|
Electronics
Accessory Review |
Stains and Streaks
be gone with Wave Away Sonar & GPS Screen Cleaner
| Date: |
5/19/10 |
| Tackle type: |
Electronics
Accessory |
| Manufacturer: |
Wave Away |
| Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 8.00 -
GREAT
Introduction: Ever
look at your GPS and fishfinder and all you see are a myriad of water spots on
your the screen? I know that I have but for the most part I have simply accepted
it as a necessary evil in the sport of bass fishing. The only cleaning effort
I’ve made in the past coming in the form of a quick wipe with a t-shirt and a
bit of water. Unfortunately this often only creates streaks. Wave Away is a new
cleaning product that is designed to wipe away stubborn stains from onboard
electronics and optics.
|
Wave
Away
Sonar
and GPS
Cleaner
Specifications
|
|
Material |
Fluid
(alcohol and
ammonia
free) |
|
Volume |
2.7oz. |
|
Applicator |
Spray |
|
Cloth |
Microfiber |
|
Cloth Size |
12" x 12"
|
|
Number of
Applications |
200+ |
|
Features |
Resists
dripping, no
harsh
detergents,
removes
waterspots |
|
MSRP |
$14.95 |
Wave Away is a new product
designed to clean sonar and GPS screens
Impressions:
If you own a boat outfitted with electronics you have surely experienced your
screens covered with water stains. I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to
cleaning electronics. At home or before trips I have used ammonia based cleaners
with a common paper towel and when I’m on the boat I have pretty much used
anything that was accessible including a t-shirt and even water from the lake,
all of which usually just results in streaking. If you have done the same you
may have noticed the resulting streaking almost looks colored under different
lighting conditions making it even harder to read the data streaming across the
screen. This is because most fishfinders and GPS units have protective coatings
or anti-glare layering in order to protect and make reading the displays easier
under direct sunlight.
The product is endorsed by FLW
National Guard Pro Brent Ehrler
Harsh cleaners, including
ammonia based ones, can strip away these layers and paper towels and rough
cloths can also scratch the displays over time. Wave Away is designed
specifically for safely and effectively cleaning these devices and comes bundled
with a 12” x 12” microfiber cloth that is intended to remove everything from
water stains to dust and grime without causing abrasion to the surface of the
screen.
In addition to the actual cleaning
spray each package contains a microfiber cloth
Kits like this have
existed for quite some time in the consumer electronics market where people have
used similar products to address dust on laptop computer screens, in fact Apple
endorses a screen cleaner called iKlear for use on their products. If your
reading this review then no doubt you’re on a computer, and chances are your
screen has some dust particles and maybe a few fingerprint smudges, unlike
traditional screen cleaners Wave Away needs to deal with all of this as well as
harsher elements than what most traditional monitors would ever encounter.
The spray bottle is good for many
applications
Real World Tests:
To test the Wave Away Sonar and GPS cleaner I went about my normal business
fishing off two different bass boats allowing water stains to accumulate
normally on both the forward and console electronics. I also tested the product
on a variety of sunglasses from brands including Smith and Costa.
A macro look at the microfiber
cloth
Operation:
Wave Away comes in a 2.7” mini spray bottle that is easy enough to carry on
board the boat at all times. I also carried the bottle and microfiber cloth in
my rod locker for a period of three months as well and also brought it with me
when fishing from a friend’s boat out at Clear Lake. Through multiple trips we
allowed water drops and grit to amass on both the bow mounted fishfinder as well
the console GPS/Fishfinder unit. As expected the front mounted unit took on more
water stains at a much faster rate than the console unit.
It couldn't be more simple, just
spray on...
When it came time to clean
the front unit a single spray was all that was necessary. The Wave Away fluid is
much thicker than ammonia based cleaners and clings onto the screen without
running. A few wipes with the blue microfiber cloth and the unit was absolutely
spotless, every waterspot and bit of dust was effectively removed.
...and wipe off
Next Section: A look before and after Wave Away |
