On Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:29:04 +0000 (UTC), "Geoffrey S. Mendelson"
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Cramolin is now DeOxit and has been reformulated.
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/.f
It's a total disaster on RF connectors because it contains oleic acid,
which is great for removing oxides from electrical contacts, but
equally good at rotting off the plating from connectors over long time
periods. The reformulated DeOxit allegedly contains a different
anti-oxidant, which allegedly has the same effect.

Cramolin is still alive and well. It was and still is made in Germany,
DeOxit is made in the US, Caig used to be the US distributor of Cramolin
products, but went their own way, with a different formula.

Got it. All I can find it DeOxit in California.
More detail:
http://siber-sonic.com/electronics/caig.html

I'm not sure which one is the one that you call "a total disaster", but
AFIK neither is to be used for anything except cleaning. Caig sells
solutions (pardon the pun) for use on connectors.

Different stuff. Most of it is just grease to keep the connectors
from oxidizing. The total disaster was what I found on a tower where
someone had used Cramolin to clean an assortment of 7/16 DIN and N
connectors. The 7/16 DIN connectors were stainless. They turned
black and had a rough pitted surface. The N-connectors were silver on
brass. The silver was intact, but would flake off in small pieces,
exposing the underlying brass, which rapidly turned dark green.
Everything had to be replaced. I don't recall how long it took to get
to this point but I think it was at least 2-3 years.

If you Google for corrosion characteristics of oleic acid, you'll find
that it attacks steels, but is compatible with copper. Not true. Pure
oleic is compatible, but add some water and the stuff becomes
corrosive.

Oleic acid is a major component (70%?) of peanut oil. You could
probably use peanut oil mixed with some organic solvent in place of
Cramolin. (No, I haven't tried it).

I have them because I can only buy DeOxit in small tubes off of eBay and
still get it shipped here, and that was the only way I could get fader lube,
but I have never used them.

Don't go looking it up and show me auctions of just fader lube, after I
ordered the sets, which did not show I up, I commented to the vendor
that I wanted just the fader lube and now they list it.
They also replaced the missing packages.

I mix many of my own chemicals. Most of the tuner lube type stuff is
fairly simple. Organic solvent, ionic solvent (water soluble), oxide
remover, and some oil:
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.293/.f

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Got it. All I can find it DeOxit in California.
More detail:
http://siber-sonic.com/electronics/caig.html

I believe on of the reasons that Caig stopped carrying it was that it is
too corrosive to put on an airplane and they wanted something UPS/FEDEX
would carry.

Different stuff. Most of it is just grease to keep the connectors
from oxidizing. The total disaster was what I found on a tower where
someone had used Cramolin to clean an assortment of 7/16 DIN and N
connectors. The 7/16 DIN connectors were stainless. They turned
black and had a rough pitted surface. The N-connectors were silver on
brass. The silver was intact, but would flake off in small pieces,
exposing the underlying brass, which rapidly turned dark green.
Everything had to be replaced. I don't recall how long it took to get
to this point but I think it was at least 2-3 years.

Ok, good thing I only use it to clean contacts and that's a drop on the end
of a q-tip or toothpick.

I mix many of my own chemicals. Most of the tuner lube type stuff is
fairly simple. Organic solvent, ionic solvent (water soluble), oxide
remover, and some oil:
http://store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.293/.f

For me those days have passed. Between space limitations, lack of working
area, inability to order those chemicals, etc, I'm going to have to make
do with little tubes sent airmail. Luckily I don't need much and have
all I need for a long time. :-)

Geoff.


--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Making your enemy reliant on software you support is the best revenge.

On Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:39:04 +0000 (UTC), "Geoffrey S. Mendelson"
wrote:

I believe on of the reasons that Caig stopped carrying it was that it is
too corrosive to put on an airplane and they wanted something UPS/FEDEX
would carry.

Duh... They carry peanut oil, which is 75% oleic acid, but won't
carry Cramolin, which is 5% oleic acid. I just checked the 49 CFR
list at:
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/hazardous/download/chemical.html
and Oleic acid isn't listed. The MSDS sheet shows slightly flamable,
but otherwise safe. My guess(tm) is the business relationship fell
apart and that the UPS/Fedex story isn't true.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558