Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems.

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Default What is this stuff?

Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old, but comelete with
owners manual and remote control.

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. I forced myself to taste it, but I don't
taste anything.

3 other buttons have a little of those, but no more than 4% of any
button.

What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've never used
it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness. Not only that, these
contacts aren't copper-colored, and as the name impplied, it's really to
remove and prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl alcohol and
that did a good job.

So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?
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Default What is this stuff?

In article , NONONOmisc07
@fmguy.com says...

Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old, but comelete with
owners manual and remote control.

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. I forced myself to taste it, but I don't
taste anything.

[snip]

So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?


I don't think I'm capable of feeling enough curiosity to taste a
substance I found inside someone else's remote control.

I'd bet on something like a spilled drink of some kind, KFC/pizza
grease, or some other such residue from someone's movie-night snacks.

R
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Default What is this stuff?

On Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 2:55:31 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. ...


What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've never used
it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness. Not only that, these
contacts aren't copper-colored, and as the name impplied, it's really to
remove and prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl alcohol and
that did a good job.


The liquid (I think) is a plastic component intended to keep it flexible; a
'plasticizer'. Lots of plastic formulations 'sweat' this stuff, and isopropyl
is a good solvent for it. Glycerine, too, should work.

DeOxit formulations DO enhance contact, it's worth applying after cleaning.
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Default What is this stuff?

micky wrote

Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old,
but comelete with owners manual and remote control.


The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most,
volume up and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.


That's pretty common with older remotes.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points,


They are normally gold plated so don't oxidise.

but no. Instead those buttons, on the circuit board
and on the buttons, are shiny and a little bit sticky.


Likely someone managed to spill something on the remote.

I forced myself to taste it, but I don't taste anything.


Likely because it has been there a while.

3 other buttons have a little of those,
but no more than 4% of any button.


What is this, how does it get in there,


Likely someone spilt something on the remote.

and [what do I do about it}?


Wash it off.

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've
never used it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness.


Not surprising that it didn't.

Not only that, these contacts aren't copper-colored,
and as the name impplied, it's really to remove and
prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl
alcohol and that did a good job.


So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?


More likely spilled drink. Finger oil isnt sticky.


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Default What is this stuff?

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 30 May 2021 11:40:21 +1000, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

micky wrote

Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old,
but comelete with owners manual and remote control.


The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most,
volume up and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.


That's pretty common with older remotes.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points,


They are normally gold plated so don't oxidise.


They weren't that either. Everything was black, but not solid black.
Lines in some pattern that filled the cirular area that matched the
button.

but no. Instead those buttons, on the circuit board
and on the buttons, are shiny and a little bit sticky.


Likely someone managed to spill something on the remote.

I forced myself to taste it, but I don't taste anything.


I didn't like tasting it, expecially since I was sick two nights ago but
I figured a little bit couldn't kill me. The guy who gave it to me
seems like a very clean guy!

Likely because it has been there a while.

3 other buttons have a little of those,
but no more than 4% of any button.


What is this, how does it get in there,


Likely someone spilt something on the remote.

and [what do I do about it}?


Wash it off.


I went back and put that in brackets after I figrued out what to do. ;-0

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've
never used it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness.


Not surprising that it didn't.


Before I took it apart, I figured DeoxitIT was what it needed, and I was
a slow to change plans.

But as to something spilled on it, I don't see how that could be since
the buttons affected were at 4 corners of the remote with lots of
buttons in between, unblemished rows and columns in between.

Only the controls people use a lot, plus Mute, were dirty. It must
have to do with normal use.


Not only that, these contacts aren't copper-colored,
and as the name impplied, it's really to remove and
prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl
alcohol and that did a good job.


So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?


More likely spilled drink. Finger oil isnt sticky.





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Default What is this stuff?

micky wrote:

what is that stuff? Finger oil?


I've always assumed so, combined with whatever gets spilled on remotes,
I'd never taste my own remote juice, let alone someone else's, yesh
alcohol usually works (vodka if necessary and doing it for a favour when
away from home)
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Default More Improvised Bull**** by the Senile "Expert" in Everything!

