Marine Maintenance – Electronic Connections and Eliminating Corrosion on the Beach, Poolside or on the Water
It is now the beginning of summer, and if you have not been in a marine environment yet, chances are you will visit one in the near future.
Whether you are putting out live music on the beach, listening to beats on your ear pods while you tan at the lake or poolside, or are maintaining your boat and all the electronics associated with the same, a little bit of maintenance will get you the enjoyment you are seeking without having electronics fail as a result of corrosion.
Corrosion is the Enemy of Electronics
Not all metals rust. For example, aluminum doesn’t rust because it has a protective layer of aluminum oxide on its surface. This stops the metal coming into direct contact with water (or moisture in the air) and oxygen. On the other hand, both iron and copper rust because oxides form when these metals come in contact with water (or moisture in the air) and oxygen.
Corrosion exists when three things are present: (i) metal; (ii) an oxidizer (oxygen in the air); and (iii) moisture or other chemicals. Dissimilar metals in connections create a current that actually helps to grow the corrosion. In addition, salts or other chemicals such as sulfur or methane will also deteriorate metals through corrosion.
Corrosion on surfaces increases the volume of the base metal. This extra volume can push electrical connector pins apart causing intermittencies in the signal. Likewise, at the microscopic level, metal contact surfaces are not smooth with full area contact. Rather, signals/current flow mainly between the peaks on the surface. Excess corrosion can prevent the needed contact between the metals and distort or eliminate connectivity.
The key to maintaining and maximizing electronic connections is to ensure that they are clean and free from corrosion down to the microscopic level. Even if the metals look clean, corrosion may still be present and in a low voltage application, a little corrosion goes a long way.
Good news! The DeoxIT® D-Series from CAIG Laboratories will eliminate this corrosion and protect your connections switches and relays even in corrosive marine environments. Importantly, DeoxIT is generally safe on most materials, will not damage your equipment and will eliminate oxidation down to the microscopic level. The DeoxIT will also lubricate and protect the metals insuring the highest possibly conductivity and signal rates, and protecting from corrosion in the future.
A little maintenance with DeoxIT will go a long way to eliminate signal degradation. Once your signals are maximized and your connectors protected, you can enjoy all the benefits of your electronics while you enjoy the sea, lake or pool side!
In a marine setting, electronics that should be regularly cleaned and maintained to ensure their proper functioning and longevity.
On board a vessel:
GPS: The GPS antenna and receiver should be cleaned and checked regularly for any signs of damage or wear. Any corrosion or damage should be repaired immediately.
Radar: The radar antenna should be cleaned regularly to ensure clear reception. The antenna’s bearings and motors should also be checked for any signs of wear or damage.
Sonar: The sonar transducer should be cleaned regularly to ensure clear and accurate readings. The transducer’s housing and connections should also be checked for any signs of damage or wear.
VHF Radio: The VHF radio antenna should be checked and cleaned regularly to ensure clear reception. The radio’s battery and connections should also be checked and maintained.
Depth sounder: The depth sounder transducer should be checked and cleaned regularly to ensure accurate readings. The transducer’s connections should also be checked and maintained.
Autopilot: The autopilot system should be checked and calibrated regularly to ensure accurate and reliable operation.
Electrical system: The electrical system should be checked and maintained regularly to ensure proper grounding and wiring. Any signs of wear or damage should be repaired immediately.
Weather instruments: Weather instruments, such as barometers, wind gauges, and thermometers, are used to monitor weather conditions and forecast changes.
Trailer Connections: The turn/brake signal connection from your boat trailer to tow vehicle is always getting dipped in water, pelted by road dirt and generally not treated like the critical piece of electronics that it is,
Regular cleaning and maintenance of these electronic devices on a ship are essential to ensure their proper functioning and prevent malfunctions or failures that could compromise the safety of the vessel and its crew. As explained below, a little wipe, brush or spray of DeoxIT® on the metal connectors, switches and relays in these devices/applications will go a long way to getting you reliably working electronics even in a severe marine environment.
Beach/Pool Side Applications
There are plenty of other electronics you will find at the beach or pool. These include headphones and ear pods, outdoor speakers and P.A. Systems, musical equipment like instruments, amplifiers and audio mixers
Similarly, we are now bringing extra power supplies and even electrified coolers to the beach and on board the boat.
Like the electronics on board a boat, when these devices are used at the beach or by the pool, the water splashing around and vapor in the air (and sometimes salt) really work to deteriorate your electronic signals by corroding the metals that are powering, putting out and transferring those signals.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of electronic connections in these environments are essential to ensure proper functioning and prevent malfunctions or failures that at best frustrate your music or data and at worst could compromise the safety of a vessel and its crew.
Using DeoxIT and Maintaining your Electronics
Electronic connections should be regularly cleaned and checked regardless of where you are. In the marine setting, this maintenance is critc:
These connectors include:
Power/Battery connections should be regularly checked for corrosion, loose connections, or damage. Corrosion can be removed with a wire brush or abrasive pad, and connections should be tightened as needed.
Data connections: Data connections, such as Ethernet or NMEA connections, should be regularly checked for corrosion or damage, and cables should be secured and protected from chafing or wear.
Antenna connections: Antenna connections should be regularly checked for corrosion or damage, and cables should be secured and protected from chafing or wear. Corrosion can be removed with a wire brush or abrasive pad, and connections should be tightened as needed.
Ground connections: Ground connections should be regularly checked for corrosion or damage, and cables should be secured and protected from chafing or wear. Corrosion can be removed with a wire brush or abrasive pad, and connections should be tightened as needed.
Audio and Video Connections: These connections need to be clean to get your best signal and highest quality audio and video. A small amount of oxidation/corrosion will frustrate these signals creating unwanted noise and distortion of your video.
CAIG Laboratories makes many ways to apply DeoxIT Liquid to these areas of critical connectivity. We have sprays, wipes, pens, swabs and brushes all designed to make your electronic maintenance job easy.
On open contacts, a pen is a great applicator. Similarly on plugs/jacks, wipes work well. Swabs do well in USBs and other ports. Just pick the one that works best for you and your application.
Apply the DeoxIT Liquid to the conductive metal surfaces and wipe off the excess with a clean, lint-free cloth. That’s it! You are done… there is no need for hard wiping or rinsing. The DeoxIT will do all the work and you will have the highest conductivity and best signal strength on any and all metal connections, switches and relays.
Have a great summer and enjoy our wonderful beaches, lakes and pools while not worrying about your electronics functioning properly. Happy Summer from CAIG Laboratories!
