On Sun, 20 Mar 2016 09:43:10 -0500, legg wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 20:57:34 -0000 (UTC), Cursitor Doom
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Mar 2016 14:05:57 -0500, Jon Elson wrote:

If these things are on TOP of the coating, then it should be easier to
make a conductivity measurement. (But, yes, I see you say they are
brittle.)

Indeed they are - very! Anyone who can come up with a method for
establishing if they're conductive and if so, to what extent deserves a
Nobel Prize, I reckon.

If they are water soluble, you might just clean the whole unit in your
dishwasher.

Depends on whether the aim is repair, or donation to science. If the
latter - ship to mfr in sealed bag with note attached - expect no
response.

RL

I won't be sending it back to the makers; like you say they're an
ungrateful bunch.
I'd like to power the board up and check for signs of life - see if that
xtal's working and so forth. But in view of those growths it seems
pointless unless I can get the back off and inspect the reverse side for
further signs of it spreading. But I don't want to risk damaging it in
the process. I'm not very good with practical things like that. They
invariably take FAR longer than I expect at the outset - and then I get
threatened with divorce.