{"id":47714,"date":"2021-02-11T09:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=47714"},"modified":"2021-02-11T09:46:27","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T13:46:27","slug":"autopsy-report-sony-icf-sw100s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/autopsy-report-sony-icf-sw100s\/","title":{"rendered":"Autopsy Report: Sony ICF-SW100s"},"content":{"rendered":"

WARNING: due to the graphic nature of these photos, those radio enthusiasts who love the Sony ICF-SW100 may want to look away. Parental Discretion <\/em>is advised.<\/p>\n

Guest Post by Troy Riedel<\/p>\n

Some of you may remember my recent lamenting regarding the unexpected loss of my beloved Sony ICF-SW100 posted on this blog<\/a>. The Medical Examiner opened the radio\u2019s chassis last week. The manner of death is rather obvious, but what caused it?\u00a0 Before I reveal my research, allow me to quicky remind you of the context to the situation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Due to a medical emergency, I \u201cdeployed\u201d for two months to tend a remote farm (one of the few benefits was being able to drive a tractor \u2013 a kid from my generation grew-up dreaming of piloting heavy construction equipment and farm implements). I traveled there with two shortwave portables: the Sony ICF-SW100s and the XHDATA D-808. After a long day of work, shortwave radio was my only mode of relaxation during my extended period of solitude.<\/p>\n

I had always used Eneloop nickel metal hydride (NiMH<\/strong> or Ni-MH<\/strong>) rechargeable batteries in my SW100. I\u2019m not a physics nor a chemistry major (the closest knowledge I have is enough atmospheric physics to have once been a moderately successful synoptic weather forecaster & aviation weather briefer in the military). As such, my education doesn\u2019t directly correlate so I offer an advance apology for my overly simplistic and layperson synopsis of the specific cause & manner of death of my SW100.<\/p>\n

I think we all know that a battery is \u201cenergy stored inside of a small container\u201d. And energy is heat<\/em> \u2013 measured by random motion (random motion is directly proportional to heat meaning as motion increases or decreases, the heat generated by the motion will do the same).<\/p>\n

NiMH & Lithium battery cells have an alkaline electrolyte, usually potassium hydroxide (potash). The electrolyte serves as the catalyst to make a battery conductive by promoting the movement of ions from the cathode to the anode on charge and in reverse on discharge. The electrolyte is sensitive as it has to be to promote charging & to generate power. And the heat that\u2019s produced by the battery can be dangerous because as we previously discussed, a battery is a \u201cclosed\u201d<\/em> container that stores energy \u2026 and if we think about it, so is a bomb<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n

Well, the term closed<\/em> is slightly misleading and not 100% correct. A rechargeable household battery has a vent which acts as an exhaust. This vent allows excess heat to escape. If you Google image search \u201cNiMH battery <\/em>anatomy\u201d, there are two ways to vent heat. On Panasonic Eneloops and most commercial household batteries, the vent is the rubber puck (disk) under the positive button tab. This disk seals the internals (thus the term “closed”) while also <\/em>permitting excess heat to [generally] safely vent. Some manufacturers actually have multiple exhaust openings (holes) around the button top that act as vents. Regardless of how it\u2019s done, these batteries do have an exhaust or venting system.<\/p>\n

To summarize thus far, rechargeable batteries vent excess heat (whether generated during use or during charging) from the top of the battery. Venting heat during charging is critical because as well all know, one does not want to overheat batteries during (re)charging. This is why everyone should use a smart charger<\/em>.\u00a0 A smart charger is one that monitors the energy level of the battery and shuts-off when it reaches capacity (I learned that capacity<\/em> is defined differently by different manufacturers but all seem to shut-off somewhere at 90% or greater). I remember the portables that were released maybe 10-15 years ago that introduced charging inside<\/em> the radio. The very early models were not smart<\/em>,<\/strong> the user had to either program how many hours you wished to charge the battery\/batteries or the radio itself was programmed to charge for x-amount of hours regardless of whether the batteries needed to be charged for that long (you could very easily continue charging for hours after the battery attained 100% capacity – a very dangerous situation for your valuable radio!). Thankfully most newer radios, except the inexpensive \u201cno-frills\u201d radios, have smart changing technology. Regardless, I have never been a fan of using my radio to charge batteries as I\u2019ve always felt this is too dangerous because the process produces heat and I do not want [excess] heat generated (or vented) inside of my radio<\/em>!<\/p>\n

