Lubricant on cartridge connector?

[Kchula-Rrit]

Did TI lubricate the cartridge edge connectors? I could see doing so, since the connector is behind that little sliding protector thing so users would not get the stuff on their hands.

I opened my E/A cartridge to see if TI had set it up to possibly use a ROM chip, like XBASIC did (ROM and GROM cartridge). My thought was to put some RAM at 6000-7FFF with the E/A cartridge, since it is GROM only.

After getting the cover open I was surprised to find some goopy stuff on the edge connector, like Vaseline or similar. The stuff does not seem to interfere with the cartridge operation. It reminded me of the conductive(?) grease we put on the plugs when we hook up our trailer to our truck.

At first I figured it wasn't supposed to be there, but then I thought about how many times these things get plugged and unplugged and some sort of lubricant to extend the connector life makes sense. I decided to not wipe the connector clean, figuring it was intentional lube.

K-R.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Kchula-Rrit
I said "pins", cartridge has edge connector.

[Toucan]

Not to hijack this thread, but are you the same Kchula-Rrit from the net.micro.ti days? Heck, you were posting on net.micro about the TI in September 1983 at least, before net.micro.ti was created. Here's an old post where you were on board in the push for a net.micro.ti group (which eventually was renamed comp.sys.ti in 1987, as we know it today):

 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/Kchula-Rrit$20ti-99/net.micro/QeduCo20F8I/WYPSYvoftfAJ

 

Glad to see you here on AtariAge!

Edited April 4, 2020 by Toucan

[Toucan]

As for the cartridge connector. I have had a ton of cartridges and never had any greasyness on the edge connector. I even opened new MBX titles back in 1997 when I first got them from Competition Computer, and I don't remember the contacts having anything on them, and they were new in the box.

[atrax27407]

That is likely debris from the felt pad in the cartridge port in the console. It is lubricated.

[+Ksarul]

1 hour ago, atrax27407 said:

That is likely debris from the felt pad in the cartridge port in the console. It is lubricated.

The cartridge port felt pad is lubricated. It hides in a little compartment of the console's edge connector. Most folks eventually dismantle the connector and remove it, as it also acts as a garbage magnet in the port, eventually shorting out some of the cartridge pins and making the console appear unreliable. It is also possible to remove the felt, clean it thoroughly with contact cleaner or another solution that removes gunk, and apply some light silicone oil to it as a form of renewal. Most folks don't go that far though. . .

 

[humeur]

petroleum jelly ( vaseline ) a light deposit, it is a neutral fat, the connector felt eventually gets dirty, also clean it.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by humeur

[Kchula-Rrit]

23 hours ago, Toucan said:

Not to hijack this thread, but are you the same Kchula-Rrit from the net.micro.ti days? Heck, you were posting on net.micro about the TI in September 1983 at least, before net.micro.ti was created. Here's an old post where you were on board in the push for a net.micro.ti group (which eventually was renamed comp.sys.ti in 1987, as we know it today):

 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/Kchula-Rrit$20ti-99/net.micro/QeduCo20F8I/WYPSYvoftfAJ

 

Glad to see you here on AtariAge!

Yes, that's me.  I bought my TI in spring 1983 with my tax return.  Built my own memory expansion, which probably jammed television reception for half of my apartment building.  "Life" intervened, and I'm getting back to playing with my TI, which I fondly dubbed "Tortoise," because it's heavy, slow, and will probably outlive me.

 

On a lighter note, I always thought that a toucan in flight looks like a cruise missile.

 

K-R.

 

[Kchula-Rrit]

Thanks for the information.  Mine is 'so far, so good.'  Sounds like the lube "might" extend the connector life, but at a cost...

 

K-R.