Zap Brannigan
It’s rare to find a $10 electrical product worth of talking about, but jiggley wires and crappy connections are a terminal problem in the marine world. In fact, by my estimation the truck-to-trailer light plug may be the worst connection in the galaxy. Both the male and female ends of the plug get hit with road grime, splashed with saltwater, clogged with dirt and mud, and dragged across asphalt. Once they get gunky there’s no turning back. Or, is there? DetoxIT contact cleaner/preservative claims to be up to the job, so I tested it out on the crusty green thing hanging behind my bumper.
DetoxIT’s de-oxidizing solution is supposed to dissolve sulfides and oxides that form on metal surfaces, and create a source of resistance to your electrical connection. “Special additives” are alleged to keep the oxides in suspension, and prevent them from re-attaching to the metal. You can apply it with a spray can, wipes, or a brush-pen alllicator. I found the spray can best for blasting out the female end of my trailer plug, and after a scrub-down with the small brushes included in their “emergency” kit, the metal did regained its old shine. When I mated the plugs they slid together easily and my lights worked perfectly—so in the interest of science the next time I launched, I made sure to disconnect the plug ends and splash them with saltwater. A month later, they were still clean and working well.
The next DetoxIT test came when my cell phone charger ceased working. A blast in the phone and on the plug end got it charging again. In fact, I’ve come to reach for this stuff whenever an electrical connection goes bad and today, I consider it a vital part of the tool box. Try it, and I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts you agree.
Contact: www.caig.com Cost: $10 wipes; $20 spray; $35 kit
Get Wired – Not!
You have a wireless TV remote, a wireless telephone, and a wireless autopilot control, so why should your VHF be hampered by that springy cord? It shouldn’t – which is why Uniden came out with the WhamX4 wireless mic.
The WhamX4 works on 2.4 GHz with the Uniden UM series VHF radios, and includes the functions and display of the mics on the hard-mounted version. Even DSC emergency calling can be triggered with the handset. But this mic is wireless and battery operated. Drop it into its cradle, and the internal battery recharges automatically. You can use up to four WhamX4 mics per radio, and the different handsets act as intercoms, too. Ready to cut that cord? This little goodie only costs about $110. Check out a WhamX4 at www.uniden.com
Bust it Up
Lowrance’s iFinder H2O is a rather old unit, by today’s electronics standards. It’s been around for about five years, and now comes in both black/white and color versions. But it’s also one of my favorite units around. Why? Because the dang thing seems indestructible. In a torture-test I performed a few years back this unit survived being dropped to the deck, rolled over by a trailer tire—yes, the tire was attached to the trailer at the time—kicked across a concrete boat ramp, and even flushed in the toilet. Amazingly, it still works years later.
It’s an inexpensive unit, too, going for about $200. The screen’s rather small at 2.88” diagonal, with 320 x 240 pixels, so don’t get it if you don’t like squinting. It’s WAAS-enabled, and comes with background mapping that’s okay for land use but needs a chip if you want to seriously navigate with it on the water. Added bonus: it floats! The iFinder isn’t the latest and the greatest, but if you want a bulletproof handheld GPS with basic charting capabilities which doesn’t cost a bundle, check this one out.
You’ll see more at www.lowrance.com.
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