There are typically more shipping restrictions, more transportation restrictions with Lithium batteries than there are for NiMH batteries (I\u2019m sure most people have noticed shipping restrictions when buying electronics regarding the shipment of Lithium batteries \u2013 and if shipment is allowed, it\u2019ll cost more to ship because Lithium batteries cannot be shipped via all modes). Lithium (3.7v) & NiMH (1.2v) batteries are essentially the same technology, except Lithium generates more \u201cpower\u201d aka \u201cmore heat\u201d (3x the voltage) and are thus much more sensitive to heat (including environmental heat<\/em>) .<\/p>\n

In doing my research, I found a slight conflict regarding the stability<\/em> of NiMH batteries in storage<\/em>. Some manufacturers warn that NiMH batteries should not be stored in temperatures over 30C (86F) while others list 40C (104F) as the threshold. What happens above this threshold? The electrolyte catalyst is activated, and the battery will generate its own heat (heat that must be vented).<\/p>\n

At this point, I\u2019m sure you can see where this is going. I had two NiMH batteries inside of my SW100. The two stacked<\/em> batteries increased the inherent risk (in a worst-case situation, two batteries would create & release\/vent more heat than a single battery). I was in a hot environment, I lacked air conditioning for most of the time, and I had a long drive of nearly 300-miles to\/from my location at the start & the end of the two months I was there. My SW100 was apparently put into peril when it encountered environmental [ambient] temperatures that exceeded the Eneloops threshold (30C? 40C?). And this caused the NiMH Eneloops to heat-up beyond normal, vent the excess heat, and thus \u201cmelt\u201d part of the PCB and the back case of the SW100.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This did not happen during normal storage of my radio in my temperature-controlled house, but rather it happened in the adverse environment I temporarily subjected the radio to.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, I know \u2026 think what you want (but please don\u2019t say it). User error<\/em>.\u00a0 I should have known better<\/em>.\u00a0 It was my fault<\/em>. It was dumb<\/em>. Yes, yes, yes & yes answer those four statements. I know, I know \u2026<\/p>\n

There are<\/strong> three positives to this:<\/p>\n

(1) I learned a painful<\/em> albeit valuable lesson;<\/p>\n

(2) Maybe others can learn from my folly; and<\/p>\n

(3) Parts to maintain these classics must be salvaged. I donated my radio (including the AC adapter) \u2013 it’s not a total loss and it still has value as a \u201cparts radio\u201d. My SW100 is now in the hands of a skilled, master technician who might be able to save the life of another (or multiple) SW100 radio(s).<\/p>\n

My loss just might be someone else\u2019s gain? I take comfort that my radio<\/em> may live on (as an organ donor) to potentially provide years of enjoyment for someone else.<\/p>\n

Postscript<\/strong> re: my initial post:<\/a><\/p>\n

I have picked-up a few of my other shortwave radios since my initial post (PL-390, PL-880, XHDATA D-808, Satellit 750) & I have started listening again.<\/p>\n

And I did have surgery a couple of weeks ago for the physical injury I sustained while tending the farm (my ICF-SW100 wasn’t the only casualty during this period of time). After a frustrating 2+ weeks, I’m starting to make progress with my physical healing. And now that I have a definitive answer on the manner & cause of death of my SW100, I’m psychologically healing from that as well.<\/p>\n

