OT: Keying contacts

[John Gibson]

On the topic of keys, paddles, and bugs, I wonder if members of the list would tell
me how they keep key contacts clean and reliable. Do you regularly burnish key
contacts? Do you use a chemical cleaner (e.g. de-oxit)? Do you maintain a
minimum keying current? Or do you simply never have a problem?

Please share your wisdom and experience.

73,
John, no8v
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[Jozef Hand-Boniakowski]

A single sheet of white paper cut into strips placed between the
contacts with some pressure on the paddle while you pull through will
clean the contacts without damage.  Run a strip a few times through an
you will see the results.  I use just under the amount of pressure that
rips the paper.

Jozef WB2MIC

John H Gibson wrote:

> On the topic of keys, paddles, and bugs, I wonder if members of the list would tell
> me how they keep key contacts clean and reliable. Do you regularly burnish key
> contacts? Do you use a chemical cleaner (e.g. de-oxit)? Do you maintain a
> minimum keying current? Or do you simply never have a problem?
>
> Please share your wisdom and experience.
>
> 73,
> John, no8v
> _______________________________________________
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>  

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[Paul-285]

>On the topic of keys, paddles, and bugs, I wonder if members of the
>list would tell
>me how they keep key contacts clean and reliable. Do you regularly
>burnish key
>contacts? Do you use a chemical cleaner (e.g. de-oxit)? Do you maintain a
>minimum keying current? Or do you simply never have a problem?

Caig DeoxIT Gold if they're plated and relatively clean.
http://tinyurl.com/yom8uh

Caig DeoxIT and a match book cover if they're corroded, or not plated.
http://tinyurl.com/h66z2









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[k6dgw]

John H Gibson wrote:
> On the topic of keys, paddles, and bugs, I wonder if members of the list would tell
> me how they keep key contacts clean and reliable. Do you regularly burnish key
> contacts? Do you use a chemical cleaner (e.g. de-oxit)? Do you maintain a
> minimum keying current? Or do you simply never have a problem?
>
> Please share your wisdom and experience.

I use a small piece of heavy bond paper [a bit rough], put it between
the contacts, hold them closed, and pull the paper out.  About twice a
year seems to do it just fine.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2007 CQP Oct 6-7
- www.cqp.org
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[w1jp]

What if they are 'gold plated' contacts-- does this change the scenario at
all?

On another note-- how does one tell the checmical makeup visually between
bronze, gold, etc.?

----- Original Message -----
<snip/>
served to help keep them clean. Modern very low voltage/low current keying
circuits don't do that and the contacts easily become intermittent as they
collect a coat of oxides and dirt. Such contacts need no such delicate care
as perhaps modern contacts might, although it'd be foolish damage them
further needlessly. (Some old keys do have silver contacts which should be
treated with care, especially if they're plated and not solid silver. Silver
oxide is a good conductor, so even if they appear black they are still good
electrical contacts. If they become intermittent it's not because they are
oxidized but because they are actually dirty with a film covering the
silver. Very gentle wiping should restore good contact.)
<snip/>


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[Stuart Rohre]

Keys almost universally would have silver contacts.  Silver is one metal
whose oxide is conductive.

The contact area is a high stress point of pressure, Gold is a soft metal
and actually can develop films that inhibit good conduction, unless the
contact "wipes" so as to be self cleaning.

Bronze is not as yellow as gold, visually.  Bronze is not suited to switch
contacts.  Brass is sometimes used as cheap switch contacts, but alloys are
often what you see that have a yellow color.

Brass lends itself to having the silver contact welded or riveted to the
brass base piece. The war surplus J38 keys were an example of brass
conductors for the electrical paths to the contacts and a harder metal for
the contact points.

-Stuart
K5KVH


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[Rob Locher W7GH]

My Bencher BY-2 paddle has gold-plated silver contacts.  The contacts  
don't wipe.  The paddle is 21 years old.  The contacts have *never* been  
cleaned, and the paddle works great.

73,
- Rob W7GH




On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:09:55 -0700, Stuart Rohre <[hidden email]>  
wrote:

> The contact area is a high stress point of pressure, Gold is a soft  
> metal and actually can develop films that inhibit good conduction,  
> unless the contact "wipes" so as to be self cleaning.



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[Stuart Rohre]

Fred's bond paper key contact cleaning scheme is the best and most favorable
to long life of your key contacts.

-Stuart
K5KVH


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