Radio Aromas

[AD7N]

I've owned a number of rigs, and some seem to offer up unique aromas. Boat anchors seem to have a different smell than say a new SMT HT , etc. I usually don't think about it consciously unless its really hot and offgasing plastic smells. But its a subtle reminder of certain rigs and memories I've had with them.

[KA9VQF]

I have a boat anchor that smells like it did when I got it from the ‘might tired man’ {W9MTM <SK>} after its been on a while.

I’ve restored other radios and managed to get the stench out of them but I have to say, I really haven’t tried very hard with this one.

Like you said it brings back memories.

[AF6LJ]

There is nothing like the bouquet of a well cared for Heath SB-301.

[VK6ZGO]

I like the smell of old style MW AM Transmitter buildings (when everything is up & running).

All the old tube stuff gets nice & warm & emits a nice dusty,varnishy, smell.
Along with that,there is the faint smell of ozone.

Telephone Exchanges,on the other hand,all seem to have a weird smell---I'm in two minds whether I like it.:)

73,VK6ZGO

[W5BIB]

I like the smell of old style MW AM Transmitter buildings (when everything is up & running).

All the old tube stuff gets nice & warm & emits a nice dusty,varnishy, smell.
Along with that,there is the faint smell of ozone.

Telephone Exchanges,on the other hand,all seem to have a weird smell---I'm in two minds whether I like it.:)

73,VK6ZGO AGREED! You've re-kindled MY youth!!! I think I mostly remember the 'aroma' of Heat & Paint!!! (the 'glow' did add a lot)... Dang!!... thank goodness for BA's

[K7MH]

The smell of burnt insulation and someone yelling from across the room, "PULL THE PLUG!!!":eek:

[NL7W]

There's nothing quite like the smell of hollow state electronics after it's been on awhile... that's for sure. :)

[N0AZZ]

I picked up a floor model 1920's vintage radio mid, long, shortwave from a auction and had to sell it in a few months because I could never get the smell of unwashed bodies, smoke, rat & mice urine who knows what else. As soon as it heated up it was really bad I had it in a detached shed and it still was bad.

[KA9VQF]

I picked up a floor model 1920's vintage radio mid, long, shortwave from a auction and had to sell it in a few months because I could never get the smell of unwashed bodies, smoke, rat & mice urine who knows what else. As soon as it heated up it was really bad I had it in a detached shed and it still was bad.

Perhaps if you cleaned the shed?

I know what you mean here, I have worked on several floor model radios of that vintage and I’m pretty sure they smelled like that even when they were brand new.

They used a lot of horse hoof glue when pressing the veneer together. Horse hoof glue just smells like that also the old time varnish has its own particular smell when heated.

There are ways to konk most of the stench like liberal applications of Fabreze and putting dryer sheets in side the cabinet then tightly enclosing the whole thing in plastic for several days or weeks even months.

In my own RCA floor model, I just hang some Royal Pine car air fresheners inside the cabinet when it gets to bothering me much. Works for me,… YMMV

[W1GUH]

Mmmmmmm....the scent of a brand-new Heathkit just after the box is opened. Better than that new-car smell!

[WA6MHZ]

My whole house smells like BURNT Transformers and Resistors
(masks the LITTERBOX Smell!)

[KL7AJ]

I've owned a number of rigs, and some seem to offer up unique aromas. Boat anchors seem to have a different smell than say a new SMT HT , etc. I usually don't think about it consciously unless its really hot and offgasing plastic smells. But its a subtle reminder of certain rigs and memories I've had with them.

IN our class at Hutch, we have a Hallicrafters SX-25 Super Defiant with some of the original wax capacitors. I fire it up an hour before every class so as to fill the room with that hot wax aroma.

I think the FCC should include a practical exam which would require identifying a fried component by smell alone, by the way.

Eric

[AF6LJ]

I think someone needs to market scented candles.
Collins
Drake
Swan
Hellicrafters
Henry
BTI
National
National RX
NCL-2000
Crosley
Atwater Kent
and
Ham Shack
and
Radio Shop.

[K8ERV]

Nothing beats the smell of hot phenolic when soldering tube sockets.

