I was told to use a wool pad that is 6 ott but all I could find is 4 ott. Any suggestions? There is a bit of residue that alcolhol wipes can't remove. All I have is 4 ott. That is all this area seems to carry. Email me with cosmetic cleaning suggestions at carddude99@hotmail.com. Also, I need an antenna cover/handle without breaking the bank. (On disibility) Cheapest one offered was $75. The radio is in a trade with a friend and I have already put $30 into it to clean and restore. It works great. Using cosmetic rubber material to give handle appearance. ($5.00) Again all ideas welcome!!!!!

Daniel

I tried the 4 ott wool. It cleaned what it could. What I notice on the hard aluminum top are specs above the surface. Not grime, and certainly the same color as the rest of the top but they are raised. Speckles. Is that just the way the radio came? Any ideas are welcome and boy, a cheap antenna cover foir the 3000 would be great. Even if it is a replica made for that model.

Daniel

Daniel.
The top portion of the TO is actually brushed chrome over the casting. The pimples on it are caused by impurities in the base pot metal that bubble up with age. It's a common enough occurance that finding any chrome over pot metal casting in unblemished condition is truly rare.

Bruce Webster

It's not pot metal underneath, it's moderately hard steel. But yes, the bubbles are a functions of corrosion of the underlying metal and it's pretty rare to find one that isn't screwed up. I am pretty sure it was not plated on, but applied as a sort of foil and that the corrosion is due to something getting in the bond line.

I have some hard aluminum "foil" that I am going to try to use to replace the chrome but it seems like a very big project and I haven't had the time or energy for it yet. I have a couple of front doors that are otherwise worthless so no loss if it doesn't work. I have tried brushing the foil on a test piece and it looks great.

Brett

So it is what it is. I guess it gives this radio a bit of character. Any concern I should have of this impacting the radio's performance? Is this problem going to get worse and worse?

Also, any ideas on a handle?

Thanks

I will say I am proud of what I was able to fix and clean. For free and a few bucks, this radio shines in performance now and looks pretty nice.
(proud cause I have never really cleaned or de-oxed a radio before - not like this)

I haven't noticed mine getting worse but I have only had them for about 2% of its total life. It won't hurt the performance.

Aside from getting a replacement, I don't have any great ideas for a handle. I have seen radios on eBay go for $25 from time to time but the handle is pretty notoriously prone to breakage so that's about the last replacement part you are going to easily find.

I would probably try to make one out of wood but I haven't thought about it all that much. Actually, I could probably make one from carbon fiber, I would be the first kid on the block with a high-tech graphite Royal 3000.


Brett

I have a Cardinal rule with my T-O 3000-1 to never pick the set up by gripping the handle in the middle. Instead I grip the handle up tight to its hinged end, which stresses the handle way less. Of course, if your handle has already broken this tip is useless. These sets are heavier than new with the extra weight of today's alkaline cells over yesterday's zinc-carbon cells.

I pack the handles of mine with epoxy putty as recommended by Cones & Bryant in their Trans-Oceanic book, but still support the radio with a hand underneath as mentioned above.

A handle with cracks or splits can be mended with CA glue, then the handle packed with epoxy putty and while not pretty, will function well. Be careful if packing the handle with epoxy not to compromise the whip antenna.