REALISTIC DX150A TUNING KNOW STUCK PLEASE HELP-urgent

[KB3YJO]

yesterday i found a radio that i have wanted to 2 years the realsitic dx150a.when i got her home from the ham fest and tried her out with a super long wire antenna she was very very noisy and very noisy.most like all my other finds at thirft stores and soone.well i did the same thing i alsways do.take off the top or back and gently hit the knowbs w/ some high quality contact cleaner.well after sparying the knobs i moved them backnforth to free them up and OPPS the main tuning dial will no longer tunr to the right??? it will turn to the left but not to the left.if i place a very light amount of tensuin on the tuning cord it works perfect,but thats not a fulltime option.i saved 3 months and dreamed of getting one of these radio for years to say i am heart broken is an understantement.plus my xly will not be pleased if she thinks i runied a radio .
can someone PLEASE HELP A HAM IN NEED.what did i do wrong the tuning knob was a bit stiff but it worked fine and now its better than new to the left but wont go right unless you put light pressure on the tunning cord...did i get contact were i shouldnt have.PLEASE HELP.TO make matters worse i have a cancer appointment at the hospital 2morro at 9am so i hate to think of this as anomen.all and any help GREATLY APPREAICIATED
73,KB3YJO davy
email dave@davejonesxperience.com you can call me if you can help im running out of time in more ways than one 570-729-1057

[KE3WD]

Did you by chance get any spray on the tuning dial cord, particular where it wraps the driven pulley? 

Wash down with solvent designed to leve it high and dry. 

Obserce while turning and find out where the slippage is occurring. 

May also need to adjust the dial cord tension, usually a spring or string-thru-screwdown at the tuning capacitor wheel. 


73

[AC5UP]

What Clark said.

Some contact cleaners have an oil base. Get too much of it on the dial cord pulley and it will slip. Chances are there's a long side and short side of the cord relative to the tuning knob and it slips when you try to tune against the slack in the long side. Make sure the cord hasn't slipped off a guide or pulley and the spring in the tuning condenser pulley is stretched slightly... That would tell you it's holding tension.

Before you do anything, draw a picture or take a picture with your digital camera of how the cord was installed. If all looks good your options are to remove the dial cord and soak it in isopropyl alcohol until the oil floats out, or try cleaning it in place with Q-Tips or paper towels. If the tensioning spring is bottomed out due to cord stretch you'll need to remove one end of the cord and re-attach it with an extra loop or knot at the post. That way it's a little shorter and a little tighter. Also wouldn't hurt to (carefully) oil the tuning condenser and tuning knob shaft so they move as freely as possible.

The dial mechanism is a very simple machine that shouldn't be that hard to fix, just make sure you know how to put it back together..............   

[KA0SBL]

Don't worry, if that's the only thing wrong with this radio you'll likely get it going and feel really good about fixing it.

As mentioned, oil or grease on the tuning string or pulleys can cause this condition as can a loose or stretched string. 

Also, there's a rail along the top of the dial that guides the needle, they can get gummed up over time. Just wipe it clean with a Q-tip and some alcohol, add a drop or two of oil, tune back & forth to distribute.

Sometimes in older rigs like these the tuning capacitor bearings get sticky too. A drop of oil on those bearings should free it up. Oil sparingly, dab up the excess.

I had basically the same condition an old Knight Star Roamer, got the advise listed above and all is well. That's much of the fun of radio, and lots of good folks here to help.

Good Luck & Best Wishes.

[N4NYY]

Did you by chance get any spray on the tuning dial cord, particular where it wraps the driven pulley?  


73

That is what I first thought.