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I need help cleaning the connection on a Motorola Minitor (yes, I spelled it correctly) V pager.

Basically my issue is that the connection between the battery and charging pins is no longer the best and so I frequently have to wiggle it around in its charger multiple times before it will begin charging properly.

So my question is, how does one go about cleaning the pins and connectors?

Note: I tried to find pictures of how the connection looks (pins and such, so you could see the detail); however, I was unable to find any that showed enough detail to be helpful. If I see that pictures are a necessity, I will upload some in a few hours.

Also, for this general type of cleaning, I would use fine sand paper or a pencil eraser (or both); however, access is a bit of a challenge in this case.

New Note: I have discovered that if I remove the pager's battery and then slide it back in, charging will typically work. I do not believe any of the pins or connections on the charger are damaged.

L.B.
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    Wiggling for a better connection is usually an indicator of a broken wire in the plug or the jack. – Stan Dec 18 '16 at 15:27

1 Answers1

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If it is a delicate connection, I wouldn't ever use sandpaper on it (nor do I think it would help).

Connector problems usually fall in two categories: the pins and the jack do not connect properly (for example because of dust), or the the connector(s) have a faulty connection internally.
Cleaning the connectors would only solve anything if the problem is in the first category. In that case, the problem is usually because of dust and/or grease.

Looking at some pictures online (which would have been helpful), I see that the pins are accessible quite easily. Take a q-tip, or a piece of lint-free cloth, dip it in some rubbing alcohol and clean the pins (careful with the amount of alcohol).

For the receptors/jack, we would need a bit more information on the size of the hole for more precise answers. However, one thing that you can definitely try, is some compressed air. I have used that many times to get some dust out of a micro-usb jack.

HenryJekyll1886
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  • Before using compressed air, it's a good idea to first try vacuum to remove as much "stuff" as possible to avoid compacting the "stuff." – Stan Dec 18 '16 at 15:25
  • It's not a particularly delicate connection even though it involves pins. I now believe it to be a connection issue between the device and battery as opposed to battery and charger. – L.B. Dec 21 '16 at 15:28
  • Hmm, that's not usually a place that gets dirty, so I doubt cleaning will solve anything. If the battery is removable, you could try cleaning the contacts, but it's probably some contact that got loose. – HenryJekyll1886 Dec 22 '16 at 09:09