Patch bay problems - What to do

I have some patch bays that I just hooked up and they have been sitting in storage for years and so have the cables. The patch bay is TT switchcraft and the cables tip ring sleeve brass TT.

So the contact and connection is intermittent. Any suggestions on how to bring it back to life. I've heard of using Brasso on the cables.

Perhaps it just needs a bunch of use to clean it up again. My hunch is that it's a bit of tarnish on the cables and that the patch bay jacks themselves are fine. Any advise would be great.

Thanks, Roger

:?:

burnishers and injectors....

Thank you, nice studio

:wink:

Hiya Jazz,

had the same problem with trident patchbay,
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/imagestar/pd_studio/stir_index.html
I desoldered all of the sockets from the boards, and had them ' ultrasonically cleaned'.

worked a treat :grin:



Steve :thumb:

as a start I would use chrome polish or neverdull to clean the brass contacts.

Michael

Absolutely NEVR use Brasso or anything like it, you will do more harm than good. If you can get Doe's plug polish, it is the best cleaner for the plugs on cables. Burnishers can be a bad idea as well, they remove the plating. Go to Caig Labs web site, get the liquid de oxit (http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1697/.f?sc=2&category=188) & the connector cleaning brush (http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1530/.f?sc=2&category=157) for the patchbay jacks. If you want to really clean the patchbay, take it appart & use a cheapo jewelry ultra sonic cleaner with 100% alcohol, then the standard jewelry cleaner, then an alcohol rinse, then the R5.

[quote author="Kid Squid"]Hiya Jazz,

had the same problem with trident patchbay,
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/imagestar/pd_studio/stir_index.html
[/quote]
"Situated close to Cardiff city centre and 1.5hrs (M4) from London Heathrow"
Don't believe a word this man ever says

Cleaning up the brass plugs on your patchcords--if they're the unplated type--will probably do the trick. I had a similar problem here and switching to new patchcords with plated plugs solved it. So, attend to the patchcords first, before going nuts on the patchbay jacks.

[quote author="nielsk"]Absolutely NEVR use Brasso or anything like it, you will do more harm than good. If you can get Doe's plug polish, it is the best cleaner for the plugs on cables. Burnishers can be a bad idea as well, they remove the plating. Go to Caig Labs web site, get the liquid de oxit & the connector cleaning brush for the patchbay jacks. If you want to really clean the patchbay, take it appart & use a cheapo jewelry ultra sonic cleaner with 100% alcohol, then the standard jewelry cleaner, then an alcohol rinse, then the R5.[/quote]
Nielsk did do a patchbay on an old API console that I was working (engineering) on about 12 years ago. He was doing it bib-by-bit at nights while I was recording during the day.

Not only did the problems go away... and stay away... He did it without introducing ANY irritating problems.

That -my friends- is the mark of a man worthy of high esteem. The approach which he is describing works very well indeed.

I too am opposed to the use of burnishing tools unless it's your very last resort. They do far more harm than good in the long term, and if used too frequently or too vigorously, they even do harm in the short term. I've seen it happen, and I don't recommend them.

Here's the worst thing: normalling contacts. The burnishing tool doesn't touch them, but people hear a crackle and reach or the tool. It doesn't help, so they do it again. Now they're eating away at the (very thin) plating with no possible benefit, and they KEEP doing it.

Ultrasonic cleaning is the way to go. Niels made a believer out of me.

[quote author="uk03878"][quote author="Kid Squid"]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/imagestar/pd_studio/stir_index.html
[/quote]
"Situated close to Cardiff city centre and 1.5hrs (M4) from London Heathrow"
Don't believe a word this man ever says[/quote]

Which M4 is that then? the hyperspace M4? Perhaps on a day when everyone is staying indoors out of sheer terror of the sky falling on their heads, you might be able to get to Cardiff in 90 minutes, but lemmeetellyasumthin... I got a Turbo Porsche here, and I am pretty lead-footed with it, and I can't get from London to Cardiff -or the other way round- in anything like that time, in real-world conditions... unless you're counting on it being 5AM on a Sunday morning, after a nuke scare!

