ALPINE 9853 Problem ONE MORE TIME.....

[MOSFET]

Ok, first I want to thank everyone who gave me advice on fixing the
"touch-strip" of my 9853.

I have cleaned EVERYTHING extensively with Isoprpol Alchohol and that helped
IMMENSELY. I also want to try that contact spray recommended in a previous
post.

But here's what's happening now and perhaps this might stimulate some ideas
on just what's going on.

It seems to work fine ALWAYS for about five minutes after turning on the car
and HU. After several days this appears to be consistant behavior. It
ALWAYS works correctly at first.

But then it's as if the touch-strip develops a mind of it's own and starts
going screwy (as if someone's touching the strip CONSTANTLY over and over
and over again). This then renders all other functions useless (the red
light that blinks when a function is pushed just strobes) as the unit thinks
the strip is being pushed. Music continues to play but no buttons can be
pushed.

So the question is, "What changes between turning it on and five minutes
later?". Again, I've used it enough times now that this pattern appears to
be regular and recurring. SOMETIMES it will keep working longer than 5
minutes without problems (10 or 15 minutes). But it ALWAYS works fine AT
FIRST.

So my first thought is heat. Could heat be causing something to malfunction
with the touchstrip? Is there something I can do? Would that contact spray
help?

Thanks guys,

Nick

[Matt Ion]

MOSFET wrote:
> Ok, first I want to thank everyone who gave me advice on fixing the
> "touch-strip" of my 9853.
>
> I have cleaned EVERYTHING extensively with Isoprpol Alchohol and that helped
> IMMENSELY. I also want to try that contact spray recommended in a previous
> post.
>
> But here's what's happening now and perhaps this might stimulate some ideas
> on just what's going on.
>
> It seems to work fine ALWAYS for about five minutes after turning on the car
> and HU. After several days this appears to be consistant behavior. It
> ALWAYS works correctly at first.
>
> But then it's as if the touch-strip develops a mind of it's own and starts
> going screwy (as if someone's touching the strip CONSTANTLY over and over
> and over again). This then renders all other functions useless (the red
> light that blinks when a function is pushed just strobes) as the unit thinks
> the strip is being pushed. Music continues to play but no buttons can be
> pushed.
>
> So the question is, "What changes between turning it on and five minutes
> later?". Again, I've used it enough times now that this pattern appears to
> be regular and recurring. SOMETIMES it will keep working longer than 5
> minutes without problems (10 or 15 minutes). But it ALWAYS works fine AT
> FIRST.
>
> So my first thought is heat. Could heat be causing something to malfunction
> with the touchstrip? Is there something I can do? Would that contact spray
> help?

My aforementioned newer Alpine POS was like that - worked fairly well at
first... would get progressively worse as it warmed up (particularly its
issue with not being able to lock down the start of a track). Heat
would be my guess as well... although if that's the case, it's more
likely something with the internals rather than the strip itself.

Actually, we have some cheap no-name MP3 deck in my wife's van that has
heat-related issues as well: once it warms up, the FM tuner seems to
drift ever-so-slightly off-frequency, so the signal gets "crunchy", and
the bass kind of "poppy" - imagine a manual-tuned radio just slightly
off its FM frequency. I suspect a problem with either the PLL used in
the tuner (I had an old home-stereo tuner that the PLL went bad and it
wouldn't tune AM stations at all), or the crystal it derives its timing
from.

Your case could be something similar, something timing-related drifting
off with the heat and "corrupting" the input from the strip, or
generating false triggers...

[MOSFET]

> Your case could be something similar, something timing-related drifting
> off with the heat and "corrupting" the input from the strip, or
> generating false triggers...
>
Thanks Matt. Yes, I think that's it.

What's frustrating is that it seems to work now more than it does not so I'm
wondering if I should be looking for a new deck or if I'm getting REALLY
close to fixing this sucker for good.

On ANOTHER topic I bought an MTX Class D 801. Now I should have been
suspicious (OK, I was) as it was "untested" and sold AS-IS.

I contacted the buyer before the auction closed and asked why he didn't
bother testing it as he could OBVIOUSLY get a LOT more for it if he knew it
worked. Class D amps tend to be the highest value amps on Ebay and MTX is
certainly one of the better brands.

