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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: yltfan on September 12, 2011, 01:18:18 AM

Title: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: yltfan on September 12, 2011, 01:18:18 AM
Do I need to do anything besides open up the connector and let everything dry out real good?

I was at this tiny punk rock shithole, never saw the bucket of water under the table I had my gear on. The female xlr end was completely submerged for a few minutes.

Besides this old 'piss cable' thread, I couldn't find much on this: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=104778.msg1398833#msg1398833

Thanks for any tips.
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: Lil Kim Jong-Il on September 12, 2011, 10:28:35 AM
If the water was clean, I would just open the connector and use a hair drier. A little heat will help expel any residual moisture and a hair drier isn't going to melt the cable jacket. If the water was nasty, rinse everything under clean water and then dry it. If you have some contact treatment use that after the connector has dried.

Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: kirk97132 on September 12, 2011, 01:20:47 PM
If you want to be super anal rinse it in distilled water then dry.  BUT I assure you water won't hurt it.  After gigs at places like Hornings we would stack pallets of cable....XLR, SOCA, Power cable you name it and wash it down with a power washer.  Some of the cable is over 15years old and works just fine. 
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: ellaguru on September 12, 2011, 03:04:50 PM
after all is dry id wager a shot of deoxit would be a good idea?
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: Lil Kim Jong-Il on September 12, 2011, 04:55:25 PM
deoxit

Good one. That's the contact treatment I wanted to suggest but I couldn't recall the name. 
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: yltfan on September 12, 2011, 07:48:44 PM
Thanks for all the tips!

It was a crazy night, I did multi-source recordings in three different locations, still recovering...
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: sparkey on September 13, 2011, 12:19:56 PM
I've heard that when your cell phone gets wet to pull the battery and put it in with a bag of rice, which acts  like a natural desiccant.
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: SmokinJoe on September 13, 2011, 04:40:41 PM
I've heard that when your cell phone gets wet to pull the battery and put it in with a bag of rice, which acts  like a natural desiccant.

My iPhone went through the washing machine yesterday.  My wife suggested the rice bag, but I opened the case, wiped out the loose water, then left it sitting in a warm dry place open to the air for 24 hours.  I predict it will work.  I did this with a calculator that went through the wash when I was in college.   It worked OK after drying out.  Same with a ham radio walkie talkie that fell in a brook while hunting.

Your cables are OK once they are dry.  If it was dirty mop bucket water, then rinse with clean water, or wipe pins with rubbing alcohol on a QTIP.
Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: keytohwy on September 20, 2011, 11:26:00 PM
I've heard that when your cell phone gets wet to pull the battery and put it in with a bag of rice, which acts  like a natural desiccant.

That rescued a friend's iPhone after a few minutes in a hot tub.

Title: Re: Dunked my xlr cable in a bucket of water...
Post by: bugg100 on September 22, 2011, 04:23:51 PM
I like to run my cable bundle though the dishwasher at the restaurant I work at yearly or so... Aftercare is as simple as opening the connector and towleing the water out so it can't create a sort to ground or nulling the balanced  + and - leads.... Not even really dry, just sling out the excess water...

I mean, I roll these cables by hand many times a week, and bar floors and stages are GROSS...