protecting electronics from marine water

[INMA]

I know the best way to protect electronics is to keep it out of the water.

Unfortunately that can't always be achieved.

I am looking at whether its worth spraying some product that provides some resistance from salt water on things like the circuit board in interior lights or the radio.

My cheap FM radio lasted about as long as the original expensive FM radio. I reused the box from the expensive marine radio. So I will watch for a cheap radio and was wondering whether anyone knew of a spray that might protect the circuit boards.

Cost is not a big issue if there is something out there that can be used on circuit boards and perhaps other electrics.

[Cruiser]

Hi INMA,
Don't know if this is much use to you but I have been using this "Electronic Cleaning Solvent", I purchased from Jaycar, on the boat and around the house for the last 12 months. I use to use CRC type sprays but find this is a lot cleaner and does not leave all the oily crud on things.

Servisol Electronic Cleaning Solvent (resize).jpg (106.33 KiB) Viewed 1683 times

I use this solvent on a little old trany radio (it lives in the bathroom) that I cart around the house. Often the volume pot plays up and I use to give it a sqirt of CRC. I find this stuff does just as good ajob and does not leave the mess that CRC does. Actually last week the radio was playing up big time and so I took the covers off and gave the whole inside a good blast - came up sounding like new again.

The following is the MSDS but for some reason the manufacturer have been allowed to not publicly disclose the full ingredient list .
http://www.electusdistribution.com.au/p ... S_2011.pdf

[Tymadman]

Circuit board lacquer (available from Jaycar) is the proper stuff to spray onto circuit boards. The circuit boards for my remotes are getting this sprayed onto them.
It can be soldered through which is one reason for using it rather than other kinds of lacquer.

In the business a protective lacquer coating is called a conformal coating.

[zebedee]

Ray on the bay was asking me about a similar problem (corrosion of the circuit tracks on an old Sumlog) by phone a few minutes ago, so here's the link to the Jaycar product for $11.50 per can.

[ray on the bay]

Thanks Zeb
My old sumlog lives again after doing a patch up job bridging some corroded tra ks on the circuit board

Time to try and save those that remain

[az100]

Yes, great stuff this circuit board lacquer but if you get any of it onto any contact you might be sorry later.
So, do mask off anything that requires a clean contact area *before* hitting the spray button.

A hint,, this stuff will clog the spray nozzle if left in there so to clear it, turn the can upside down and spray your last bit of board until the spray turns clear. It then will work next time you want to use it.