[Elecraft] Cure for oxidized contacts (CAIG)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I've found the spray cans to be wasteful and messy. One or two drops where
it flows into the unit from the pen or small bottle has done it for me. I'm
not trying to clean up a large plug or anything like that. Usually a noisy
pot or dirty relay contacts. I popped for a spray can and used it once on a
bad pot in an old piece of gear. After that I've stayed with the
drop-by-drop dispenser.  

For example, those of us who use Bugs for CW often have a problem with the
dot contacts. At the miniscule currents modern rigs draw the contacts are
not self-cleaning and end up becoming intermittent. The usual cure is to
burnish them with a slip of paper pulled through the contacts while holding
them closed, but that's often tedious and a short-lived solution. 

When that happens to me, I put one drop of DeOxit on the contacts, and let
it hang there on the open contacts for a few minutes, the touch it with a
bit of tissue to pick up the excess. After such a treatment I can usually
count of six months to a year of perfect dots even though the keys sit open
on my operating desk without covers. 

My little 25 ml bottle came from a buddy about two (or three?) years ago and
I use it frequently. I see that after all that time it's about 1/4 gone! 

Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----

Try a product called CAIG Deoxit.  Best I've used.  Radio Shack sells for
(it ain't cheap) about $15 for a small spray can somewhat bigger than a
man's thumb.  The package also contains an equally small can of stuff for
gold contacts.  It will rejuvenate old flashlites.  I used it on the plug
which connects my RV to my truck and the  electris brakes seem to work
better.  RS also sells a Deoxit pen which would work better if you can
access the worksite easily.
 
If anyone knows of a source of larger cans please let me know.  Hope this is
not a dupe. Tried to send earlier.
 
George, N4YM