Are contact treatments worth the money?

Hi Rodman,
Absolutely right!

Happy listening!

If I can offer some comments- one should be wary of any contact enhancers that leave behind an oily deposit. In certain situations, the oil can migrate and affect circuits that it shouldn't.

I've seen contact enhancers applied to tube sockets and input connectors with disastrous results. In the case of the tube sockets, the material migrated across the circuit board the tube socket was mounted on, resulting in noticeable loss of gain and bandwidth. The board had to be treated with a degreasing agent to restore performance.

Consequently I've gotten conservative about enhancers. I've used Deoxit with good results, but I am careful to wipe away any excess after I've done the application(BTW one is missing a bet with this product if you don't use a clean rag to buff the surface of whatever contact is in question).

Where there is any doubt, the most effective chemicals I've seen that offer the lowest risk are sprays that are marked 'contact cleaner' (not enhancer) and also with the words 'with silicone lubricant'. This type of contact cleaner is safe with tube sockets, potentiometers and connectors. You can get it at Radio Shack.

Hi Tvad -- excuse the dealy. Here are a few possibilities one or two or three or four.
Frankly I don't remember which one I've got. I clean this stuff quite often & reapply (2-3 x year), however, for fear of migration.
Regards.

I have to agree with the dangers of applying "oily" or grease containing substances(ie: the electrical grease mentioned) to electronic gear. The heat generated by the piece(particularly tubed gear) WILL cause migration. SST is not oily or greasy, and used sparingly(as instructed) will not migrate. One thing you can absolutely count on with produces containing silicone: They WILL act as a magnet for any and all crap drifting in your home's atmosphere. 7 out of 10 times that I've been called upon to repair a mixer: there's been a can of "Contact Cleaner and Lubricant" in the booth, and the problem: Faders/pots contaminated by a mixture of silicone and dirt. Also- Silicone is an electrical insulator(keep in mind we are discussing audio signals, not just AC(line) voltage and current). If that's what you apply to your connections, after trying to eliminate those(oxides/corrosion/etc) that were already present, to a degree, you've defeated your own purpose. If you want to use a spray cleaner; use one that leaves no residues, like Blue Shower: (http://www.techspray.com/G3products.htm#Contact%20Cleaner%20G3®)