DeOxit - great product for intermittent contacts

Expecting the contacts in any light to remain pristine without maintenance is an unrealistic expectation. Eventually you will have problems. Intermittent flickering, different output each time you turn on the light, etc. are all symptomatic of contact problems.

For those of you who are unfamiliar (I know many of you are already very familiar with this), Caig Laboratories, Inc. makes a product called DeOxit. It is about 20% cleaning solution, 80% preservative/lubricant.

You could buy the 100% solution (0% inert carrier) in a pen at Radioshack, but they were discontinued some time ago. You can now get DeOxit and ProGold in a twin pack at Radioshack, but the spray is only 5% solution, 95% inert carrier/propellent.

If you go to the Caig.com you can get the 100% solution in a bottle. I found the best value to the the 59mm bottle based on cost/oz. and my amount of usage. I suspect most folks will find this bottle will last them a long time.

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1525/.f?sc=2&category=188

Apply with cotton swabs or foam wipes (foam is better - less chance of a stray cotton fiber remaining on the contact and causing issues).

Intermittent problems with MagLEDs, Streamlight Strion, etc. usually completely vanish when you clean the contacts with DeOxit.

Great product in my opinion, and not surprisingly, in the opinion of many of my readers who have written to me to let me know how well it worked for them.

If you don't need a cleaner per se, the 100% ProGold (now called DeOxit Gold) is 5% cleaner, 95% preservative/lubricant. This will help keep clean contacts clean. Again, avoid the sprays since they are only 5% product and 95% inert carrier.

I would recommend cleaning all your flashlight contacts with DeOxit per the instructions on their site. I've been stunned by the change in output. This is especially important for twist-friction contacts.

Don't forget to apply ProGold (DeOxit if dirty) to your battery charger contacts. Just leave a thin layer. You'll likely see a big improvement. I can't belive how nasty my charger contacts have become. Don't forget to clean the contacts on the batteries themselves!

yeah, those chargers will have a layer of oxide causing connection problems and also cause the shiny metals to become dull!!! which is very bad and also because i like my metals shining under sunlight or flashlight but not under maglite NOT MAGLITE!!! (sue me it was a solitaire...)

there should be someone selling them in singapore... i want them... my chargers are all not making good connection with the device or batt....

Hello Doug,

Every fall I set aside a time to clean up the contacts on my lights and batteries. I find that my lights work very well as a result of this practice.

I would also like to point out that may people are taking an interest in checking out their batteries. I have found that the CBA and the BC-900 can give erratic results when the contacts are dirty. I find myself cleaning contacts around once per week when I am doing battery testing.

Tom

Progold and Deox-it is great stuff. Really helped even regular flashlights become a little brighter.

I'm a believer in that stuff! I've had two different lights that wouldn't work properly and I sprayed them both and they started working right off the bat. I now keep plenty of both on hand.

Thanks for the review. We need to get the word out on these two great products.

It's so refreshing in this day exaggerated or dishonest advertising to find a product that works exactly as advertised.

I've had good results with CRC "2-26" from the electrical dept at Home Depot.
I use it on switches, pots, position sensors, etc.

DeOxit products are good, but the pens are very expensive. There's a less expensive similar-looking product advertised on Peak's web site. It's called the Staticide Power Pen. Don't know how good it is: http://www.peakledsolutions.net/acc_msc.html

joema said:

DeOxit products are good, but the pens are very expensive. There's a less expensive similar-looking product advertised on Peak's web site. It's called the Staticide Power Pen. Don't know how good it is: http://www.peakledsolutions.net/acc_msc.html

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd like to know as well...I was thinking trying to score a few of these (I've never had any issues with lights flickering or contact problems and I would like to keep it this way with a bit of regular maintenance).


CFU

Round Batteries in non-torch useage.

An easy way to clean up the contacts, just rotate the battery whilst in the carrier.

(Slide thumb across battery)

Works every time for me.

Especially when done regularly, before intermittence occurs.

Caig Labs also offers several variants of "survival kits". I bought the technicians survival kit. It comes with the DeoxIT, DeoxIT gold and DeoxIT Shield sprays, some wipes, swabs, brushes and squeeze tubes of the DeoxIT products. To this kit, I added the DeoxIT 100%, DeoxIT Gold and DeoxIT X10S precision oiler pens.

I've used the DeoxIT and DeoxIT Gold sprays on data cables that collect a lot of carbon buildup frm generator exhaust, and it does a really good job cleaning them up. The US military has many of the DeoxIT products stock classified and when I spoke with the salesman at Caig who took my order, he said he used DeoxIT products while he was in the Marines on aircraft cables, connections, etc. and it made a big difference for him. The DeoxIT products really do work and aren't a gimmick like "cell phone boosters" or other unproven crap.

Bought the product off of the Peak website yesterday (actually bought it from digi-key). I am not impressed. It is a felt-tip marker type setup (not a fluid reservoir), and the ingredients listed on the back are citrus extract and mineral oil. It smells like orange peels. It does seem to clean some of the crud off of bad contacts, but it seems to dry up after a few hours sittting out. The DeoxIt Gold, which I have also used, is much more "oily" and does not dry out quickly at all (I've tested it). I'd stick with the Caig products for now...

I started a thread on this stuff a few days back and it was locked because there are too many threads on it already, or whatever. Anyhow thanks to all who responded in my thread. I got the answers I was looking for.

I was able to find some locally at a music store. They only had the spray, the larger can (5oz) it was $14.99. The same thing on the Caig site is $20.95. It's bigger than the cans they have at Radioshack so hopefully it will last longer. Since I don't need the regular Deoxit only the Progold or Deoxit Gold as they call it now I figured I would give it a try.

Going to do some experimenting tonight and see what happends.

Thank you for the informative thread. I ordered the 59ml DeoxIT and 25ml DeoxIT Gold. I can think of numerous applications (aside from my lights, chargers, and batteries) for this product.

I'd like to indicate that my experience with DeoxIT & Pro Gold confirms what quickbeam and others have posted. These products are also good for audio and video connectors, cables, plugs, etc.

When using the DeoxIT, I let it sit on the contact for a minute to insure a thorough cleaning. Be sure to wipe the products off well so only a film remains. Too much remaining may attract dirt.

Way back in 1979 I used a spray which was similar except the can had DeOxit (IIRC) printed on it. The product worked well but I can't remember if it was made by Caig.

I've been using DeoxIT & Pro Gold in the old Rat Shack pens and in the liquid for some time now and I can't imagine NOT having them. Aside from cotton swabs and patches held with self closing tweezers I also keep a very long hat pin in my kit for the really hard to reach places.