Repairing broken portable radio aerials

Some model shops sell various small diameter brass tubes you might find one that is good push-fit into the snapped ends and you should be able to solder it in place but you probably will need an iron with a decent wattage or a fine torch.

Richard

Wire coat hanger? Ahem ....

Poundland recently had "Rabbit Ears" aerials (2x telescopic on a base with lead). You might be able to use those if they are the right size...

Any length of scrap wire length depending on the waveband.

One of my most inspired bodges used a piece of co-ax that came to hand in exactly the way that it's not meant to be used - Strip the insulation off, fold back the screen and shove it down the remains of the tube!

You might not believe it, but, I had a neighbour who broke off his car's aerial in order to replace it with a coat hanger, as he thought it looked cool!

Was it a Mk 3 Cortina? I had a coat hanger aerial on such a car. It looked ........... appropriate.

I have a number of assorted ones you might be able to use and are welcome to if it's any help.

Nothing in the case of AM but needed for FM.

but suggestions please of

My wee radio now has the first piece of thin cable I found soldered to the circuit board. It was about a meter of cable from an old microphone. The ra dio works better than it did new. I have thought of using teh same fix on a radio with an intact ariel, but poor reception.

Find a new one from somewhere. Not much that one can do as they are made of very thin tubes formed at the ends, and the posh ones also have a little contact that wipes inside the larger one it fits into.

I find the most annoying problem is when they bend and thus get dented and cannot retract.

If I had a tenner for every one I've seen 'mended' with a straightened out wire coathanger..... Brian

Rod aerials are held in place with a single screw. Replacing one is an easy repair job

NT

A retired marine electrician of my acquaintance who knew everything about anything twice over used to use one as a TV aerial on his camper van, we swapped it one day for a plastic one and over the next few days observed him frequently fiddling with the set while passers by who noticed it was now plastic often grinned. When he finally noticed he swore reception wasn't affected as the black plastic contained carbon to colour it.

G.Harman