10 May
2021
10 May
'21
8:13 p.m.
What is the best type of lubricant for Omnibus backplanes?
It can be a struggle to insert and remove PDP-8/e boards into the Omnibus.
There is a risk of damage to the brittle bakelite connector housings on the
Omnibus PCB.
Traditional contact sprays should work but have two problems:
1) they remain wet and over time will attract and retain dust
2) the solvent and lubricant *may* weaken or attack the bakelite
There are some PTFE (Teflon) based lubricant sprays which create a dry
film. Would this type of spray work?
Any suggestions on what I could use that reduces the strain on the Omnibus
and the PCBs during insertion/removal without creating new problems?
Thanks and best regards
Tom Hunter
11 May
11 May
7:33 a.m.
I would use caig deoxit. They have a version that has lubrication properties. I think it
is the "S" series.
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Tom Hunter via cctalk
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2021 11:14 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
What is the best type of lubricant for Omnibus backplanes?
It can be a struggle to insert and remove PDP-8/e boards into the Omnibus.
There is a risk of damage to the brittle bakelite connector housings on the Omnibus PCB.
Traditional contact sprays should work but have two problems:
1) they remain wet and over time will attract and retain dust
2) the solvent and lubricant *may* weaken or attack the bakelite
There are some PTFE (Teflon) based lubricant sprays which create a dry film. Would this
type of spray work?
Any suggestions on what I could use that reduces the strain on the Omnibus and the PCBs
during insertion/removal without creating new problems?
Thanks and best regards
Tom Hunter
8:55 a.m.
If the contacts are gold then I would suggest Caig ProGold followed by Caig Shield S5.
Use sparingly as it?s highly conductive and may lead to some strange results from spraying
it too freely.
You might also consider one of Caig?s Non-Conductive Buss Lubricants.
Don Resor
Sent from someone's iPhone
On May 11, 2021, at 7:38 AM, W2HX via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
?I would use caig deoxit. They have a version that has lubrication properties. I think it
is the "S" series.
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Tom Hunter via cctalk
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2021 11:14 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
What is the best type of lubricant for Omnibus backplanes?
It can be a struggle to insert and remove PDP-8/e boards into the Omnibus.
There is a risk of damage to the brittle bakelite connector housings on the Omnibus PCB.
Traditional contact sprays should work but have two problems:
1) they remain wet and over time will attract and retain dust
2) the solvent and lubricant *may* weaken or attack the bakelite
There are some PTFE (Teflon) based lubricant sprays which create a dry film. Would this
type of spray work?
Any suggestions on what I could use that reduces the strain on the Omnibus and the PCBs
during insertion/removal without creating new problems?
Thanks and best regards
Tom Hunter
11:23 a.m.
Very interesting. In probably 30 years I've been repairing equipment and among the
dozen or so electronics forums I belong to, you may be the first person I've run
across to throw some shade on that product. I've never heard any concerns or warnings
about it. And there are some rather reputable companies using it. Including HP, GE,
Honeywell, Tektronix, etc. I feel I'm in good enough company with those folks to
continue using it.
https://caig.com/all-testimonials/
But please share your experience with it so others can form their opinions.
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Al Kossow via cctalk
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1:12 PM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
I would suggest Caig
I would suggest researching and understanding what their snake oil does before using any
Caig product.
3:06 p.m.
On 5/11/21 11:23 AM, W2HX wrote:
In probably 30 years I've been repairing equipment
and among the dozen or so electronics forums I belong to, you may be the first person
I've run across to throw some shade on that product.
https://www.hagensieker.com/wordpress/2018/06/18/deoxit-what-is-it-what-isn…
and Ben synthesizes some corrosion inhibitor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpRrP3sqQLw
4:06 p.m.
On Tue, 11 May 2021, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:
https://www.hagensieker.com/wordpress/2018/06/18/deoxit-what-is-it-what-isn…
and Ben synthesizes some corrosion inhibitor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpRrP3sqQLw
OK, so chemically, it's mostly lighter fluid, which does work well for
such things.