Well, he had really no good reason, but I bid anyway and won it for fairly
cheap, $30 I believe. I got it and, of course, it was DOA. I have VERY
little electrical experience so there was little I caould do other than open
it up and look for an obvious problem (blown FET's or a bad connection) but
could find nothing apparently wrong.

The seller said he would return my money if I sent it back but frankly if
this amp DI work it would be PERFECT for my application as I need it to
drive two 12" MTX MXS's (exactly like their 7500 series).

These amps obviously go for quite a bit new ($400+) and even used are
generally in the $150+ range. I wouldn't mind paying $100 if I could make
this one work.

Does anyone know MTX's policy on amp repair rates. For instance, I know for
years Rockford Fosgate charged $100 for an amp repair NO MATTER WHAT was
wrong with it. I'm wondering if MTX has such a deal.

Any info would be appreciated. I will also post this as a new post so
everyone can see it.

Thank you,

Nick

[smoove[_2_]]

call alpine tech support. if its broke you can send in the unit and get it
fixed

"MOSFET" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, first I want to thank everyone who gave me advice on fixing the
> "touch-strip" of my 9853.
>
> I have cleaned EVERYTHING extensively with Isoprpol Alchohol and that
> helped
> IMMENSELY. I also want to try that contact spray recommended in a
> previous
> post.
>
> But here's what's happening now and perhaps this might stimulate some
> ideas
> on just what's going on.
>
> It seems to work fine ALWAYS for about five minutes after turning on the
> car
> and HU. After several days this appears to be consistant behavior. It
> ALWAYS works correctly at first.
>
> But then it's as if the touch-strip develops a mind of it's own and starts
> going screwy (as if someone's touching the strip CONSTANTLY over and over
> and over again). This then renders all other functions useless (the red
> light that blinks when a function is pushed just strobes) as the unit
> thinks
> the strip is being pushed. Music continues to play but no buttons can be
> pushed.
>
> So the question is, "What changes between turning it on and five minutes
> later?". Again, I've used it enough times now that this pattern appears
> to
> be regular and recurring. SOMETIMES it will keep working longer than 5
> minutes without problems (10 or 15 minutes). But it ALWAYS works fine AT
> FIRST.
>
> So my first thought is heat. Could heat be causing something to
> malfunction
> with the touchstrip? Is there something I can do? Would that contact
> spray
> help?
>
> Thanks guys,
>
> Nick
>
>

[MOSFET]

Well, it's been two days now and my HU has performed PERFECTLY for any
length of time I use it. I know it seems hard to believe, but could it have
fixed itself (knock on wood)?

Anyway, I will certainly hope that's the case. Again, does anyone think the
contact spray might be a good idea if it acts up again? Might the heat
loosen the contacts on the pigtail that conects the white strip to the face.
Would that spray help "solidify" those contacts because I trully believe
THAT is where the problem may possibly lay (when I first cleaned it, the
pigtail WAS covered with Coke). Might the cleaning somehow made the
contacts of the pigtail less reliable (I know ANYTHING is possible)?

Again, thanks for all who repsonded,

Nick

[Christopher \Torroid\ Ott]

"MOSFET" > wrote in message
m...
> Well, it's been two days now and my HU has performed PERFECTLY for any
> length of time I use it. I know it seems hard to believe, but could it
> have
> fixed itself (knock on wood)?
>
> Anyway, I will certainly hope that's the case. Again, does anyone think
> the
> contact spray might be a good idea if it acts up again? Might the heat
> loosen the contacts on the pigtail that conects the white strip to the
> face.
> Would that spray help "solidify" those contacts because I trully believe
> THAT is where the problem may possibly lay (when I first cleaned it, the
> pigtail WAS covered with Coke). Might the cleaning somehow made the
> contacts of the pigtail less reliable (I know ANYTHING is possible)?
>
> Again, thanks for all who repsonded,
>
> Nick


I must have missed that you had gotten the faceplate apart. What kind of
contacts does the touchstrip have? If it's just flexboard, you could have a
problem with the connector as those are unreliabale as ****. Have you
unplugged this connector and cleaned it out?

Chris

[MOSFET]

Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes the
pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper. Could
the cleaning make it less reliable?

Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my other
posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
problem I am having in detail.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Nick
"Christopher "Torroid" Ott" <spamtrap at ottelectronics dot com> wrote in
message ...
> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Well, it's been two days now and my HU has performed PERFECTLY for any
> > length of time I use it. I know it seems hard to believe, but could it
> > have
> > fixed itself (knock on wood)?
> >
> > Anyway, I will certainly hope that's the case. Again, does anyone think
> > the
> > contact spray might be a good idea if it acts up again? Might the heat
> > loosen the contacts on the pigtail that conects the white strip to the
> > face.
> > Would that spray help "solidify" those contacts because I trully believe
> > THAT is where the problem may possibly lay (when I first cleaned it, the
> > pigtail WAS covered with Coke). Might the cleaning somehow made the
> > contacts of the pigtail less reliable (I know ANYTHING is possible)?
> >
> > Again, thanks for all who repsonded,
> >
> > Nick
>
>
> I must have missed that you had gotten the faceplate apart. What kind of
> contacts does the touchstrip have? If it's just flexboard, you could have
a
> problem with the connector as those are unreliabale as ****. Have you
> unplugged this connector and cleaned it out?
>
> Chris
>
>
>

[Christopher \Torroid\ Ott]

"MOSFET" > wrote in message
m...
> Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes the
> pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
> reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper. Could
> the cleaning make it less reliable?
>
> Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
> permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my other
> posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
> problem I am having in detail.


Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.

Since its a flex connector, there should be a little lever on the header to
open the connector up before you remove/insert the flex cable. If you open
it up, you may be able to see the contacts and verify they're not bent or
dirty. Unfortunately flex connectors are meant to be dirt cheap, and aren't
always reliable long term. Especially after they've been removed and
reinserted several times. You can use a clean pencil eraser to gently remove
any oxidation from the flex strip, but other than alcohol, there's no
practical way to clean the header side.

Chris

[MOSFET]

Thanks for the advice. But you don't think some kind of spray as was
mentioned before MIGHT improve those contacts? Again, it is as if heat
sometimes loosens those connections because IT ALWAYS works at first.
Before I go pulling that tiny pigtail out (yet again) to apply contact
spray, I would like some advice as to whether anyone thinks this would help?
Again, the whole thing ( strip and receptor) has been thoughouly cleaned
with Alcohol.

And yes, the tiny pigtail HAS been removed and re-inserted several times (in
an effort to fix the problem) UNDOUBTEDLY effecting performance. But as far
as I can tell, nothing has been damaged. There ae just these tiny black
plastic "wings" that lock the pigtail in place. By flipping those out, the
pigtail comes out. Once the wings are re-inserted, the pigtail is locked in
place. Of course, all of this is very, very small.

But I am still looking for an opinion on the spray and if that might help
"cement" the connection when it gets hot.

Thanks again,

Nick


"Christopher "Torroid" Ott" <spamtrap at ottelectronics dot com> wrote in
message ...
> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes
the
> > pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
> > reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper.
Could
> > the cleaning make it less reliable?
> >
> > Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
> > permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my
other
> > posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
> > problem I am having in detail.
>
>
> Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.
>
> Since its a flex connector, there should be a little lever on the header
to
> open the connector up before you remove/insert the flex cable. If you open
> it up, you may be able to see the contacts and verify they're not bent or
> dirty. Unfortunately flex connectors are meant to be dirt cheap, and
aren't
> always reliable long term. Especially after they've been removed and
> reinserted several times. You can use a clean pencil eraser to gently
remove
> any oxidation from the flex strip, but other than alcohol, there's no
> practical way to clean the header side.
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>

[Christopher \Torroid\ Ott]

"MOSFET" > wrote in message
m...
> Thanks for the advice. But you don't think some kind of spray as was
> mentioned before MIGHT improve those contacts? Again, it is as if heat
> sometimes loosens those connections because IT ALWAYS works at first.
> Before I go pulling that tiny pigtail out (yet again) to apply contact
> spray, I would like some advice as to whether anyone thinks this would
> help?
> Again, the whole thing ( strip and receptor) has been thoughouly cleaned
> with Alcohol.
>
> And yes, the tiny pigtail HAS been removed and re-inserted several times
> (in
> an effort to fix the problem) UNDOUBTEDLY effecting performance. But as
> far
> as I can tell, nothing has been damaged. There ae just these tiny black
> plastic "wings" that lock the pigtail in place. By flipping those out,
> the
> pigtail comes out. Once the wings are re-inserted, the pigtail is locked
> in
> place. Of course, all of this is very, very small.
>
> But I am still looking for an opinion on the spray and if that might help
> "cement" the connection when it gets hot.


