Corrosion Resistant Grease for Speaker Wire

kevhed72

I have to hang the Atrium 8s on Deckzilla this weekend....what would all y'all recommend for the exposed copper wires and binding posts to **** corrosion....I have brake grease and several Vaseline type products. Go ahead and take your shots....then tell me what would work best....cheers!

FestYboy

Dielectric grease. The others can react to plastics.

@nbrowser you beat me by seconds

pitdogg2

Why are you not using gold plated bananas?

FestYboy

Ivan, I've seen too many plated connectors rust from the inside because they aren't rated for outdoor use.

rooftop59

I live in central Tx, humidity is pretty high here (though not like the Deep South or Florida) and I have lived in this house for 6 years with speakers under a small awning with bare wire running in. The only problem I have had is with the damn birds that want to build a nest on my speaker...wires haven’t been a problem.

F1nut

Goose grease

pitdogg2

FestYboy wrote: »

Ivan, I've seen too many plated connectors rust from the inside because they aren't rated for outdoor use.

Interesting. I know a set that has been in use for 6 yrs. in the elements that has not happened. Maybe because we used shrink tubing around the body and down the wire about 6 inches.

Viking64

Ilsco De-Ox and black spray paint.

soundfreak1

Replace binging posts with "gold" ones and same with wire conections problem solved. Unless you live right on salt water no further steps needed.

F1nut

FestYboy wrote: »

Ivan, I've seen too many plated connectors rust from the inside because they aren't rated for outdoor use.

It's got nothing to do with being rated for outdoor use. It's got to do with being cheap a$$ connectors using the wrong base metal. Any half decent connector uses copper, brass or phosphorus bronze as the base metal, which do not rust.

headrott

Viking64 wrote: »

.......black spray paint.

Please, do not bring up this substance. This is a banned topic on the Polk forum, as far as I know......

kevhed72

I think I found the perfect stuff:
http://store.tmcindustries.com/product.asp?itemid=58&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItpmG3Yu31wIVF7bACh3A7gTEEAQYASABEgLtsfD_BwE

headrott

nbrowser wrote: »

kevhed72 wrote: »

I think I found the perfect stuff:
http://store.tmcindustries.com/product.asp?itemid=58&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItpmG3Yu31wIVF7bACh3A7gTEEAQYASABEgLtsfD_BwE

Here, save $710!

vhttps://fortnine.ca/en/permatex-dielectric-grease?gclid=CjwKCAiA3JrQBRBtEiwAN7cEGsmhTh27GTJo2SUxdkC94M4D6irdOH0PaxaYG9KXVbTcP6zJVP-0hhoC7z8QAvD_BwE#493=10186&555=10173

I don't think the Permatex is "outer space approved" though. I would definately pay the $710.00 for the extra assurance and reliability. So, the space grease cost more than the speakers?! So what!! We don't want those cheap a$$ connectors rusting, after all. Besides, why spend money on better connectors, when you can brag to your friends that you have space lube on your connectors, that is protecting them for several times the price.

txcoastal1

kevhed72 wrote: »

I think I found the perfect stuff:
http://store.tmcindustries.com/product.asp?itemid=58&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItpmG3Yu31wIVF7bACh3A7gTEEAQYASABEgLtsfD_BwE

Jeez at that price it better do wonders on my junk too

F1nut

I'm telling, he said space lube.

headrott

Come Jesse, just 'cause you haven't had the pleasure.

FestYboy

F1nut wrote: »

FestYboy wrote: »

Ivan, I've seen too many plated connectors rust from the inside because they aren't rated for outdoor use.

It's got nothing to do with being rated for outdoor use. It's got to do with being cheap a$$ connectors using the wrong base metal.

That too!

