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Cleaning a Fisher Dial Glass - Printable Version

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Cleaning a Fisher Dial Glass - nuke - 05-31-2014

I want to clean the inside of the dial glass of my Fisher 800T. The dial and the numbers on the glass look fine when the dial lamps are off, but when on it looks hazy and smudged. Also the numbers don't look like they are totally backlit almost like they are not completely adhered to the glass. Is there a way to fix this?

RE: Cleaning a Fisher Dial Glass - codefox1 - 06-02-2014

I'm not surprised nobody want to touch this one, a couple of pictures might help here. Some of thesedial printings are water soluble and will be instantly gone if water is applied to clean 'em. Dunno about "lifting."

Alternatively, you could try to find out if anyone has scanned a good one, and perhaps a new decal or replacement could be made. Another option would to be to dumb down the pilot light(s) so you can still see the dial pointer, but the effect might be less noticeable.

(Moderator may suggest moving posting to another section of the Phorum to gain more eyes, as this could apply to any radio gear)

RE: Cleaning a Fisher Dial Glass - Ron Ramirez - 06-02-2014

Sorry, I was away Saturday and busy yesterday.

I would not use any sort of liquid cleaner on the back where the printing is, as Codefox said. Perhaps a very light buffing with a clean, dry, soft piece of cloth - try it first in a less conspicuous spot. You can carefully clean the outside of the dial glass with your favorite glass cleaner, but be sure none of the stuff gets on the back side of the glass!

I've seen some of the printing on glass receiver dials deform and slide out of place, apparently from inappropriate storage such as in an attic or barn. I would think these would be especially prone to removal from cleaning attempts.

Now, I can tell you that a good pair of LED replacement bulbs will make a huge difference in the illumination of your glass dial. If the 800-T is like most Fishers, it will require a 28mm or 29mm fuse lamp; 30mm will be too long. The more LEDs, the better (4 is much better than 2). Take a look at my Fisher 4400:

http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=8825&page=6

RE: Cleaning a Fisher Dial Glass - nuke - 06-02-2014

Thanks for the replies. I tried a plain q-tip and it seemed to grab dirt but I was wondering whether I should moisten it with some cleaner. Remember this is BEHIND the glass - not the front. That is where the silkscreening is. The thing that really bugs me is why the whole character does not seem lit. It is as if a portion of the letter or number has lifted from the glass. But it hasn't as I can clean it with a q-tip without it lifting. This is an expensive receiver and I don't want ruin the dial glass on a cleaning whimsy. (Any receiver that still sells for a grand 45 technology years after it was manufactured was and still is an expensive radio Icon_biggrin) Thought this might be an issue with Fishers that someone has come across.