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Old 16th Jan 2019, 2:53 pm   #1
hiro, JJ1FXF
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Default Washing a rig

Did anyone try washing your rig coz it’s muddy and rusty?

I saw a blog saying he sprayed “Simple Green” detergent and washed away with water at last, then took a few weeks to dry it in summer time.

I’m feeling like to do it after taking away some sensitive parts such as S Meter, relays, X’tal, transformer and of course tubes.

Any comments what I should be careful or even not to do so are all appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 3:33 pm   #2
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Default Re: Washing a rig

A lot of equipment was washed like that. A suitable reference and picture

https://www.elektormagazine.com/news...good-wash-down

AFAIK make sure you use deionised water though. I regularly wash stuff in that with no side effects.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 3:43 pm   #3
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Default Re: Washing a rig

I have washed a few, nay many, items. Never a rig it musy be said. Rinse with plenty of clean water and dry thoroughly and fairly quickly. For rigs I use foamclense and always have.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 3:52 pm   #4
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Thanks for your reply, Mr. Bungle.

It says that electrolytic capacitors also shouldn’t be washed.

However, my rig has a lot of them. So maybe the big ones which are hard to find now, I protect their bottoms with plastic tape or something like that.

It’s exciting!
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:08 pm   #5
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Default Re: Washing a rig

If electrolytic capacitors are not water proof they would dry out and fail anyway.
I have seen old boards and scopes cleaned with foam cleaner and rinsed in tap water.
They always worked again after spending a night in a drying cabinet.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:09 pm   #6
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Default Re: Washing a rig

David,

Thanks for your reply.

I have restored two TS-510s of TRIO (former Kenwood) but their PCBs are still durty, even though I blew a lot with air sprays.

I am thinking of washing one of them and see what will happen.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:13 pm   #7
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Default Re: Washing a rig

I've washed a lot of kit, you just have to use your brain as to what will be ok or not. Tektronix used to routinely wash oscilloscopes that were returned for service.

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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:30 pm   #8
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Default Re: Washing a rig

There was story in either the Radio Bygones or Radiophile magazine about a receiver that was run over in a scrap yard and buried in a muddy pit. After a pressure wash it came back to life Admittedly it was a steel cased and valved Bendix, probably an RA-1B [is there a connection with washing machines?] Using water seems counter intuitive but there are plenty of examples re this technique working, even with items recovered from salt water. The secret does seem to be use the cleanest H20 available, sometimes distilled, drying quickly and thoroughly.

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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:33 pm   #9
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Default Re: Washing a rig

What I think of drying is placing my washed rig in a bothroom with a drying machine which is to dry clothes when raining.

Is it better to dry with a hair dryer to dry quickly?

And any recommendation of specific detergent or foam cleaner?
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:41 pm   #10
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Default Re: Washing a rig

After rinsing just blow the water out from under any components and use your cloths dryer over night.
You just need warm air passing over it for a number of hours to be sure it is dry again.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 4:48 pm   #11
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Default Re: Washing a rig

I used to work for a company which refurbished printed circuit boards and we actually did wash the PCBs in a sink in detergent, just as you would dirty dishes.

However, we always removed components which were likely to hold, retain or absorb water first, such as:

Transformers
Relays with plastic clip-on covers
Preset resistors with overall shells / covers (Skeleton types were OK)
Switches

Importantly, though, we had a temperature controlled oven with forced moist air extraction into which we put the PCBs to bake dry immediately afterwards. They would go in there for at least a few hours.

I think the problem with electrolytic capacitors, specifically radial ones, is that moisture will tend to run in underneath them and stay there until it feels like drying out, which could be quite some time later if the PCB is not kept very warm to the touch to encourage any moisture to evaporate rapidly. The same applies to any component with a wide, narrow space underneath it, such as sealed relays, IDC connectors, surface mount ICs and so on.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 5:20 pm   #12
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Default Re: Washing a rig

With exceptions like tose noted above, HP used to specify that components and board materials should survive washing in a dishwasher cycle with 'Calgonite' detergent.

You had to be careful, dishwasher detergents are strong alkalis and will etch any exposed aluminium. If any gets into an electrolytic capacitor, it's ruined.

I think you'll have too many parts that won't survive washing easily that their removal would amount to a total strip down.

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Old 16th Jan 2019, 6:25 pm   #13
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Ignoring my first point, I usually clean all the crud out of stuff with a stiff paintbrush stolen from MrsBungle. That usually does the job even if I have to sleep on the sofa occasionally

Here's one I did last year which was invisible due to the crud before I cleaned it:

Click image for larger version

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(HP power supply)
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 6:31 pm   #14
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Quote:
Originally Posted by hiro, JJ1FXF View Post
What I think of drying is placing my washed rig in a bothroom with a drying machine which is to dry clothes when raining.
Do you mean what we call a dehumidifer?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hiro, JJ1FXF View Post
What I think of drying is placing my washed rig in a bothroom with a drying machine which is to dry clothes when raining.

Is it better to dry with a hair dryer to dry quickly?
I would do both. Hairdryer first, then leave in a dry and warm place for several days or weeks.

N.
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Old 16th Jan 2019, 11:25 pm   #15
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Thanks, all.

I was paying most of my consciousness for washing itself, but now I’m getting to understand that “drying” is the key to let my rig revived.


Only the drying machine isn’t enough to dry quickly. I will set up a heater and a fan, then draft warm wind directly to the PCB parts side of the rig for over night.

I didn’t imagine so many of you tried washing electronic products.
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 1:02 am   #16
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Default Re: Washing a rig

2 years ago I foolishly opened a bottle of fizzy drink next to my laptop, and it sprayed all over the keyboard. I knew that the sugary stuff could cause problems if it dried, so I removed the hard drive (which the drink had not reached) and ran the laptop under the tap. As it wouldn't start after I had blow dried it (using an old vacuum cleaner in "Blow" mode) I took it to a local laptop repairers who got it going OK. They said it would have been much more difficult had I not rinsed the drink away.
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 6:21 am   #17
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Remove parts like Sirius said and put thru the dishwasher.
Motorola Techs did that for decades here on the tube commercial transmitters & receivers.
They removed all tubes, coils, relays, transformers, & crystals.
Ran them thru the dishwasher.
They "baked" the chassis at about 200F for 3-4 hours minimum and checked to make sure all moisture was gone. Replaced all the pots & 'lytics with new ones as PM, , then realigned, and out the door.
(One of the techs there did this regularly, and had to wait until his XYL was gone, as she put up a terrible fuss for him using "her" dishwasher & oven.)
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 3:35 pm   #18
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Default Re: Washing a rig

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBungle View Post
A lot of equipment was washed like that. A suitable reference and picture

https://www.elektormagazine.com/news...good-wash-down

AFAIK make sure you use deionised water though. I regularly wash stuff in that with no side effects.
Working as a Broadcast TX engineer in the 1970's in a middle east country we had outside broadcast vehicles with huge cameras of the day
The humidity would cause dampness on the electronic boards and then fine dust would impinge on the boards, these then would fail in that the set up adjustments would not work.
The answer was to wash the boards in a plastic bucket of distilled water, worked every time, dried very quickly in the sun.
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 4:52 pm   #19
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Default Re: Washing a rig

I used to do this as part of my job at Racal in Windsor with the RA17, back in 1975. Took all the modules out and washed them thoroughly in the sink. Plenty of hot water and washing up liquid from the canteen. Rinsed with clean tap water and blown dry with the airline. Placed on the rack for two days and then re-assembled. No problems.
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