(-: But, surely, any good alchemist could come up with a spray that would
turn lead solder into gold. And liberally spraying that through the vent
slots and speaker grill of my childhood portable record player should make
it sound as good as I remember it sounding when I was 8 years old. Just
using a gold power cord wasn't enough. And WD-40 also wasn't enough.
"Witchdoctor", "Purple People Eater", "Nash Rambler",
"You Ain't Nothin'
But A Hounddog" deserve the best sound quality possible! :-)
12 May
12 May
8:02 a.m.
Ok, good article. From what I read, there are some things it doesn?t do. Author states
"What it will not do. IT WILL NOT REMOVE RUST. IT WILL NOT REMOVE OXIDATION"
cool beans. He also states that it isn?t as good as military products for aluminum salt
fog. I hope the Op wasn?t planning to use his PDP-8/E in a salt fog. And the author
indicates probably won't make your stereo sound better (or at least as good as the
oxygenated copper power cord for $250). The OP wasn?t looking for rust removal or
oxidation removal, so what it lacks doesn?t seem to disadvantage the op. In addition, the
author says the product is good for many things, lubrication was one of them and
apparently lighter fluid is excellent for corrosion prevention. Hardly seems like snake
oil based on the author's article. Seems more like a product very similar (but perhaps
not as good) as military products he's used. Ok.
All in all, the author seems to indicate this might be a good product for the problem the
OP was experiencing. The author simply rebuffs the argument made on audiophile websites
indicating it is the miracle cure, which I think most rational people would agree on.
So unless I misread the article, I'm still happy with my suggestion to the op.
73 Eugene W2HX
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Al Kossow via cctalk
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 6:06 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
On 5/11/21 11:23 AM, W2HX wrote:
In probably 30 years I've been repairing equipment
and among the dozen or so electronics forums I belong to, you may be the first person
I've run across to throw some shade on that product.
https://www.hagensieker.com/wordpress/2018/06/18/deoxit-what-is-it-what-isn…
and Ben synthesizes some corrosion inhibitor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpRrP3sqQLw
11 May
11 May
3:43 p.m.
I've been successfully using Deoxit and related products for many years,
after I learned of them from government projects where I was a consultant.
In a specific case: My PDP-8/E has 32K of core memory in four banks (original
DEC). Several years ago, it developed random memory errors. I did all the
usual things - made sure the OTT connectors and edge connectors were clean,
that there was no observable "dirt" in the back-plane, etc. I reinstalled the
memory - and it worked - for a while. Then the random error returned. Not
often - but often enough to be irritating.
I then used (sparingly) "ProGold" (now Deoxit Gold) on all the edge
connectors. After re-installation, the memory was "perfect" (no diagnostic
errors). Now some ten years later, I've never once experienced another memory
error on my PDP-8/E.
That was enough to convince me empirically that the product worked as
advertised.
Ever since that experience I've used Deoxit Gold on many pieces of test
equipment and vintage computer gear and have never experienced anything but
good results.
Cheers,
Lyle
--
On Tue, 11 May 2021 18:23:53 +0000
W2HX via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Very interesting. In probably 30 years I've been
repairing equipment and
among the dozen or so electronics forums I belong to, you may be the first
person I've run across to throw some shade on that product. I've never heard
any concerns or warnings about it. And there are some rather reputable
companies using it. Including HP, GE, Honeywell, Tektronix, etc. I feel I'm
in good enough company with those folks to continue using it.
https://caig.com/all-testimonials/
But please share your experience with it so others can form their opinions.
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Al Kossow via
cctalk Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1:12 PM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
--
73 NM6Y
Bickley Consulting West
https://bickleywest.com
"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"
I would suggest Caig
I would suggest researching and understanding what their snake oil does
before using any Caig product.
6:35 p.m.
We used to use DC #4.
As an example, I had a ZX81. I added a RAM pack and had to be real careful about wiggling
or moving the AX81. I put DC #4 on the pins. One could drop the computer with the RAM
attached and it wouldn't lose a bit.