Yeah, I'm with you... -that seriously undermines the Squid-like one's credibility! :wink:

Keith

Kid Squid is that a new avatar?

I desoldered all of the sockets from the boards, and had them ' ultrasonically cleaned'.

Click to expand...

Gonna look into this ultrasonic technique perhaps have my brain cleaned also while I'm there.....it also appears to be a bit tarnished :shock:

I need to find a place that can do this with fast turn around time. I have several artists I'm working for right now. Anybody know of such a service in the northwest USA? let me know.

Thanks :sam: :guinness: :sam: :guinness: :green:

[quote author="Jazz"]nice studio

:wink:[/quote]

I was starting to chomp at the bit... until I read this !??

[quote author="http://velvettonestudios.com"]Patrick Olguin -

Engineering sessions for Wyclef Jean, Black Eyed Peas, E40, Papa Roach, Cake, Def Tones, Oleander, Steve Howe, Die Trying, Master P's West Coast Bad Boyz III, this Sacramento based engineer is both sexy and sassy. His girilish figure rivals some of the worlds top supermodels.

(limo service and yoga lessons may be required for projects exceeding 5,000 hours)[/quote]

:green:

Thanks for all the advise everyone.

Cleaning up the brass plugs on your patchcords--if they're the unplated type--will probably do the trick. I had a similar problem here and switching to new patchcords with plated plugs solved it. So, attend to the patchcords first, before going nuts on the patchbay jacks.

Click to expand...

Ill start with the cables 1st then move to the patchbay jacks if still needed.

When I bought my wifes wedding ring it came with lifetime cleaning, I assume ultrasonic. Don't see why that warranty can't include unltrasonic cleaning on a few hundred TT jacks do you? :green:

No seriously though thanks for all the advise. I bet the problem is the cables...you can see the crap on them, they have no shine to them. The sockets look fine. I've found the TT sockets from switchcraft to be very very reliable. Invented by the phone company I have heard because they needed a reliable product for phone patching in the old days.

I'll let you know what heppens.

When a hole gets tarnished I usually take my connector and slam it in and out of the hole repeatedly until the problem relieves itself, and the juice can flow again from the prong to the hole and vice versa.

I knew a guy who would just walk by the patch bay and punch it whenever there was a patch problem. Yes, it worked; it was a dusty room.

I didn't know the Fonz was a sound engineer?

Yes that works I've done that however it does'nt look good in front of customers in my opinion. Thats ok when the problem pops up now and then but my patch bay problem is consistent.

My issue is more serious its not a now and then problem its consistent.

Perhaps a low-speed Dremel with a wire brush on the end?

I had the similar problem with switchcraft patch panel here.

My solution (prooved and works great)

BOM:
-one of those small brushes used for going between your theet (for sale in pharmacy)
-I used a product called "transyl" wich is used to unstuck old screw (don't if my explaination is correct in english... :sad: )

And i just rub all the hole of the patch with a drop of the product. and each tiny connection with the product and a cloth

It's good because neither the product or the brush is too hard for the patch and it's really effective

here is a link to the product manufacturer's website (in french)

http://www.rustol.com/fr/fiche_transyl.php

hope it will help :wink:

Rog,

DON't USE any sort of harsh abrasives,

Try one of these - they are wicked, I use 'em a fair bit in work, to clean up contacts etc.

RS FibrePen



UK - nice one fella :grin:

Keefie - I can do it in under 10 secs :shock: with my ' super ganja flying machine ' :wink: ,
but, true, quite unrealistic in a mortals' wagon :grin:

(I'll ask Paul, where that comes from .........) :thumb:

yup, my new avatar - Scratch Perry - Dub Lion !

laters

Steve

Kid

Those pens are great until you get one of the fibre glass bits stuck in your finger. They suck big time when that happens.

Also whilst not being a harsh abrasive, I would exactly describe them as soft.

I have had quick & clean reults with even the most crusty patchbays & cables by giving the plug a wipe with Cramolin R5. This will not cause any damage.
BTW, London is the best place I have seen to veiw lots of $250,000.00+ supercars surging forward 1 foot at a time & lucky to get up to 10 MPH....