Cleaning small contacts?

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prv

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Despite its geriatric status, I'm a big fan of the Garmin GPS128. Unlike many of the boats I looked at, the new boat didn't come with one, so I bought an old 128 on eBay. It came without an aerial, which is fine, I ordered one of the common car type ones at the same time. The aerial took a long time to arrive, probably literally on a slow boat from China.

It's finally turned up, and I'm trying out the GPS. It's stuck in a screen labelled "acquiring EPE", which some googling suggests indicates an antenna problem (ie receiving no signal). A closer look shows that the BNC socket on the back for the aerial is quite corroded, with lots of green fuzz on the hole for the central pin. One of the contacts (I assume the +12v) in the power-data plug is similar, meaning it takes a little wiggling before power is applied to the device.

Does anyone have any cunning tricks to clean this sort of small fiddly female contact, perhaps something I can dunk them in? If I can't get them clean, the next step is to open up the unit and solder on new plugs, but I don't want to do that if I can avoid it.

Cheers,

Pete
 
Servisol Contact Cleaner will do the cleaning.

But, probably having been powered down for a long while, and having moved location, the GPS is likely to have lost its almanac data. It needs to be powered up, with a good antenna signal, for a considerable period of time to recover the necessary data. Perhaps an hour or more.
 
Connector cleaning

I would try something like WD 40 or better still one of the specialist contact cleaners. If you use WD 40 you might want to dunk the connector in white spirit or similar to clean out the lubricant.
If that fails then a mild acid may do the job. Oxalic acid or even coca cola may do it but do rinse thoroughly after a short acid immersion. good luck olewill
 
William_H said:
I would try something like WD 40 or better still one of the specialist contact cleaners. If you use WD 40 you might want to dunk the connector in white spirit or similar to clean out the lubricant.
If that fails then a mild acid may do the job. Oxalic acid or even coca cola may do it but do rinse thoroughly after a short acid immersion. good luck olewill
Click to expand...
Sorry to disagree, but WD40 is no good for cleaning electrical contacts.
 
elton said:
Servisol Contact Cleaner will do the cleaning.

But, probably having been powered down for a long while, and having moved location, the GPS is likely to have lost its almanac data. It needs to be powered up, with a good antenna signal, for a considerable period of time to recover the necessary data. Perhaps an hour or more.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pointer to the cleaner.

As for the almanac, I've been leaving it receiving for quite a while this evening. Initially on the living room table, but then I moved it to the back door with the aerial on the garden table outside. Given the dicky power contact it's quite likely that it was never on for an hour continuously before I poked it and knocked the power off and on. But several stints over 20 minutes, certainly.

I think I'll try the cleaner before doing anything else, then let it bask in the radio waves again for a good long time.

Cheers.
 
... and then again GPS antenna's come in different variety, cannot judge compatibility purely by the type of connector. There are passive, and amplified antennas, 3 or 5v variety. Connecting wrong type may either give poor reception, no reception or even damage the receiver. Is the replacement automotive antenna really compatible with the receiver?
 
At BAe the electricians had a spray called 'Electrolube' specially for contacts; cleans without shorting.

Sorry Olewill but I don't think WD40 is a good idea on this one, leaves a residue and has been known to cause shorts.
 
i acquired a second hand plotter which had been in the box for ages. took longer than 20 minutes to find the satellites - ages in fact - but since then its been fine.

does the aerial work with a mate's gps? or can you borrow another aerial?
 
I had a 128, good unit. Even when it says acquiring EPE, IIRC, there should be a page showing satellite signal strength. This would prove the aerial function.
Another point re. an old unit, there is an internal battery for memory retention. If this is flat, almanac data is lost, leading to extended search times every time it's switched on.
I found a full view of the sky was much the best for start-up. Shielding by the house noticeably slowed it.
 
Contacts can be cleaned using some of the flux that plumbers use but be carefull to make sure it is well cleaned off afterwards.

If I remember correctly the Garmin 128 uses an antenna that is powered from the unit so an ordinary car type one will probably not do. Someone on here will keep you right.

WD 40 really has no place on a boat, yes it will loosen nuts etc. but it is no lubricant and it promotes corrosion rather than preventing it.
 
NickRobinson said:
I assume you've got this?

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/82_OwnersManual.pdf
Click to expand...

Don't really need it; I've been using this model of GPS since I was old enough to do the navigation :). That's why I want to fit one on the new boat even though I'm also adding plenty of bang-up-to-date high tech stuff.

I do have a copy though, yes, and have searched it for help with this problem without success.

I'm hoping that a contact clean and a really good reception session (not shadowed by the wall of the house as it was last night) will sort it out. Will bear a battery replacement in mind if it starts working but continues to need very long start ups.

Pete
 
SAMYL said:
If I remember correctly the Garmin 128 uses an antenna that is powered from the unit so an ordinary car type one will probably not do.
Click to expand...

Funny that - I know it uses a powered antenna, so I bought a powered antenna. Which mentioned the GPS128 on the box, no less.

Can we knock this one on the head, please? It's remotely possible that the antenna is faulty, or that the Chinese manufacturer wrongly claimed compatibility to increase sales, or even that they packed the wrong item in the box. But I didn't just rush out and buy any old antenna without checking it would work, credit me with that at least.

Pete
 
Burnham Bob said:
does the aerial work with a mate's gps? or can you borrow another aerial?
Click to expand...

We haven't sold the old boat yet, which has (of course!) a GPS128 and Garmin aerial. So I can certainly go down there and do some A / B testing. It's on my list of things to try, but I wasn't going to drive down to the boat at 11pm last night.

Pete
 
William_H said:
I would try something like WD 40 or better still one of the specialist contact cleaners...
Click to expand...

SAMYL said:
Contacts can be cleaned using some of the flux that plumbers use but be carefull to make sure it is well cleaned off afterwards...
Click to expand...

WD-40 is not good for contacts. Plumbing flux is highly acidic, and will eat away the contact, it would be impossible to remove without dismantling the plug.

Electrolube or Servisol Contact/Switch cleaner or similar is all you should use. I have an ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning PCBs etc, perhaps you could borrow one.
 
prv said:
Funny that - I know it uses a powered antenna, so I bought a powered antenna. Which mentioned the GPS128 on the box, no less.

Can we knock this one on the head, please? It's remotely possible that the antenna is faulty, or that the Chinese manufacturer wrongly claimed compatibility to increase sales, or even that they packed the wrong item in the box. But I didn't just rush out and buy any old antenna without checking it would work, credit me with that at least.

Pete
Click to expand...

At no stage in the past did you mention that you understood about the various types of antenna, you just said you had got a common car type one.

I was just trying to help, I'll not bother in future. :mad:
 
nigelmercier said:
Plumbing flux is highly acidic, and will eat away the contact, it would be impossible to remove without dismantling the plug.
Click to expand...

Of course it's acidic, that's why I suggested it. I use it all the time for things like that. The plugs are easily rinsed with a water spray afterwards.
 
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