Assuming you're referring to DeOxIt when you mention "the spray"? It's only
about $9 for a small aerosol can, so there's no harm in trying it out. The
aerosol might flush away something that you couldn't get with the alcohol
and brush. The main ingredient is mineral spirits (more aggressive than
alcohol), and the super-secret proprietary ingredient is rumored to be oleic
acid. There's nothing about it that makes the interconnect more conductive
(other than removal of surface contamination). In other words, it's not like
dipping the connections in a mercury bath or anything.

If you could email me a photo of the connector and flex, I could probably
give some better suggestions.

Chris
chrisott at ottelectronics dot com

[MOSFET]

Thank you for the info! I appreciate it. If I have any more problems and
have to open it up again I WILL Email you photos. But so far, so good. It
still continues to work without problems. But these things RARELY fix
themselves.

Thanks again,

Nick

"Christopher "Torroid" Ott" <spamtrap at ottelectronics dot com> wrote in
message ...
> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Thanks for the advice. But you don't think some kind of spray as was
> > mentioned before MIGHT improve those contacts? Again, it is as if heat
> > sometimes loosens those connections because IT ALWAYS works at first.
> > Before I go pulling that tiny pigtail out (yet again) to apply contact
> > spray, I would like some advice as to whether anyone thinks this would
> > help?
> > Again, the whole thing ( strip and receptor) has been thoughouly cleaned
> > with Alcohol.
> >
> > And yes, the tiny pigtail HAS been removed and re-inserted several times
> > (in
> > an effort to fix the problem) UNDOUBTEDLY effecting performance. But as
> > far
> > as I can tell, nothing has been damaged. There ae just these tiny black
> > plastic "wings" that lock the pigtail in place. By flipping those out,
> > the
> > pigtail comes out. Once the wings are re-inserted, the pigtail is
locked
> > in
> > place. Of course, all of this is very, very small.
> >
> > But I am still looking for an opinion on the spray and if that might
help
> > "cement" the connection when it gets hot.
>
>
> Assuming you're referring to DeOxIt when you mention "the spray"? It's
only
> about $9 for a small aerosol can, so there's no harm in trying it out. The
> aerosol might flush away something that you couldn't get with the alcohol
> and brush. The main ingredient is mineral spirits (more aggressive than
> alcohol), and the super-secret proprietary ingredient is rumored to be
oleic
> acid. There's nothing about it that makes the interconnect more conductive
> (other than removal of surface contamination). In other words, it's not
like
> dipping the connections in a mercury bath or anything.
>
> If you could email me a photo of the connector and flex, I could probably
> give some better suggestions.
>
> Chris
> chrisott at ottelectronics dot com
>
>
>

[arthur[_5_]]

Intermittent problems are most likely mechanical problems such as
microscopic pc broard breaks, high resistance caused by dirty
contacts, connectors, etc. Cold solder joints - mostly the grounds of
large components. Failing components becoming sensitive to heat.

All these are more time consuming than an outright DOA unit.

No they to not fix themselves but can work for a long time until the
next failing problem. Enjoy.

arthur


On Sun, 9 Sep 2007 16:29:42 -0700, "MOSFET" >
wrote:
>Thank you for the info! I appreciate it. If I have any more problems and
>have to open it up again I WILL Email you photos. But so far, so good. It
>still continues to work without problems. But these things RARELY fix
>themselves.
>
>Thanks again,
>Nick

[Matt Ion]

Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
> m...
>> Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes the
>> pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
>> reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper. Could
>> the cleaning make it less reliable?
>>
>> Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
>> permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my other
>> posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
>> problem I am having in detail.
>
>
> Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.

DISTILLED water, maybe. DO NOT use tap water or even filtered water -
the impurities in it can cause all kinds of problems, especially if it
has high iron content.

Pure water is actually one of the best insulators around...
unfortunately almost all water you find in nature is far from pure.

[Christopher \Torroid\ Ott]

"Matt Ion" > wrote in message
news:bh2Fi.144128$fJ5.96300@pd7urf1no...
> Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
>> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
>> m...
>>> Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes
>>> the
>>> pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
>>> reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper.
>>> Could
>>> the cleaning make it less reliable?
>>>
>>> Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
>>> permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my
>>> other
>>> posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
>>> problem I am having in detail.
>>
>>
>> Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.
>
> DISTILLED water, maybe. DO NOT use tap water or even filtered water - the
> impurities in it can cause all kinds of problems, especially if it has
> high iron content.
>
> Pure water is actually one of the best insulators around... unfortunately
> almost all water you find in nature is far from pure.


