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In Reply to: RE: Anyone try Hoppes No. 9 solvent on contacts?. posted by Coner on February 10, 2020 at 12:16:25
So in addition to how a petroleum product might affect plastics, it also is "oily", which isn't something I'd want on my contacts. Even if it is otherwise safe, I'd want to re-clean with alcohol (or some other solvent) to remove the oil.
Follow Ups:
Okay, thanks. So you don't want anything to prevent oxidation, like oil?.
You may not get an air-tight fit with RCA's, etc. I guess the method
is a reg. cleaning schedule.
Use dielectric grease. It forms a barrier against air and moisture. Use it sparingly!
...used to sell a kit back in the 1990s with vials of red and blue liquid. The Red was supposed to remove oxidation. I suspect it's similar to, or the same as today's Caig formula.
According to my instructions, the Blue, (which was applied after cleaning with the Red), "...provides microscopic layer of oil to prevent any further oxidation. Because of its low surface tension, the liquid separates and allows contact when the two contact surfaces touch."
I recall reading somewhere (Stereophile?) not to use the Blue, so I never did. I suspect that oil would add a bit of resistance, however slight, which is exactly what we're trying to clean away in the first place, in the form of oxidation.
It gummed up the works.Stabilant 22 is an excellent cleaner/enhancer with no documented downside. It lasts a very long time and I prefer it to the Caig products.
Edits: 02/13/20
I did some searching after reading your praise of Stabilant 22. I found a review of it (link below). If you scroll to the "mail", there's a reply from the manufacturer, stating that Sumiko used to purchase Stabilant 22 from them and repackage it as "Tweek".
A search of tweakers Asylum reveals a lot of negative comments about Tweek. I still have about 3/4 of a bottle of Tweek from years ago, which I believe I stopped using after many similar reports as Cramolin Blue, "gumming up" the contacts.
I'll give it another try at some point, since you feel it is a good cleaner. I'm far more interested in a cleaner than I am a "contact enhancer". The best cleaner I ever used was a product called Kontak, but it was extremely volatile. Even with a bit of plastic wrap put under the bottle's cap, mine quickly evaporated.
I've experienced nothing negative.
It's apparently been used extensively in electronics in general and remains popular.
On the other hand, Duster has chimed in with a caution and he's proven to be a good source of information.
Try your Tweek in a non critical area, if possible, and judge for yourself. Only a small amount is necessary.
I had Kontak way back when. I liked that too.
Easy enough to remove if it doesn't work out. My bottle is old, but according to their site, should still be good.
Thanks
Tweek was a bad tweak, IME. Anything that actually stops conductivity rather than enhancing it is a bad idea.
And that's why my bottle has sat in a box for about 25 years. I never remember any negative consequences the few times I tried it, but I also don't remember any perceived improvement either.
It was well over 20 years ago, but I recall using Tweek on a female RCA-> RCA coupler since I didn't like using an adapter to configure a longer cable run. One day, the audio component simply didn't function, however it powered-on just fine. I discovered the coupler was at fault, and determined that the coating of Tweek actually seemed to block conductivity rather than enhance it. Perhaps if I wiped-off some of the fluid shortly after applying it for a thinner layer of coating, the issue would not have occurred, but I was so turned-off by the experience that I lost faith in the product, and didn't notice any real improvement when the treatment was applied to other connector interfaces anyway. I've come to believe that only cleaning a surface is sufficient rather than also using a contact treatment, since a treatment will eventually need to be cleaned-off and replied again, which is too fussy to be concerned about for so little reward. When it comes to audio system tweaks, I have to draw the line somewhere, and using a contact treatment is one tweak I decline to implement for my own wants/needs.
Here on the Asylum, and probably elsewhere (Stereophile article?) which is why I stopped using Tweek a long time ago, even before I ever discovered the Asylum.
I'm with you in that clean, metal to metal contact is my goal. Long ago I was tempted with reports of Audiophile Crisco with silver bits in it to "fill in gaps", and other such claims, but read about too many migration issues, "caramelizing" tube pins, etc. for me to jump aboard.
I'll stick with improved power supplies, better capacitors, etc for system improvements, and leave the enhancing goos and potions for somebody else.
Note: I do use Caig ProGold on my RCAs. I did it the other night, and noticed a slight discoloration on the Q-tip so I'm not saying it's all snake oil. But like the Hippocratic Oath, the first order of business is "Do No Harm", and to me, reducing (or blocking) the signal, or causing shorts (conductive Crisco) is doing harm.
Sapiens My Ass!
In my post I said, "I suspect it's similar to, or the same as today's Caig formula."
Caig is the company which makes DeoxIT.
NT
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