were not my first radios, but certainly my oldest. They served me well.
This was totally "Pilot error"!
Life is rough!

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

at least you got some spare control sticks out of the deal[:@]

there's plenty of electronics safe cleaners like "flux-off" that can be used, a radio just doesn't need degreasing like an old grungy starter or alternator...whats next, a sand blaster??


dave

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Well....... they do look clean! Hey Jetts, ever hear the saying, "if it aint broke don't fix it"? I think you did yourself a favor and you should sell all the others and get one good computer radio. Maybe save one for a back-up but decide on negative or positive shift first so your recievers in the future will be interchangable. I bet you are like my brother who is notoriously cheap and won't buy a flight pack when he can get another new TX for $5 bucks more, even though it comes with cheap servos and he never get's the benefits of the newer computer radio's features. In a hobby where we spend a lot to begin with I don't understand why someone who is obviously as into it as you seem to be wouldn't want the extras that come with the higher priced transmiters.

jettstarblue

B.B.,
My "thriftiness" is legendary!
Yes, I'm definately a 5 bucks more for the whole radio type. Time to look ahead a bit?
Now, let's get back to the d*** jokes, and poker, shall we?

Jetts

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

That's my guess also!


Sorry for the loss

...kind of looks like they got sucked into a black hole.

You know, if you really wanted an excuse to buy a new radio, I am SURE you could have just given them to someone on RCU!!!

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Bummer Jetts

Next time, get "Electronic" Parts Cleaner.

air mail rcu

Jetts,

Thanks for sharing that. I would have never thought that would have happened.

Deadeye

I get excellent results with 90% iso. In fact, back in my 'car days' I used to submerge the electric motors in a jar of iso, and plug em in and run them. They came out spotless! Thanks for the heads up, Jetts, sorry for the loss.

*Crash*Johnson*

My Feedback: (7)

Sorry to hear that Jett

At least you may prevent someone else making that mistake. I had that happen once on a paintball gun I just bought. Figured I'd clean it nice and neat... melted in my hand.

Sucks.

Ross Kean

Watch out for "slightly used" vintage radios on EBAY!

Just kidding.

Ross

Freakazoid

My Feedback: (1)

Condolences about the rampage on your remotes, praise yourself lucky you where not in a hurry and did em all in a cleaning spree. Also, If I might ask... whats up with the freakishly large collection of remotes? I assume theire all kit included remotes? Or youre just so lazy you dont even bother plugging another cristal, just grab the remote that came with the plane.

Ive got a nice chemical story aswell.
Once I was trying to remove the glue on my broken heli tailboom, using a swab and some adhesive dissolvant stuff. After swabbing the lot, I put down the swab to start yanking the tail remains, but I didnt notice the swab rolling around on my desk, bumping into my heli canopy. [&:] You can guess what happened then.. The chemical anihalated about a square inch of canopy plastic, leaving nothing but a swampy black slime. When I finaly noticed what happened I freaked out and flinged the swab against my TV remote, wich also started getting a soft scuff on its plastic housing.

Plot of this story: Keep your chemicals the hell away from your precious hobby!! [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Live Wire

If you would not have moved they would not have got dirty, My god what a mess. We learn from our mistakes!

jettstarblue

Hmmm.. Is that a freakishly large collection? Yes, let's see, one for the parky, one for the 'lectric wing, one for the U-2 speed 400 foam glider, one for the Kadet Sr., one for the glider, one each for the H-9 Alpha, and Arrow, one for the....

Seriously, if I had only one Tx for all my planes and I lost it, I'd be up a creek. This way I have a Tx for each plane, and that makes it easier for me to keep track of everything, er, I think.
Besides that, I'm doing market research.......

air mail rcu

Jetstarblue,

That's about how many radios I have too. In 1991 when I had to buy new radios I started to buy cheap radios for each plane. As the years want by I started to buy computer radios. Now I have a Tracker II with 99 model memory and that radio is starting to take the place of all the rest.


Freakazoid I don't think changing your crystal is a good way or legal way to get more use from a radio.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Jetts,
Which of those radios has exponential? What about subtrim? Got any mixing capabilities there bud? Trim memory, flaperons, PCM, Elevons? Nope, didn't think so.

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

look at his location before you report him to the FCC. the rest of the world is allowed to use this feature, only in america is the RCer considered an idiot that must be protected from himself. easier to outlaw it than to explain how to do it safely....


dave

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

a while back i left a gallon jug of hydrochloric acid opened in my unattended shop for a couple of months...came back to find that everything made of steel rusted....lots of engines and tools died


dave

jettstarblue

B.B

To clarify and justify,

I've got V-tail, and elevon mixing on the Hitec, it's also got a nice feature where you can "turn down" the ele. and ail. channels, (good for test flights).

The rest are 2, 3 or 4 channel with no fancy stuff.

I have a radio for each plane, and so there is no need for "memory".

I had a radio (Airtronics) with 6 channels once, but I kept using the extra two for bomb drops, rocket launches ect., and never did build anything with flaps, or retractable gear.

In the past, using a cammed set up, I have linked throttle to flap manually, and it worked quite well. I also made a set up so I can run the throttle to a pre-set position, snap pictures, or turn on/off lights ect. (camera activated by the throttle, lights switched on and off with the throttle, throttle run to a pre-set high and low point by the elevator servo, ect.
All quite fancy, and very ingenious in a country hick kind of way.

The other stuff (SUB trim fer cryin' out loud?) is just cause to confuse with me. (not too difficult)
I fly 2,3, and 4 channel planes, set up one of two ways- either they fly scale like, with very little movements on the controls, (don't get me started on the overly generous amount of control throw most kits/ARF's call for) or cranked up for aerobatics.

I'm a simple, yet complicated creature........