UPDATE after my initial post:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I neglected to make the following statement: one can debate whether the excessive heat being vented caused the PCB & case to melt, or if the vent(s) in one or both batteries failed, or if the battery heated-up too quickly & too much for it to safely vent?\u00a0 The only thing I do know: the batteries exhibit no physical damage or defect so the exact <\/em>mechanism of the the excessive heat will remain unknown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WARNING: due to the graphic nature of these photos, those radio enthusiasts who love the Sony ICF-SW100 may want to look away. Parental Discretion is advised. Guest Post by Troy Riedel Some of you may remember my recent lamenting regarding the unexpected loss of my beloved Sony ICF-SW100 posted on this blog. The Medical Examiner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3194,3196,26,43],"tags":[2867,2866,484,9135],"class_list":["post-47714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guest-posts","category-portable-radio","category-radios","category-shortwave-radio","tag-eneloop-aa","tag-eneloop-batteries","tag-rechargeable-batteries","tag-troy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-cpA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47307,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/radio-life-after-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":0},"title":"Radio life after death","author":"Troy Riedel","date":"January 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A guest post by Troy Riedel: This is a sad story.\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s sad for me.\u00a0 But hopefully my sad story will yield \u201cradio life\u201d for somebody else and that life will bring them joy. I\u2019ve been an SWL\u2019er since the early-90s.\u00a0 Due to the decline of international broadcasters, \u201ccollecting\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/SonyICFSW100c-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":35799,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/sony-icf-sw100-whip-vs-de31ms-active-vs-sony-an-lp1\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":1},"title":"Sony ICF-SW100: Whip vs. DE31MS active vs. Sony AN-LP1","author":"Troy Riedel","date":"January 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/y3TnREIC1NY Click here to view on YouTube. Guest Post by: Troy Riedel It's been a while since I posted a video on my YouTube Channel (but I've gotten the urge to make several more videos as I've been recently comparing my equipment - 16 portable receivers & many antennas). I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/y3TnREIC1NY\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29225,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/troy-spots-a-rare-philips-ae3905-on-ebay\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":2},"title":"Troy spots a rare Philips AE3905 on eBay","author":"Thomas","date":"November 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who writes: The radio is the PHILIPS AE3905 - and made in ... wait ... Austria! There is one on eBay right now. The first listing started at $275 - there were no takers - so now the second listing is set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Philips-AE3905-Package.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Philips-AE3905-Package.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Philips-AE3905-Package.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Philips-AE3905-Package.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11330,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/sony-icf-sw100-difference-between-mki-and-mkii\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":3},"title":"Sony ICF-SW100: difference between MKI and MKII","author":"Thomas","date":"November 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to our post about the Sony ICF-SW100, Michael comments: \"I've found that, with some patience and a willingness to search outside of eBay, that the ICF-SW100 can be found for under $250. It's more than a fair bit of money for a shortwave receiver. If I had to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sony-ICF-SW100","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Sony-ICF-SW100.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Sony-ICF-SW100.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Sony-ICF-SW100.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Sony-ICF-SW100.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24471,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/an-edc-bag-for-the-classic-sony-icf-sw100-receiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":4},"title":"An EDC Bag for the Classic Sony ICF-SW100 Receiver","author":"Guy Atkins","date":"March 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In a 2014 article, this site's administrator Thomas Witherspoon introduced readers to the CIA's Survival Kit which is housed in a superbly sturdy waistpack, the Maxpedition M-2. Thomas observed that the M-2 pouch is perfectly suited to holding the diminutive Sony ICF-SW100 receiver. I was intrigued by that possibility, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/sideM-2-800x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/sideM-2-800x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/sideM-2-800x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23522,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/the-diminutive-but-brilliant-sony-icf-sw100-a-few-autumnwinter-dx-catches\/","url_meta":{"origin":47714,"position":5},"title":"The diminutive but brilliant Sony ICF-SW100: a few autumn\/winter DX catches","author":"Clint Gouveia","date":"January 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi there, I posted an article on this brilliant little radio a few months ago because\u00a0it had demonstrated a level of performance way beyond my expectations. Notwithstanding it's incredibly small size the DX results I obtained with it were beyond my ICF-SW55 and up there with the iconic ICF-2001D. Armed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/icfsw100wood.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/icfsw100wood.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/icfsw100wood.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/icfsw100wood.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/icfsw100wood.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47714\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}