John T McDougald wrote:

Yesterday, I opened my radio to replace the batteries and discovered
that the battery on the memory slot had begun to corrode. It's a RadioShcak
DX 398 that's nearly brand new. The amount of corrosion doesn't appear to
be too bad. It's mainly on the ribbon used to remove the battery and some
acid crystals can be found on the two contacts in the single battery
compartment area.
How best can I clean and remove the acid without harming my radio
circuit? I was thinking about opening the backl of the radio and using a
baking soda/water concentration. Is there a better way and can I possibly
save the ribbon/ battery remover or is it toast?

Thanks Ahead,
John T McD.


Pop into RS and buy a can of spray electrical contact cleaner (but
not any more batteries :) It's also available at auto parts stores,
etc. First, using the tip of a penknife blade, lightly scrape away any
and all corrosion
you can reach - be surgically delicate. Then use the spray contact
cleaner, assisted by any small, soft bristle brush you might have.
Don't worry about contact cleaner running out as a liquid - it's
formulated to be harmless to plastic and circuit board components.
Still, use sparingly as much as possible.
Patience will accomplish more than anything else here. You can try
cleaning up the little piece of acetate(?) ribbon, too, but it may be
toast. That's a minor
hassle in removing the batteries in the future, though.

It's worth noting that as far as power and length of life, Consumer's
Union tests say that all alkaline batteries are pretty much alike. But
I have had (rare) leakage problems with "off-brand" batteries - never
once with copper top or the bunny.

Tony


----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---