(Or skin when solder globs fall on it ).

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[WN6U]

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."




Too many tacos the night before.

[K7MH]

My whole house smells like BURNT Transformers and Resistors
(masks the LITTERBOX Smell!)

Just take some 8 inch pieces of insulated 14 gauge single strand wire, pull the insulation up until there is about 1 inch of wire still in it (the wire makes a nice handle), then burn it like incense.
Like WOW man!!

[G0GQK]

Never had a smell of rat urine up my conk, or unwashed bodies in a tranceiver. People used to complain years ago about the smell of 20 Senior Service fags a day for 10 years in rigs they bought and cigars, I've looked at used cars stinking of stale cigarettes, doesn't happen these days thank goodness

[W0NHH]

Fry the selenium in an old 1940s suicide set. Makes Pat's litter box smell good by comparison.

[ZL2MGS]

I like the smell of old style MW AM Transmitter buildings (when everything is up & running).

All the old tube stuff gets nice & warm & emits a nice dusty,varnishy, smell.
Along with that,there is the faint smell of ozone.

Telephone Exchanges,on the other hand,all seem to have a weird smell---I'm in two minds whether I like it.:)

73,VK6ZGO

Funny that you should mention telephone exchanges - I was doing some work in Perth a few years ago and was slightly surprised to find that they smelt much the same there as they do here, especially the older suburban ones where there is not a great amount of new equipment going into them.

[W4KTL]

If you miss the scent of "back in the day" electronics, visit the Historical Electronics Museum near the Baltimore-Washington airport. It will make you wish you could call up Hammarlund and order a new receiver.

[KJ6LFD]

ASR-33 teletype. Hot oil smell and a distinct sound.

[KY5U]

Boat anchors seem to have a different smell than say a new SMT HT , etc.
It's the dust on the hot tubes, and the unique materials that get hot (and shouldn't) like Bakelite, selenium rectifiers, wax capacitors, etc. If your transformer ever overheated, you can smell it years later. My wife got an 110VAC inverter for her car, and she saw me "sniff" it. "What's that about?", she asked. "I never plug in anything without sniffing it first", I answered without thinking. She turned red.

Then I explained to her how electronic things smell bad after burning up. She looked at me and said, "Is that true??"

Reminds me of a joke: Sophia Loren was telling Pamela Anderson how she had, in the past, shared her bed with Brazilian men. Pan Anderson said, "Wow! Brazillian! Thats like waaay over a million right?"

[N5PVL]

I'm still perfecting the formula for my "fried electronics" incense matches.

When visiting the ham with the new, expensive rig, you ask for a drink of water... While he's gone, just unplug his rig's power cord, place a smouldering N5PVL fried electronics incense match behind the radio - and sit back to enjoy the excitement upon your host's return!

( Don't forget to slowly edge your way toward the door as he looks behind the rig to see where the curl of smoke is coming from. )

[AD7N]

I'm still perfecting the formula for my "fried electronics" incense matches.

When visiting the ham with the new, expensive rig, you ask for a drink of water... While he's gone, just unplug his rig's power cord, place a smouldering N5PVL fried electronics incense match behind the radio - and sit back to enjoy the excitement upon your host's return!

( Don't forget to slowly edge your way toward the door as he looks behind the rig to see where the curl of smoke is coming from. )

That's just plum bad :D

Just make sure you don't rub some on his soldering iron!

[KY5U]

I'm still perfecting the formula for my "fried electronics" incense matches.

When visiting the ham with the new, expensive rig, you ask for a drink of water... While he's gone, just unplug his rig's power cord, place a smouldering N5PVL fried electronics incense match behind the radio - and sit back to enjoy the excitement upon your host's return!

( Don't forget to slowly edge your way toward the door as he looks behind the rig to see where the curl of smoke is coming from. )
My favorite shop gag was to route a piece of wire spaghetti under the rubber workbench mat through a small hole up into a rig being repaired. When the tech turned it on to "test" blow a big mouthful of cigar smoke thru the spaghetti tube and it comes out the rig. Good for panic and backpeddling.