HW 101 tuning belts

[Paul Blumhardt]

The reason the belts are failing is the rubber is drying out due to heat in
the radio and lack of humidity in the local environment.

I'd suggest trying one of the rubber dressings available at your local auto
parts store. I know there is a dressing that can be applied to fan belts to
stop squeaking. Tire dressing might also work.

One other idea is a VERY light coating of Vaseline. A coating of Bee's Wax
might also help keep the belt moist and be a traction aid.

Share the results and ideas with us

Good luck

VY 73
Paul

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heathkit Owners and Collectors List
> [mailto:HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV]On Behalf Of Kenneth G. Gordon
> Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 8:31 PM
> To: HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
> Subject: Re: HW 101 tuning belts
>
>
> > I want to thank all who gave me sources for the belts. I also got the
> > heathkit mod to install a dial string but I found that so
> tedious that I
> > abandoned that idea and went to the hardware store and bought
> the belts. Again,
> > thanks a lot and 73'3 de KG4JRK.
>
> I had considered that mod, but decided against it.
>
> HOWEVER, I have been working on two HW-101s at work: one for a
> friend and one for myself.
>
> I replaced the tuning belts in both with brand new "O" rings from our
> local auto parts store about 2 months ago.
>
> Yesterday, when I started back to work on the rigs, I found BOTH sets
> deteriorated and broken.
>
> Apparently there is something in the air there that is attacking them.
>
> I also do a lot of computer repair and servicing in my shop at the
> University of Idaho. Over the past couple of years, I have had to
> replace the drive belts that exist in many different brands of CD ROM
> drives. These belts, although much thinner than those in the HW-
> 101/SB-101 series rigs, are also made of neoprene, and all were
> deteriorated in the same way that my new HW-101 belts were.
>
> I have contacted our evironmental safety office to see if we can
> determine what the cause might be.
>
> Our first thought was ozone, or UV deterioration, but the CD ROM
> drives are completely enclosed in computers and CD drives in OTHER
> buildings on campus don't suffer this sort of damage.
>
> I am most curious...
>
> Ken Gordon W7EKB
>
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Products bought, sold or traded here is the responsibility of the
parties involved.  This list and the City of Tempe are not responsible
for losses or misrepresentations of any kind.  Buyer beware!

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