Thread by @TubeTimeUS

I always wondered what was inside these neat 1980s radios. time to take one apart! 🧵

batteries go in here. looks like remnants of corrosion, hope it's not too damaged.

on the back there's a switch to select between local and distant (DX) stations. also a few screws.

wow it's really tightly packed! through-hole components and even some point to point wiring

it's strange seeing surface mount chips and point to point wiring on the same circuit board

the buttons on the front are taped in place 😂

this copper foil shield got corroded.

I cleaned up the corrosion and amazingly it works fine! you have to use it with headphones because the radio circuit uses them as the antenna.

despite all the point to point wiring, tape, and stuff like that, the build quality isn't bad for a consumer product. the screws go into these brass inserts instead of into fragile but cheap plastic bosses.

if you're curious about my cleaning method, corroded parts go into a vinegar bath for a few minutes, and then get cleaned with isopropyl alcohol or soapy water.