APX7000 A-B-C Switch Easy Fix?

[KF5LSC]

Hello all,

So I have an APX7000 that is used in a high dust / high dirt environment. I clean it regularly, but sort of figured that the ABC switch would eventually fail due to all of the inaccessible area inside of it that can't really be cleaned. Sure enough, the switch failed today. It feels like the switch alllllmost wants to make contact at the "C" side of the switch, but can't, and I can no longer feel the distinct "click" that I used to feel going from A to B to C.

Before I pull the radio apart, has anyone discovered an "easy" fix trick for this that doesn't involve disassembly?

[JeffFireRadio]

Greetings. Well, not knowing the extent of your attempts at 'cleaning', have you tried the direct suction of a small vacuum cleaner nozzle placed 100% over the switch? After trying that, get the nozzle as close as you can to the switch while operating the ABC switch throughout all three positions with a Q-Tip or Black Stick. It's smaller than your finger, letting the suction get to more of the switch area while you move the switch. This method has a decent probability of helping your situation. Some folks try the positive pressure of canned air, but that has the possibility of forcing the portion of the contaminates that don't disperse, into the bad place even tighter. The wetness of a cotton swab or a cloth will clean some of the culprit out, but just coagulate the remainder, making a harder material (post-mud) to remove later. Let us know whatever you find that works. Good luck. -Jeff

[KF5LSC]

Thanks for the reply. I had actually already tried the vacuuming (that and a barber's brush is how I normally clean this); when that failed, I tried the canned air trick. That didn't work either.

In moving the switch, it feels as though the "movable" part of the ABC switch (what I touch to move the switch) is physically disconnected from the actual electrical switch inside the radio.

I was hoping for a quick fix, but it seems as though now I must disassemble the radio for further repair. Quick question, can the ABC switch be replaced by itself or am I looking at a recase?

[KF5LSC]

I answered my question myself. The control top bezel pops right off once the spanner nuts and control knobs are removed. Problem solved, another remains: the root cause was that the ABC switch arm (the plastic piece) broke off.

I'll try superglue first, but any chance someone has a bad control top laying around and would be willing to send me just the plastic ABC switch piece?

[spectragod]

I have a couple new control tops, remnants of some XE conversions.