| Cleaning Connections on Equipment [message #96229] |
Tue, 13 December 2022 22:08  |
positron
Messages: 155
Registered: May 2020
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Master |
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I am thinking this could help some newbies in keeping the musical
quality up to new standards, or at least close.
How often do you clean all your connections?
What "cleaner" do you use?
Any other advice?
Cheers
pos
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| Re: Cleaning Connections on Equipment [message #96281 is a reply to message #96280] |
Tue, 17 January 2023 14:18  |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 19007
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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One of the more interesting developments I have witnessed in connector technology has been the progression of crimp connections. Not so long ago, I always preferred soldered connections to those that were crimped. As an example, crimped connectors were popularly used in cars, but they really sucked. They were only marginally better than twisting wires together and covering them with tape. So I tended to always solder wire splices and protect with heat-shrink tubing. I still do.
What made matters even worse were the early digital controls in cars, which were even more sensitive to poor connections than analog stuff. Not only did cars serviced at repair shops and modified by "weekend warriors" suffer from poor connections - those added during repairs or aftermarket add-ons - but even the factory stuff failed as it oxidized. Many of the production approaches used in 1980s cars weren't suitable and were unreliable.
Not related, but I saw EPROM chips in early computers sent from the factory, which surprised me because American car manufacturers produced enough to make a regular ROM chip feasible. EPROM chips are erased with ultraviolet light, so a cover is placed over their erasure window. But even if covered, an EPROM doesn't last forever, and will eventually become deprogrammed. ROMs last much longer. So that was another reason that electronics in early 1980s cars really sucked.
But auto manufacturers learned from those problems, and by the year 2000, the digital electronics they put in cars were very reliable. A lot of this was due to advancements in connector technology. Removable connectors used sealed gaskets and crimps were gas-tight. Their gas-tight crimps are better than soldering, offer lower resistance and no chance of failing from heat-cycling that can cause a solder connection to fail just like a cold solder joint.
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| Re: Cleaning Connections on Equipment [message #99248 is a reply to message #96229] |
Wed, 25 February 2026 13:25 |
Kurt
Messages: 6
Registered: December 2025
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Esquire |
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When it comes to cleaning my musical equipments especially my Fender tube amps, I am always extra careful because of the heat and considering the fact that it's been in use for a long time. Cleaning those type of musical tools happens every 4 months because I don't like them developing any fault.
Also, I ensure that I keep musical instruments in a place that is not dusty or humid.
The tips that I have for newbies that wants to know how to clean their musical instruments are to ensure that they unplug the musical instruments first from the power source, and to avoid using cheap cleaners that might end up destroying the plastic components.
Again, I make use of soft brushes for cleaning jacks, and it has been working super fine for me. Lastly, I
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