[AMRadio] Old Iron or new Iron

[rbethman]

This one was very obviously fresh water.  Lift from crate by forklift, 
and watch water pour out.

I've only been on the receiving end of a salt water drenching recovery.

When slinging a Hawk OC van from the ship to the dock, they managed a 
Grace move.  They dropped it in the water.

They rinsed it with fresh water and dried it by unknown means.

We were operating it several years afterward.  We never knew when, but 
on an infrequent basis we'd throw a switch and smoke wafted out of the 
electronics.

Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling - not!

Bob - N0DGN

On 2/3/2012 11:48 AM, Mel Farrer wrote:
> Good story,  I have not worked on the 32V, but have had to save several expensive pieces of electronic equipment that were recovered from ship wrecks.  Other than the obvious corrosion eaten small wires and PCB traces it was worth trying to recover them.  We always did the flush and bake regiment.  Putting the piece in fresh water and allow a continual flush of clean water then baking at 120 degrees in a oven then while it is still hot, painting all of the iron with thinned marine varnish and spraying all of the PCB material with Kylon clear worked about half the time.  The fresh water is only necessary if it has been submerged in salt water, obviously.  The real problem with long term high humidity on unprotected equipment is the level of penetration the corrosion has gone.  Worse case is warm climate and High moisture.  The main thing is to be prepared for a long recovery effort. SLOW and careful is the motto and that you are probably going to
>   be successful only about 50% of the time.
>
> Mel, K6KBE
>