Tap water is fine, really it is. Just blow what's left off the surface
before drying. Unless your tap runs sal****er...

Chris

[Matt Ion]

Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
> "Matt Ion" > wrote in message
> news:bh2Fi.144128$fJ5.96300@pd7urf1no...
>> Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
>>> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
>>> m...
>>>> Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes
>>>> the
>>>> pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it less
>>>> reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper.
>>>> Could
>>>> the cleaning make it less reliable?
>>>>
>>>> Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
>>>> permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my
>>>> other
>>>> posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed the
>>>> problem I am having in detail.
>>>
>>> Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.
>> DISTILLED water, maybe. DO NOT use tap water or even filtered water - the
>> impurities in it can cause all kinds of problems, especially if it has
>> high iron content.
>>
>> Pure water is actually one of the best insulators around... unfortunately
>> almost all water you find in nature is far from pure.
>
>
> Tap water is fine, really it is. Just blow what's left off the surface
> before drying. Unless your tap runs sal****er...

There are trace metals in almost any tapwater; you saying this won't
have a deleterious effects on electronics? Man, I wish I was your car
audio retailer...

I've used to live in an area that had nasty iron and mineral content in
the tapwater. Boiling off a single pot of water on the stove left a
good sixteenth-inch of solid residue. You would NOT want to be cleaning
electronics with this stuff.

[Christopher \Torroid\ Ott]

"Matt Ion" > wrote in message
news:cd3Fi.144701$fJ5.86389@pd7urf1no...
> Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
>> "Matt Ion" > wrote in message
>> news:bh2Fi.144128$fJ5.96300@pd7urf1no...
>>> Christopher "Torroid" Ott wrote:
>>>> "MOSFET" > wrote in message
>>>> m...
>>>>> Yes, I have cleaned EVERYTHING with Isopropl Alchohol. That includes
>>>>> the
>>>>> pigtail AND the receptor. But could that cleaning process make it
>>>>> less
>>>>> reliable as the pigtail strip is no thicker than a piece of paper.
>>>>> Could
>>>>> the cleaning make it less reliable?
>>>>>
>>>>> Would some kind of circuit contact spray help make those contacts more
>>>>> permanent as I fear heat is causing some type of problem (see all my
>>>>> other
>>>>> posts)? There was another thread several days back where I descibed
>>>>> the
>>>>> problem I am having in detail.
>>>>
>>>> Cleaning with water or alcohol will not affect the reliability.
>>> DISTILLED water, maybe. DO NOT use tap water or even filtered water -
>>> the impurities in it can cause all kinds of problems, especially if it
>>> has high iron content.
>>>
>>> Pure water is actually one of the best insulators around...
>>> unfortunately almost all water you find in nature is far from pure.
>>
>>
>> Tap water is fine, really it is. Just blow what's left off the surface
>> before drying. Unless your tap runs sal****er...
>
> There are trace metals in almost any tapwater; you saying this won't have
> a deleterious effects on electronics? Man, I wish I was your car audio
> retailer...
>
> I've used to live in an area that had nasty iron and mineral content in
> the tapwater. Boiling off a single pot of water on the stove left a good
> sixteenth-inch of solid residue. You would NOT want to be cleaning
> electronics with this stuff.


That would be why we don't wash boards by putting them in a pot of boiling
water and cooking it off. ;-)

I'm not aware of anyone who manufactures PCB's professionally that uses
distilled water to wash the boards, it would be a completely unnecessary
expense. Deionized water is being used more frequently with the lead-free
solders and new fluxes required by RoHS, but plain ol' tap water is plenty
fine and widely used. The reason some use DI is to make the defluxing
detergents work more efficiently. It has nothing to do with the water
contaminating the boards.

I do low volume manufacturing myself, and have thousands of boards on
customer machinery which came right off my own assembly equipment, this
includes a board washer which runs off filtered tap water. For the first
several years I used plain tap water which I considered undrinkable (that
was in Chandler AZ, it even made my dog sick to drink it). I've never had a
problem with residual minerals, as long as you blow off the excess before
baking it down you won't even get water marks. I use an air knife, but
canned air works fine too.

We're not talking about wafer fab here, he just wanted to clean dried Coca
Cola off a HU faceplate...

