510 contact cleaning

[chargingcharlie]

Not sure if this tip has been posted before, but I was attempting to clean the 510 and the battery contacts on my provari yesterday with a q-tip and some alcohol, and it was taking forever. A little lightbulb went off in my head and I was thinking that a pencil eraser would probably work well, due to the friction they have, and it worked awesome. A standard pencil eraser fits perfectly in the 510 connector and a few twists back and forth brought the finish back to looking like new. I did the same to the battery contact inside the tube and that's clean as a whistle now as well. Just thought it would be worth sharing just in case it hasn't been mentioned before.

 

[DaveSignal]

I don't know how user-servicable a ProVari is since I neither have nor want one, but it might be even easier to remove the pin from the 510, clean it, put it back together.

 

[r77r7r]

Good tip OP. Bears repeating!

 

[chargingcharlie]

I don't know how user-servicable a ProVari is since I neither have nor want one, but it might be even easier to remove the pin from the 510, clean it, put it back together.

The cap & board would have to be removed and the contact would have to be de soldered. It can be done, but it's not worth all the work.

 

[DaveP]

I've had my Provari V2 for 3 years now and a simple cleaning of the exposed end is all you need to do. As Charlie said, the center contact and cap are hard wired (soldered) to the board with wires long enough to allow the cap to be removed for inspection and replaced without actually removing the board. There's really no reason to remove the cap. All you have to clean is the threads and exposed end of the center contact. A paper towel or cloth rolled up and dipped in alcohol and pressed tightly into the socket is sufficient to clean the threads and the contact. Just twist it back and forth with enough pressure to get into the crevices and that's all you need to do.

 

[oplholik]

The white eraser pen type is what I use, works great. I also use it on the top of the spring, and batteries.

 

[r77r7r]

I like to apply Red DeOxit cleaner/lube on my electricals. First app you allow it to sit and it sort of dissolves any corrosion, then just wipe off leaving just a bit for lube and anti-corrosion.

I prefer non-abrasion and don't like thicker treatments.

 

[SailCat]

A pencil eraser. Who'da thunk? Great tip, charlie; I'll give that a go!