MX110 slider switch - static still present after Fader F5

monkboughtlunch

Super Member
The Phase slider switch (under a rocker cover) cuts out with a bit of static when the switch is worked back and forth. I sprayed a couple of applications of FaderLube F5 (working the switch back and forth 30 times). And while it's a bit better, the issue is still present.

Question: is it ok for me to spray DeOxit D5 into the same slider switch as long as I follow it up with another blast of FaderLube F5 for lubrication? I'm curious if it needs more cleaning power from D5 to clear up the issue. Would D5 damage the slider switch?
 
Why do you think you need F5 at all? You're dealing with a switch, not a pot.
 
FaderLube is for "faders," ie. potentiometers. I do not see how it can be exclusively for slide switches. From the CAIG website:

FaderLube....Lubrication/protection of plastic-to-plastic parts (faders), plastic-to-metal parts (faders, linear sliders - dot matrix printers), metal-to-metal parts (sliding and slow rotating metal parts, locks, bearings), carbon-based controls (potentiometers) and membrane switches (mouse pointers, touch keypads).

It is basically a "lubricant." and to clean up surface dirt buildup.

DeOxit....DeoxIT® D-Series contact cleaner is a fast-acting deoxidizing solution that cleans, protects, lubricates and improves conductivity on all metal connectors and contacts.

If switch contacts are oxidized/corroded causing static or intermittant contact, this is the stuff to use.
 
My rule of thumb re: Caig Products is:

- DeOxit on metal contacts

- FaderLube on pots and sliders (anything that uses a wiper and a carbon substrate)

Cheers,

David
 
Thanks - so just to confirm do the MX110 front panel slider switches use carbon?

Before I sprayed FaderLube and DeOxit in the slider, both channels cut out and crackled when the slider was rocked back and forth.

After spraying several conservative short bursts into the switch from the underside of the unit, the right channel is now fixed when the Phase switch is rocked back and forth.

But there is still a cut out and crackle in the left channel when the Phase switch is rocked back and forth.

I'm wondering if there is an issue with the control or if there is some stuck debris causing the issue with left channel not improving like the right channel. I wonder if any of the old rotted foam from the rockers worked their way into the switch some how and are not flushing out. Alternatively, if there is carbon in the slider perhaps there is another issue?

I have been using relatively short bursts of Caig spray. I wonder if I should try flooding the slider switch with FaderLube spray (with a rag under the slider (o catch excess fluid). By "flooding" I mean spraying for several seconds instead of short bursts. Any thoughts on if I should try the "flooding approach"?

Would it damage the switch?
 
The "switch" is two metal contacts wiping across each other. The plastic handle is attached to the sliding contact, the other contact is stationary. The plastic handle has little bumps underneath that move in and out of little depressions in the metal cover that creates the detent feel. The Faderlube may make the plastic handle slide smoother when it is moving back and forth but has minimal effect on cleaning the two electrical switch contacts. There is no carbon in it. "Sliders" are just linear potentiometers, not switches.
 
Thanks. Should I try "flooding" it with more Deoxit? The right channel has cleared up after injecting the spray, but the left channel still cuts out.
 
I have never seen the outside or inside of an MX110. Can you see the sliding contacts by looking down one end of the switch from the inside? This may not be possible at all in your situation but I cleaned up a switch once by inserting a small strip of coarse bond stationary paper between the contacts, squirt it with D5 and then push and pull it back and forth a few times. If the switch is riveted to the chassis it may be impossible to do. If there is substantial corrosion, cleaning will just reveal pitting underneath.
 
Thanks. Should I try "flooding" it with more Deoxit? The right channel has cleared up after injecting the spray, but the left channel still cuts out.

Have you pulled off the front panel and cleared out all the old foam that was used to provide some silky feel originally. It will have long-ago fallen apart but the dust will be all over the place. You'll also need to inspect the contacts - its an open switch - yourself to make sure they're making good contact. No amount of DeOxit for the metal-to-metal contacts will work if there's a mechanical connection problem.

Cheers,

David
 
Have you pulled off the front panel and cleared out all the old foam that was used to provide some silky feel originally. It will have long-ago fallen apart but the dust will be all over the place. You'll also need to inspect the contacts - its an open switch - yourself to make sure they're making good contact. No amount of DeOxit for the metal-to-metal contacts will work if there's a mechanical connection problem.

Cheers,

David

Yes. I removed the rotted foam. Dremeled out the rivets holding the rocker covers and installed Camper Tape adhered by Loctite for plastic applications. So the old debris is gone, new foam (Camper Tape) is installed and all the switches work. It's just that the Phase switch crackles in the left channel when it's rocked back and forth.
 
Ah, excellent, then. We know where the problem is _not_. I didn't re-read the whole thread so apologies if this was already mentioned.

Cheers,

David
 
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