Cigarette smoky rigs: YUCK!!

[MTS2000des]

First off, I am biased. I don't smoke. I HATE it, it's disgusting, unhealthy and vile. If you do, bad bad ham! That being said, is it any wonder smoker's electronics fail more often than non smokers?

We've all seen threads and images of computers owned by nicotine addicts, with their urine yellow tinged cases, full of tarry sludge that gums up fans and heat sinks, and causes PSUs to overheat and pop. We've all heard of Apple telling smokers "sorry, our warranty doesn't cover abuse from exposure to caustic cancerous clouds anymore than roach infestations".

But how often do you go to a hamfest and see what would be otherwise be fine gear like this once shiny Kenwood TS-711A all yellowed and brown with skanky nicotine tar, stinking like an Irish pub?

Kenwood TS 711A 2 Meter All Mode Smoker Ham Radio as Is MTC Holiday Blow Out | eBay

YUCK. Ever had any luck getting the rotten stench of stale cigarette SMOG out of a rig like this? I spent my time as a bench tech in a two way shop, and I had my share of "reekers" but in LMR it's to be expected. Users are hard on their gear, and someone else finances it anyway. But you'd think hams would take better pride (and care) of their high end radios like this.

(I gotta hand it to the ebay seller for their outright honesty, can't help but laugh at their "fumigation" comment in the text. Can't say they didn't warn the buyer THIS RIG STINKS!)

 

[Mark]

Rigs can get Cancer from smoke? Irish Pubs all stink?

You need to take a chill pill while I light up here..AAAAH!
Radios Coffee and Cigs go together well...Best of all worlds!

 

[mmckenna]

I've cleaned up a few smoky rigs. Wiped them down with a rag and alcohol. The yellow crap that came off was really nasty. The ham who had owned them had died from lung cancer, no surprise based on the nastyness inside the radio.

 

[cavmedic]

I'd rather second own a smokers rig than a cat hoarder, where everything smells like cat pI$$


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[cavmedic]

Or one that was full of cockroaches


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[MTS2000des]

I've cleaned up a few smoky rigs. Wiped them down with a rag and alcohol. The yellow crap that came off was really nasty. The ham who had owned them had died from lung cancer, no surprise based on the nastyness inside the radio.

I'd never buy equipment from a smoker. Aside from the nasty urine film, the chances of electronics failing are higher. You smokers are free to do as you wish, but failing electronics are but another consequence of your drug addiction.

I've had worse luck. I once had a Kenwood D700 that was owned by a cancer club member. It stunk worse than a used baby diaper. Cleaning the surface of the film got the skank off, but it still reeked. The problem with cigarette smoke is all the junk in it, it bonds at the molecular level to the plastic and PCB's. It just doesn't come out that easy.

Disgusting. Smoke all you want. You folks give us in health care job security, so keep puffin away.

 

[kb2vxa]

Oh get of the anti-smoking kick, that's not the issue here. Electronics hate smoke which is why in commerce such areas are smoke free, it simply gums up the works. I'd never buy a rig suffering from smoke damage, you can clean the outside and make it look pretty but inside it's another story. The stink dissipates in time but the damage has been done and can lead to failure, I don't want iffy electronics in my home.

Cats may like laying atop equipment but not likely to urinate in their favorite spots. That having been said, if a cat peed so it got inside guaranteed it was destroyed in short order owing to the conductive nature of urine.

Ugh, aside from just plain nasty cockroaches will eat anything so aside from all those little black specks, guaranteed there is damage. If it had roaches there is the distinct possibility one left an egg case hidden somewhere, now you've got roaches. Don't look now but there is a bedbug invasion going on and they're tiny and hard to spot. If you think they're limited to beds you've got another thing coming.

"Irish Pubs all stink?"
I could make a comment about the Irish but I won't. (;->) I don't know about Ireland but here like the rest they're now smoke free. Thank goodness, when I worked for a distributor of juke boxes, pinball games and upright video games what came in for service from bars were smoked up dark brown and sticky. Well, diluted ammonium hydroxide and a high pressure water rinse followed by high pressure air and overnight drying fixed that, THEN I could repair them.

One last thought, bars no longer stink of stale smoke but stale beer and puke remain. You DON'T want to be the one to open in the morning... OOF!

 

[cavmedic]

They may not have to directly urinate in it, just the general saturated atmospheric smell.


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[N1508J]

What hillbillies say

Hillbilly advice: I don't smoke and I don't chew and I don't associate with them that do! You don't blow your smoke on me and I won't spit on you!

Oh get of the anti-smoking kick, that's not the issue here. Electronics hate smoke which is why in commerce such areas are smoke free, it simply gums up the works. I'd never buy a rig suffering from smoke damage, you can clean the outside and make it look pretty but inside it's another story. The stink dissipates in time but the damage has been done and can lead to failure, I don't want iffy electronics in my home.

Cats may like laying atop equipment but not likely to urinate in their favorite spots. That having been said, if a cat peed so it got inside guaranteed it was destroyed in short order owing to the conductive nature of urine.

Ugh, aside from just plain nasty cockroaches will eat anything so aside from all those little black specks, guaranteed there is damage. If it had roaches there is the distinct possibility one left an egg case hidden somewhere, now you've got roaches. Don't look now but there is a bedbug invasion going on and they're tiny and hard to spot. If you think they're limited to beds you've got another thing coming.

"Irish Pubs all stink?"
I could make a comment about the Irish but I won't. (;->) I don't know about Ireland but here like the rest they're now smoke free. Thank goodness, when I worked for a distributor of juke boxes, pinball games and upright video games what came in for service from bars were smoked up dark brown and sticky. Well, diluted ammonium hydroxide and a high pressure water rinse followed by high pressure air and overnight drying fixed that, THEN I could repair them.

One last thought, bars no longer stink of stale smoke but stale beer and puke remain. You DON'T want to be the one to open in the morning... OOF!

 

[JoeyC]

Can't stand to have anything that has lived in a smokers house in mine. Disgusting and vile is an understatement.

 

[k3cfc]

I'd rather second own a smokers rig than a cat hoarder, where everything smells like cat pI$$


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I agree 100% cats belong out in the woods. Remington 222 a scope as big as a one pound coffee can then you hear pop PZZZZZZZZZ cat fur lol.

 

[k3cfc]

My bud bought a new scanner. and like an idiot let his young son hold on to it. they were at his place of work and there was a large barrel of antifreeze sitting on the floor so the kid walked up to it and he dropped the scanner in the barrel. so much for warranty so we put in a ( your going to think i am nuts ) bucket of wood alcohol and swished it around for a bit. left it dry for a week and other than the speaker it worked fine and had it for several years. so if you could get a radio for free or cheaper it would be fun to see if it would work for cig smoke.

K3CFC

 

[kb2vxa]

"I don't smoke and I don't chew and I don't associate with them that do! You don't blow your smoke on me and I won't spit on you!"

Big deal, you have a .22 mouth. If I saw a plug in your cheek I'd think twice, a good chaw hits like a .45.

 

[n9mxq]

Place the offending radio in a airtight plastic bag with a couple dryer sheets for a week or two, won't help on the electronics side, but works wonders on the smell..