baknaffekt

This is my first time putting a kit together, so I guess I was bound to screw up royaly at some point. While trying to thread my receiver antennae wire through the long plastic tube, I managed to tear the wire in half. Question 1: Can I solder it back together, or is my receiver doomed? Question 2: Any tips on how to get the antennae wire pushed through the plastic tube so I don't do this again?

Thanks

Racing T

yeah you can just solder it together again, and what I do to thread my receiver antena wire through the plastic tube is to put a few drops of wd-40 through it. ir you can just apply the wd-40 directly to the antenna wire.

Seek and Destroy

I just straithen it a couple times with my fingers and do it really slowly.

KRO

I use lock ease (graphite) and it glides right through .

abjones413

Baby Powder works great. Smells fresh too!! And of course, pull the wire gently through your fingers a few times to make as straight as possible, as well as the tube. A curved tube will cause problems...

baknaffekt

I soldered the wire back together today. I tried using WD40, but still no luck. I'll try straightening the tube out better. Right now I have the wire (not the receiver itself) in the freezer to hopefully stiffen it up so I can push it through. Thanks for the suggestions.

Seek and Destroy

Take it out of the freezer. I don't think it will do aything but make it worse. Juat do it slowly and straighten it. And when it comes out the top pull it through.

abjones413

It helps to hold the antenna and twist the tube also. Make sure you continue to twist the same way all the way through.

You may have issues now that ou soldered the wire together. I can't imagine it being the same diameter as the rest of the wire, which JUST fits through the tube with effort.

Idea! Cut the antenna off just near the base of the receiver and re-solder on an entire new antenna. Basically any wire will work. I'm sure you have some speaker wire hanging around, possibly even an antenna on the back of a bookshelf stereo or boom box. A foot will be more than sufficient and won't affect the device you "borrow" it from...
If you use speaker wire, you don't need the sheath around it. Bare wire will work fine, as it will be covered by the tube anyhow...