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Subject:
From:
Jim Gammon <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
For blind ham radio operators <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:56:28 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (153 lines)
Ron, this sounds a lot better than shipping your unit off who God 
knows where, and paying a lot of money for someone to do the same 
thing you just described here.  Thanks, Jim WA6EKS


 ----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Miller <[log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date sent: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:51:55 -0400
Subject: Re: ot - braille lite and other braille displays

You should use isopropyl alcohol, not rubbing alcohol.  Rubbing 
alcohol can
have oils and other things added and, because the percentage of 
alcohol is
fairly low, will contain a lot of water.  Use 99% or 100% 
isopropyl alcohol
to clean your display.

Use a lint-free cloth, Chem wipes are even better.  Dampen, don't 
soak the
cloth or wipe in the alcohol.  Raise all of the dots in the 
display by
entering a line of equals (computer Braille), dots 123456, or 
better yet,
dots 12345678.  Wipe the display, changing wipes as necessary 
until the dots
are "squeaky clean." Press e-chord to create a blank line and 
wipe the cell
caps just as thoroughly.  Pan back to your line of "all dots up," 
repeat the
process until the dots and cell caps are all squeaky clean.  
Don't worry
about over cleaning, you won't be able to do that.  You can clean 
the entire
outside of the Braille Lite with the isopropyl alcohol and 
lint-free cloth
or wipes, if you wish.

You can also use a Soft (please I do mean soft, not hard) bristle 
brush, or
soft toothbrush to dislodge debris from the holes in the cell 
caps (if the
display has gotten that soiled).  To do this, turn the unit 
upside down so
that debris will fall out of the unit and not into the display 
once it is
dislodged.  Wet the soft bristled brush with the isopropyl 
alcohol, allowing
excess to drip off.  With the unit turned off, gently clean the 
cell caps
with the brush.  Don't jam, or force or shove the bristle ends 
into the
holes, just clean the entire display gently and the bristles 
will,
hopefully, dislodge any material blocking the holes through which 
the pins
normally rise.  You may need to re-wet the brush many times in 
order to
really clean the entire display.  Take your time, keep the unit 
upside down
and be gentle.

After you are finished, you may notice that the pins will "hang" 
in the
raised position until you gently touch them, at which point they 
will drop.
This is due to the dampness of the sides of the pin and should go 
away as
the pins dry, this is, in part why you want to use 100% isopropyl 
alcohol,
eliminating the residual water.

I hope this information is helpful.

73


Ron Miller
N6MSA
Dunedin, FL USA
SKYPE Arjay1



-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators 
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Tom Brennan
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 2:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: ot - braille lite and other braille displays

I've always been told to use alcohol and have even seen it in 
tech manuals.

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html

On Thu, 19 Sep 2013, Howard Traxler wrote:

 Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 07:07:11 -0500
 From: Howard Traxler <[log in to unmask]
 To: [log in to unmask]
 Subject: Re: ot - braille lite and other braille displays

 Are you sure it's OK to clean those with alcohol?  I think those 
dots
 = and cells are made of plastic and I always thought that 
alcohol
 caused = plastic to distort its shape; sort of shape shifting, 
as it were.

 I have a PowerBraille 40 that has many dots that don't come up.  
I
 think = it's just dirty.  If it's really OK, I think I'll try 
cleaning
 it with = alcohol.

 I also have a PowerBraille 80 that has lots of dots that stay 
up--NOT
 = because it's dirty.  I'm sure the problem is electronic.  I 
sent it
 to = FS and $800 later, it came back worse.  Would like to find
 someone who = knows about the electronics in these things.  Any
suggestions?

 Thanks.

 Howard
 ----- Original Message -----=20
 From: "Tom Brennan" <[log in to unmask]
 To: <[log in to unmask]
 Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 8:07 PM
 Subject: Re: ot - braille lite


 Gary, perhaps its just dirty.  Try cleaning with alcohol.  Make 
sure
 =
 you give it
 a good five minutes to completely dry before you power it back 
up.
=20
 Tom
=20
=20
 Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
 web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html

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