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Uniden/President Washington help

Asche

New Member
Jul 26, 2021
2
2
3
34
Upstate NY
I recently acquired two Uniden Washington units, both in working order... for the most part. One has an awful popping crackle when turning on, and heavy crackling when changing the volume. I am trying to find a replacement for the on/off volume potentiometer for these units. I've had no luck. The only numbers printed on the part itself are "10KA" and "573F".

I swapped the potentiometers around to verify that it is indeed the problem. So now I have one that works perfectly, and one that needs some help.
 

just use some contact cleaner on the pot.

spray some inside and then turn it back and forth a bunch of times.

repeat this process until the rotation feels smooth and easy.

also good to shake out the cleaner before turning it so you're not sloshing the same old grid all around the carbon track.

WD40 and lighter fluid have been used as alternatives, but i can't speak to that as i've always used a contact cleaner and then a CAIG contact conditioner when i do them.
LC
 
That popping crackling sound usually means some recapping - Audio caps - those Electrolytic's are getting old.

Popping and less overall control of volume - once the pots are cleaned up - signals it as being the next step.

It's easer to work the big stuff (those larger cans) because they're easier to remove by size and in some cases - their adhesive glue may take off some parts of the phenolic parts of the board with it.

The dead shorts these things (caps) appear as - makes each stage work a little harder in amplification - so even the smallest switching noise or even the buzz and 60 cycle hum present - shows up from that extra drive.
 
just use some contact cleaner on the pot.

spray some inside and then turn it back and forth a bunch of times.

repeat this process until the rotation feels smooth and easy.

also good to shake out the cleaner before turning it so you're not sloshing the same old grid all around the carbon track.

WD40 and lighter fluid have been used as alternatives, but i can't speak to that as i've always used a contact cleaner and then a CAIG contact conditioner when i do them.
LC

Thanks for that! I just had figured the unit to be toasted. Just reinstalled it, and works perfectly!

Now to figure out what to do with two Washingtons!
 

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