A product warning to all ham operators

[kc7byp]

A product warning to all Amateur Radio Operators. DO NOT use the Control/Contact cleaner & lubricant Radio Shack catalog #60-4315 on any radios, antenna tuners or any other switches in electronic equipment. This stuff is as BAD as using WD-40 on your equipment. The instructions on the can says it is good for, quote ”for Electro-mechanical devices, especially drum type TV tuners. Reduces wear and safe on most plastics”.
I have an MFJ-989C antenna tuner. I got this stuff because my antenna tuner was showing signs of needing a cleaning. The tuner worked fine on all bands (80-10m) but the tuning was very touchy on transmit with the roller-inductor and noisy on receive. The antenna switch had to be wiggled to get good contact. I spraided this stuff in the tuner and my G5RV antenna self resonant frequency (with the tuner switched out) changed from it’s normal frequency of about 3.520 to 9.904 MHz. The best swr match I can now get at 3.970 MHz with the tuner in line after spraying this stuff in is a bit over 3 to 1. The other H.F. bands are just as bad. I had to take my backup antenna tuner (an MFJ-948 that I use when going camping) down from the top shelf and put that in line. The G5RV and the Hustler 4-BTV vertical antenna are back to normal. There is only one problem with using the backup tuner. The MFJ-948 is limited to a max of about 250 watts. The MFJ-989C can handle up to 1500 watts. I plain on buying a power amp shortly. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this garbage out of my tuner?

Steve

[K4ICL]

You might want to try using some denatured alcohol (ethanol). It dries quickly and leaves little residue. Brush it on with a new paint brush and quickly blow it off with compressed air.

Good luck.

AL

[wx1f]

A product warning to all Amateur Radio Operators. DO NOT use the Control/Contact cleaner & lubricant Radio Shack catalog #60-4315 on any radios, antenna tuners or any other switches in electronic equipment. This stuff is as BAD as using WD-40 on your equipment. The instructions on the can says it is good for, quote ”for Electro-mechanical devices, especially drum type TV tuners. Reduces wear and safe on most plastics”.
I have an MFJ-989C antenna tuner. I got this stuff because my antenna tuner was showing signs of needing a cleaning. The tuner worked fine on all bands (80-10m) but the tuning was very touchy on transmit with the roller-inductor and noisy on receive. The antenna switch had to be wiggled to get good contact. I spraided this stuff in the tuner and my G5RV antenna self resonant frequency (with the tuner switched out) changed from it’s normal frequency of about 3.520 to 9.904 MHz. The best swr match I can now get at 3.970 MHz with the tuner in line after spraying this stuff in is a bit over 3 to 1. The other H.F. bands are just as bad. I had to take my backup antenna tuner (an MFJ-948 that I use when going camping) down from the top shelf and put that in line. The G5RV and the Hustler 4-BTV vertical antenna are back to normal. There is only one problem with using the backup tuner. The MFJ-948 is limited to a max of about 250 watts. The MFJ-989C can handle up to 1500 watts. I plain on buying a power amp shortly. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this garbage out of my tuner?

Steve

Deoxit DP5. VERY sparingly, too. A little goes a longggg way !!