On 05/03/2016 17:14, DaveC wrote:
Cleaning up an old rotary mode switch used for 5v logic levels. It has some
kind of grease in it.


€¦which has always confused me: grease is an insulator (well, the grease in
this switch is€”just tested and its infinite ohms).

I read that dielectric grease is good to keep contacts sealed against the
elements that have high physical pressure (which overcomes any separation
provided by the grease) but that signal and other low voltages grease is
contra-indicated.

What say yall?

Thanks.


Over the years all those problematic radio multiway wavechange and tape
recorder play/record slide switches. I never saw grease inside them and
the failure was due to black corrossion product copper suplphide? which
is an insulator that a phosphor bronze contact could not wipe/break
through to make contact. The worst black was at the more open ends to
the air, rather than the core of the switch body.