Chris

[GregS[_2_]]

In article >, I. Care > wrote:
>In article >,=20
says...
>> Thank you for the info! I appreciate it. If I have any more problems an=
>d
>> have to open it up again I WILL Email you photos. But so far, so good. =
>It
>> still continues to work without problems. But these things RARELY fix
>> themselves.
>>=20
>> Thanks again,
>>=20
>> Nick
>>=20
>> "Christopher "Torroid" Ott" <spamtrap at ottelectronics dot com> wrote in
>> message ...
>> > "MOSFET" > wrote in message
>> > m...
>> > > Thanks for the advice. But you don't think some kind of spray as was
>> > > mentioned before MIGHT improve those contacts? Again, it is as if he=
>at
>> > > sometimes loosens those connections because IT ALWAYS works at first.
>> > > Before I go pulling that tiny pigtail out (yet again) to apply contac=
>t
>> > > spray, I would like some advice as to whether anyone thinks this woul=
>d
>> > > help?
>> > > Again, the whole thing ( strip and receptor) has been thoughouly clea=
>ned
>> > > with Alcohol.
>> > >
>> > > And yes, the tiny pigtail HAS been removed and re-inserted several ti=
>mes
>> > > (in
>> > > an effort to fix the problem) UNDOUBTEDLY effecting performance. But=
> as
>> > > far
>> > > as I can tell, nothing has been damaged. There ae just these tiny bl=
>ack
>> > > plastic "wings" that lock the pigtail in place. By flipping those ou=
>t,
>> > > the
>> > > pigtail comes out. Once the wings are re-inserted, the pigtail is
>> locked
>> > > in
>> > > place. Of course, all of this is very, very small.
>> > >
>> > > But I am still looking for an opinion on the spray and if that might
>> help
>> > > "cement" the connection when it gets hot.
>> >
>> >
>> > Assuming you're referring to DeOxIt when you mention "the spray"? It's
>> only
>> > about $9 for a small aerosol can, so there's no harm in trying it out. =
>The
>> > aerosol might flush away something that you couldn't get with the alcoh=
>ol
>> > and brush. The main ingredient is mineral spirits (more aggressive than
>> > alcohol), and the super-secret proprietary ingredient is rumored to be
>> oleic
>> > acid. There's nothing about it that makes the interconnect more conduct=
>ive
>> > (other than removal of surface contamination). In other words, it's not
>> like
>> > dipping the connections in a mercury bath or anything.
>> >
>> > If you could email me a photo of the connector and flex, I could probab=
>ly
>> > give some better suggestions.
>> >
>> > Chris
>> > chrisott at ottelectronics dot com
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>Another product to use on electrical contacts after cleaning is=20
>DeoxIT=AE GOLD (formerly ProGold). Made by Caig Laboratories=20
>http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.188/.f and available at Radio=20
>Shack.
>--=20


Another lubricant spray I use is CRC 2-26 available at The Home Depot,
or last time I checked. It has a longer lasting oily base.

I had bought about 3 cans at The Home Depot for about $5 a piece, was
a fantastic price, and these were the BIG 11 oz. cans. Last time I checked
they only had the small cans. This stuff is specifically formulated to improve
electrical connections.

I don't know how it compares to WD-40 for water displacement.

greg

[arthur[_5_]]

Couldn't afford filters on the well water?
I had a well water place and used 2 filters in series and cleaned
them every few weeks and replaced when no longer cleanable.

Detergents such as used for sink dish washing is not soap. They are
chemical cocktails designed to disolve and float and soften and
increase wetness and ...


arthur


On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:53:44 GMT, Matt Ion >
wrote:
>
>There are trace metals in almost any tapwater; you saying this won't
>have a deleterious effects on electronics? Man, I wish I was your car
>audio retailer...
>
>I've used to live in an area that had nasty iron and mineral content in
>the tapwater. Boiling off a single pot of water on the stove left a
>good sixteenth-inch of solid residue. You would NOT want to be cleaning
>electronics with this stuff.

[Matt Ion]

arthur wrote:
> Couldn't afford filters on the well water?
> I had a well water place and used 2 filters in series and cleaned
> them every few weeks and replaced when no longer cleanable.

Filtration was pretty much pointless in this place - they didn't do all
that much, unless you got into really expensive industrial units, and if
you did use a residential type unit, you were changing filters almost
weekly.