On Sun, 30 May 2021 11:40:21 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll****

--
Richard addressing senile Rodent Speed:
"**** you're thick/pathetic excuse for a troll."
MID:
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In article ,
whit3rd wrote:
On Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 2:55:31 PM UTC-7, micky wrote:

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. ...


What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?


The liquid (I think) is a plastic component intended to keep it flexible; a
'plasticizer'. Lots of plastic formulations 'sweat' this stuff, and isopropyl
is a good solvent for it. Glycerine, too, should work.


Correct. Some silicone-rubber contact pads seem to contain a silicone
oil as a plasticizer... I'm not sure what the non-silicone rubbers
use. Isopropyl on a Q-tip has always gotten it off the board and
buttons.

DeOxit formulations DO enhance contact, it's worth applying after cleaning.


I've had some success in rejuvinating flaky contact pads by cleaning
the rubber with isopropyl, and then applying a thin coating of Neolube
No. 2 (sold by Micro-Mark). It's a graphite and collodion solution in
alcohol, and dries to form a somewhat-conductive film.




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El 29/05/2021 a las 23:55, micky escribió:
Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old, but comelete with
owners manual and remote control.

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. I forced myself to taste it, but I don't
taste anything.

3 other buttons have a little of those, but no more than 4% of any
button.

What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've never used
it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness. Not only that, these
contacts aren't copper-colored, and as the name impplied, it's really to
remove and prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl alcohol and
that did a good job.

So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?


It's silicon grease, exudated by the silicone keys due to a bad
fabrication process. Pressure on the keys make this grease flow, then
the contact begins to fail needing more pressure, more grease flows...
That's why the keys used more often fail more than those seldom used.

You can clean it with ethanol, it will work for some months before
needing another cleaning.

--
Saludos
Miguel Giménez
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On Monday, May 31, 2021 at 7:28:48 AM UTC-4, Miguel Giménez wrote:
El 29/05/2021 a las 23:55, micky escribió:
Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old, but comelete with
owners manual and remote control.

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. I forced myself to taste it, but I don't
taste anything.

3 other buttons have a little of those, but no more than 4% of any
button.

What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've never used
it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness. Not only that, these
contacts aren't copper-colored, and as the name impplied, it's really to
remove and prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl alcohol and
that did a good job.

So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?

It's silicon grease, exudated by the silicone keys due to a bad
fabrication process. Pressure on the keys make this grease flow, then
the contact begins to fail needing more pressure, more grease flows...
That's why the keys used more often fail more than those seldom used.

You can clean it with ethanol, it will work for some months before
needing another cleaning.

--
Saludos
Miguel Giménez

Exactly. I've services quite few of these and used 80% isopropal or ethel alcohol. Just wash the entire silicon keypad in the solvent. I've found it usually last about a year before it needs to be done again.
I had a small panasonic TV that sat on our kitchen table that had its remote control sit next to it. Had to wash the key pad about every 9 months...it was usually in the sunlight from the skylight which I think the UV light accelerated the release of the grease.
Good luck
J


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Default What is this stuff?

On 30/05/2021 5:55 am, micky wrote:
Someone on Freecycle gave me a nice tv, pretty old, but comelete with
owners manual and remote control.

The remote works fine except for the buttons used the most, volume up
and down, channel up and down, power, and muting.

I took it apart and expected to find oxidized contact points, but no.
Instead those buttons, on the circuit board and on the buttons, are
shiny and a little bit sticky. I forced myself to taste it, but I don't
taste anything.

3 other buttons have a little of those, but no more than 4% of any
button.

What is this, how does it get in there, and [what do I do about it}?

I have DeoxitIT, what I've read is the best, but I guess I've never used
it before, and it didn't remove the stickiness. Not only that, these
contacts aren't copper-colored, and as the name impplied, it's really to
remove and prevent oxidization, so I switched to isopropyl alcohol and
that did a good job.

So I know what to do about it, but what is that stuff? Finger oil?

The technical name is "Grot" also not recommended for consumption.
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