I don't like deox as it has chemical actions that continue over time.
DC #4 is totally inactive, although, it does leave a film of the filler over years after
the silicon oil evaporates but is not that hard to clean.
Dwight
________________________________
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> on behalf of Lyle Bickley via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 3:43 PM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Cc: W2HX <w2hx at w2hx.com>
Subject: Re: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
I've been successfully using Deoxit and related products for many years,
after I learned of them from government projects where I was a consultant.
In a specific case: My PDP-8/E has 32K of core memory in four banks (original
DEC). Several years ago, it developed random memory errors. I did all the
usual things - made sure the OTT connectors and edge connectors were clean,
that there was no observable "dirt" in the back-plane, etc. I reinstalled the
memory - and it worked - for a while. Then the random error returned. Not
often - but often enough to be irritating.
I then used (sparingly) "ProGold" (now Deoxit Gold) on all the edge
connectors. After re-installation, the memory was "perfect" (no diagnostic
errors). Now some ten years later, I've never once experienced another memory
error on my PDP-8/E.
That was enough to convince me empirically that the product worked as
advertised.
Ever since that experience I've used Deoxit Gold on many pieces of test
equipment and vintage computer gear and have never experienced anything but
good results.
Cheers,
Lyle
--
On Tue, 11 May 2021 18:23:53 +0000
W2HX via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
Very interesting. In probably 30 years I've been
repairing equipment and
among the dozen or so electronics forums I belong to, you may be the first
person I've run across to throw some shade on that product. I've never heard
any concerns or warnings about it. And there are some rather reputable
companies using it. Including HP, GE, Honeywell, Tektronix, etc. I feel I'm
in good enough company with those folks to continue using it.
https://caig.com/all-testimonials/
But please share your experience with it so others can form their opinions.
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Al Kossow via
cctalk Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 1:12 PM
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
--
73 NM6Y
Bickley Consulting West
https://bickleywest.com
"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"
I would suggest Caig
I would suggest researching and understanding what their snake oil does
before using any Caig product.
16 May
16 May
6:27 p.m.
On Tue, May 11, 2021 at 1:12 PM Al Kossow via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
wrote:
my
ASR33. That KS7470 oil was magic.
I stored it in the attic and would visit from time to time. But now the
smell is gone. Evaporated. Like the perfume of a lost love it is no
longer there.
-chuck
I would suggest Caig
I would suggest researching and understanding what their snake oil does
before
using any Caig product.
Do not underestimate the lure of a good snake oil. I long for the smell of 
12 May
12 May
4:05 a.m.
Heading back to the OP topic, lubrication and reduction in insertion force (given
presumptively clean contacts), I've read good things about NyoGel 760G Dielectric
Synthetic Grease. "Used for lubrication and protection of electrical
contacts."
Safety sheet: https://www.nyelubricants.com/datasheet/SDS_US_English_NYOGEL+760G.pdf
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tom Hunter via cctalk
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2021 11:13 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: DEC PDP-8/e Omnibus backplane lubrication
What is the best type of lubricant for Omnibus backplanes?
It can be a struggle to insert and remove PDP-8/e boards into the Omnibus.
There is a risk of damage to the brittle bakelite connector housings on the
Omnibus PCB.
Traditional contact sprays should work but have two problems:
1) they remain wet and over time will attract and retain dust
2) the solvent and lubricant *may* weaken or attack the bakelite
There are some PTFE (Teflon) based lubricant sprays which create a dry
film. Would this type of spray work?
Any suggestions on what I could use that reduces the strain on the Omnibus
and the PCBs during insertion/removal without creating new problems?
Thanks and best regards
Tom Hunter
1083
days inactive
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days old
11 comments
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aek＠bitsavers.org -
ccth6600＠gmail.com -
chd＠chdickman.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
dkelvey＠hotmail.com -
lbickley＠bickleywest.com -
organlists1＠sonic.net -
pbirkel＠gmail.com -
w2hx＠w2hx.com