[AMRadio] DEOXIT

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Hey Jim - hope you're doing well and have managed to dodge the spring and
early summer storms.

It gets harder to remember this stuff as time rolls on....but here goes.

>From what I can remember related to me by old broadcast engineers and the
like, DeOxit is (or was) basically a weaker version of Cramolin, not full
strength. As well, the spray was a weaker solution than the pens or swabs
or something else they offered in smaller quantity but more a concentrated
formula.

No idea if they still sell it but they had another formula for the
audio/commercial/professional crowd called ProGold. Last saw and used this
back in the mid-90s working on a friend's KWM-2 and my -2A. My -2A controls
are still quiet to this day (though it's been a while since I fired it up).
Supposedly the ProGold had the cleaning power of DeOxit with an added
ingredient to coat and protect the surfaces afterward.

They also offered a product especially for controls called CaiLube. This
was apparently meant more as a lubricant than cleaner.

I still have my original cans of DeOxit D5 (red) and CaiLube (blue) from
around 1997. After swelling up the band switch in my SX-28A by getting a
bit sloppy with the spray can, I learned quickly to apply it sparingly -
spray it on a Q-tip, toothpick, and so on.

Have used WD-40 in a pinch and had good short term results with it. The
older recipe worked better than whatever they sell now. WD-40 is handy for
flushing out sticky switches and gears like the R-390 receivers to get
things moving again. Again - a temporary fix, not a long term solution.

Then again - band switches probably don't get the workout they need to stay
clean over long periods.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4