What is the current thinking on contact cleaning? Best product and process?
- Thread starter Lee
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If necessary, Caig De-Oxit. Comes in two flavours. A little goes a long way, wipe it off.
A decrease in connectivity due (normally) to oxidation. Depending on the type of metallurgy and age, this can make a significant difference in the signal that ends up amplified.
Caig DeOxit here. Both types. It just depends on what I am cleaning. Usually, I will do a once a year cleanup of connections. I also take this opportunity to blow out the insides of gear, whether they need it or not.
Tom
I will be curious to see what the consensus answer is to this question.
Rightly or wrongly, I use 99% pure isopropyl alcohol with lint-free cotton wipes. (I always felt the Caig De-Oxit seemed a bit goopy.)
Rightly or wrongly, I use 99% pure isopropyl alcohol with lint-free cotton wipes. (I always felt the Caig De-Oxit seemed a bit goopy.)
1. Normal reseating is enough to clean pins and sockets for the tubes. It is recommended that you not use a cleaning product. It is not recommended that you remove tubes for regular cleaning.
2. Silver … use the anti-tarnish cloth that probably came with the interconnect. Unplug and plug in once.
3. Inert stuff, like gold … nothing. Unplug and plug in once if you feel compelled.
I use deoxit for ancient closet and yard sale finds. I have NEVER had a component that I personally bought new that got anywhere close to needing it.
2. Silver … use the anti-tarnish cloth that probably came with the interconnect. Unplug and plug in once.
3. Inert stuff, like gold … nothing. Unplug and plug in once if you feel compelled.
I use deoxit for ancient closet and yard sale finds. I have NEVER had a component that I personally bought new that got anywhere close to needing it.
The most effective product I've used is named Kontak. It is a clear liquid, composition unknown to me. Leaves nothing on the contact. It came with pipe cleaners; pad-on-a-stick applicators work as well. Out of the UK.
IPA (99%) evaporates quickly, leaves no residue, is non-corrosive, disinfects, cleans metal, and is highly flammable.
IPA (99%) evaporates quickly, leaves no residue, is non-corrosive, disinfects, cleans metal, and is highly flammable.
I second tima's recommendation for Kontak, I've been using it for 20 years. After cleaning with Kontak, the highs can be a bit splashy and bright for a couple of days, then it settles down imparting a wonderful transparency, directness and speed to the sound. I follow this with Stabilant 22 for protection of contacts from oxidation.
I had the same issues. I had forgotten it it’s been so long ago. It is another “ritual.” Fresh bottle? OK. But the viscosity definitely changed over time in my bottle.
Recently I tried Furutech Nano liquid as a contact enhancer. After application it made a very very noticeable improvement. After 6 months it had mostly dried out and made the system sound worse than if nothing was applied.
So from this point onwards I am just doing contact CLEANING and nothing else. Cannot be bothered with so called contact enhancers that need to be cleaned off and reapplied every few months.
So from this point onwards I am just doing contact CLEANING and nothing else. Cannot be bothered with so called contact enhancers that need to be cleaned off and reapplied every few months.
Hmmm ...yes it will evaporate.
I still have the majority of Kontak in its bottle with no viscosity change, the second bottle I've owned. Those bottles are opaque and made of some sort of very thin metal with a thin metal cap. I see the present offering on the product Web page comes in what looks like a plastic bottle although it might be glass but I doubt it.
If I were to buy Kontak today I would be tempted to transfer it to a 2oz glass bottle with a tight lid.
Alcohol is a decent enough cleaner but leaves a residue, thus everyone using lint-free cloth to wipe it off. I have, and will, used it a lot over the years.
For actual corrosion and serious cleaning I use one of the electronic spray cleaners like we use at work. Make sure you get the type that will not affect plastic (most will not these days). I currently have a can of Berryman's 2206; cleans well, dries fast, no residue, just like it says on the label.
Use a cloth behind to catch overspray, and if you want to wipe spray onto a cloth and wipe (quickly, it dries pretty fast).
For actual corrosion and serious cleaning I use one of the electronic spray cleaners like we use at work. Make sure you get the type that will not affect plastic (most will not these days). I currently have a can of Berryman's 2206; cleans well, dries fast, no residue, just like it says on the label.
Use a cloth behind to catch overspray, and if you want to wipe spray onto a cloth and wipe (quickly, it dries pretty fast).
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
Not for me. Their automotive products are awful.Alcohol is a decent enough cleaner but leaves a residue, thus everyone using lint-free cloth to wipe it off. I have, and will, used it a lot over the years.
For actual corrosion and serious cleaning I use one of the electronic spray cleaners like we use at work. Make sure you get the type that will not affect plastic (most will not these days). I currently have a can of Berryman's 2206; cleans well, dries fast, no residue, just like it says on the label.
What is awful about their automotive products? I've never used them so just curious, and want to shy away from bad products in the future. The 2206 contact cleaner is all I've used from them and it seems to do the job.
What do you recommend?
2206 is what I had on the shelf (along with an ancient little can of something probably long out of business) but it was given to me. Now I need to find out exactly what we used at work, cannot recall off-hand.
Republicoftexas69
Well-Known Member
I have used the Berryman and had issues on MAF and contacts where their formulation is not safe on adjacent plastic components. My daughter in law is a EE and works in the Jet Propulsion lab at Notre Dame she has worked on the Hermes Project as well as other projects for PW, GE and RR. They only use LPS CFC Free contact cleaner and 3M. Not that much more expensive, CRC also makes some fine products that I used when I worked at Aurora Avionics' when I was in college.
CFC Free Electro Contact Cleaner is a fast evaporating contact cleaner that does not contain HCFCs and is plastic safe. The product is non-compliant with the VOC regulations for California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Washington DC. The recommended alternative is 00416=73 LPS CFC Free NU
Features
• Safe on Plastics • Fast Evaporating; Leaves No Residue • Low Odor • Penetrating action removes oil, grease, dirt, flux, and other contaminants • Cleans and degreases delicate precision mechanisms
Applications
• Connectors • Contacts • Fluid Systems • Relays & Controls
Specifications
• AMS 1525B • ASTM F-519, Type 1C • Caterpillar • Ford Motor Co. • General Motors Co. • Honda Corp. • Inland Steel • Kimberly-Clark • Kodak • Lockheed Martin DSDN H01.2101 • MIL-PRF-29608 • NSF International, K2 (Aerosol) • NSF International, K2 (NonAerosol) • Tyco Electronics
Thanks! I am also an EE, and have been to JPL a few times (in CA, not Notre Dame) when I had contracts with them, but not in over a decade. But I am (was, retired now) an analog IC designer, so while I have a lot of lab time testing stuff, buying supplies was not (rarely) my job. Per the tech at my last place, CRC is what we had at work. I know there are Berryman formulations that are not safe for plastic; this one supposedly is, but frankly I have not used it much (have not had a need). The local auto mechanic used it when he had to replace some headlights on my wife's car and gave me the can when I picked up her car.
Adding LPS to my list of things to get; I like having a can around just in case, as it's one of those things that when I need it, I need it now. Stuff has gotten expensive, natch.
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