DaveHo

I always coat all the connections on my outdoor speakers with DeoxIt gold. No corrosion issues for me.

billbillw

I would tin the leads on the copper wire (aka tiny bit of solder). Helps from excessive fraying too.

kevhed72

I hit HD yesterday and of course it took forever to find all the necessary supplies to ensure the Atrium 8s dont fall on anyone's head. As you can see, they dwarf the Atrium 4s:

Willow

Interesting post. I took away my back yard speakers. All good except the one right next to the pool. The connectors were no longer brass. Look more like faded metal. I'll have to get some grease next spring to help protect that one and perhaps find a different location.

soundfreak1

Chlorine gas from pool. Eats almost all metal eventually

Willow

soundfreak1 wrote: »

Chlorine gas from pool. Eats almost all metal eventually

This was after 6 mths. We keep our pool at the lowest levels possible. It's very rare that I crank up the salt chlorinator up high. Unless after a party.

soundfreak1

How" high" is a relative matter. Chlorine is chlorine virtually no levels are good for any metal. Think about what it's doing to the voice coils and any other metal baskets from your speakers excetera excetera excetera. The only thing you can really do at this point is to keep your speakers as far away from the pool surface as possible and be prepared to replace wire every season. Air flow isn't a bad idea to keep it from concentrating, a large fan in the pool area running 24/7 wouldn't hurt but it's like holding back the tide. Just accept the fact that you're going to have a higher maintenance than anyplace else in the house.

kevhed72

Interesting tie in here...when they were taking apart the old deck I noticed the old metal flashing was corroded. The house is only 14 years old....my guess is it was the bleach I used on the vinyl siding during the powerwashing process. Bleach works wonders down here in the pollen-belt, but is corrosive and Im told can jack up the soap pump in power washers overs time.

soundfreak1

Yes you need to replace all rubber gromets, washers, etc in presure washers after every 2/3 uses or every 6 mo. or so. Also use only "buffered" chlorine not bleach! Also for exterior home cleaning an algaecide is also a good idea.

pitdogg2

kevhed72 wrote: »

Interesting tie in here...when they were taking apart the old deck I noticed the old metal flashing was corroded. The house is only 14 years old....my guess is it was the bleach I used on the vinyl siding during the powerwashing process. Bleach works wonders down here in the pollen-belt, but is corrosive and Im told can jack up the soap pump in power washers overs time.

OH YES IT WILL

It would eat everything in short order in my hand pump pressure sprayer I used in my old basement shower stall to combat molds and mildew. After a few months it would no longer hold pressure and the spray handle just fell apart.

I had to get "aggressive chemical" sprayers.

Willow

soundfreak1 wrote: »

How" high" is a relative matter. Chlorine is chlorine virtually no levels are good for any metal. Think about what it's doing to the voice coils and any other metal baskets from your speakers excetera excetera excetera. The only thing you can really do at this point is to keep your speakers as far away from the pool surface as possible and be prepared to replace wire every season. Air flow isn't a bad idea to keep it from concentrating, a large fan in the pool area running 24/7 wouldn't hurt but it's like holding back the tide. Just accept the fact that you're going to have a higher maintenance than anyplace else in the house.

I agree, next spring I'll be moving that one speaker away from the pool. It was right next to it this summer. Next year it will be a good 10 feet away.

soundfreak1

Just so you'll know chlorine won't even kill mildew it only defoliate the flower on mildew plants it'll grow back and then you'll see the black again it never kills the root system you need to use a good algaecide that will actually kill the root of the mildew plant and then it will be destroyed completely this is something I used to do professionally in the Florida area it's a big business down here the chlorine is used just at the defoliant to give the impression that you've killed it immediately but in actuality the plant will just RE foliate within a few months and the mildew stays there until you actually kill it with an algaecide or appropriate Mildowside. Just saying!

billbillw

soundfreak1 wrote: »

Just so you'll know chlorine won't even kill mildew it only defoliate the flower on mildew plants it'll grow back and then you'll see the black again it never kills the root system you need to use a good algaecide that will actually kill the root of the mildew plant and then it will be destroyed completely this is something I used to do professionally in the Florida area it's a big business down here the chlorine is used just at the defoliant to give the impression that you've killed it immediately but in actuality the plant will just RE foliate within a few months and the mildew stays there until you actually kill it with an algaecide or appropriate Mildowside. Just saying!

That's interesting. I've never heard that. I always thought dilute bleach was a miracle cure. ie: it kills everything! I'll have to look into an algaecide because we have a problem on our back deck, front basement entry, and north side of the house. It is painted stucco.

kevhed72

So here are some more pics as the project progressed. After a couple of months I will paint the treated wood in between the 2 layers of vinyl board. While it may seem overkill and not as clean as simply **** the mounts directly to the undside of the roof, the Atrium 8s come in at 10 lbs each. The binding posts and wire ends were covered with a good amount of dielectric grease. Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving