WS-420 BT volume potentiometer repair?
 

Recently started getting cracks/pops while adjusting the main volume of my WS-420 BT, regardless of the source (main head unit, direct aux, direct Bluetooth). Does okay if it is left at one volume setting but worried about ill effects to the rest of the speakers with using it for adjustment. Obviously not ideal to leave at max volume and use iPhone as volume control or adjust all 3 zones whenever slowing down boat.

So far I've taken all the external housings off and tried cleaning the volume potentiometer with compressed air and electronic contact cleaner, and rapidly adjusting knob too many times to count but still getting enough cracks and pops to make me worry about my components. Unfortunately the potentiometer boxes look pretty damn sealed which is to be expected.

Word from Wetsounds is that it is most likely dirt or corrosion, and if I can't get it cleaned then it's an entire board swap. Just wondering if anyone has completely taken their EQ down to basic parts and if it's possible to maybe swap the main and mic potentiometers or something? Or should I just take this as an opportunity to move to the Exile zone controller?

DeoxIT spray works well for dissolving corrosion. I use it frequently when reconditioning 35 year old vintage home audio equipment. But as you have discovered the front panel control pots on the Wetsounds EQ are very high quality, completely sealed parts. Also, each of these pots (both gain and eq pots) influence IC chips that actually do the signal processing. So in the Wetsounds design scheme I doubt the pots are actually in the audio signal path. Plus, the protective conformal coating only allows access to above-the-circuit-board parts. I would place this issue in the hands of the Wetsounds service department.
As for alternatives from any other brand? No other EQ is built to the same standard as the Wetsounds. Your chances of problems will only increase.
On a side note, but along similar lines, we have seen over recent years that higher quality marine amplifiers have gone to a completely sealed chassis. All pots and switches are now under gasketed, sealed covers. They made these changes for good reasons based on experience. And yet, amplifiers are typically mounted in a protected area, where as EQs are often fully exposed. Unfortunately this is a risk associated with electronics used in a marine environment.

I can't speak for wetsounds but. I have found that once the pots go bad it's pretty hard to restore them with deOx or any other chemical restoration. Not sure if wet sounds will sell you the parts and you could remove and re solder the pot to fix the problem. Check Craig's list for guys in your Aera that might be able to do electronics repair.

David, assuming that the 420 unit I have from previous owner was possibly one of the initial releases, should I expect better Bluetooth reception on a newer 420 BT? Always heard rumblings that the crappy Bluetooth range was a problem mainly on initial releases.

Was thinking of just going with the 420SQ because the Bluetooth is about useless on my unit any ways, but it looks like it is a smaller faceplate than the BT, making using my existing mount an issue.

Not sure how the old BT versus new BT stacks up. That would be a question for someone else...like Wetsounds. With JL Audio having an excellent BT receiver for $39 and with Wetsounds having three external BT units, you have plenty of options.

Yes, there has been a blue tooth receiver revision since the original WS-420BT. Early last year or even late 2015 IIRC.

Have you reached out to WetSounds? They have amazing customer service and should answer your questions quickly with a phone call or email.

Yeah have reached out a couple times now, had great experiences in the past with issues with my REVs, not so much now, more of a "kind of expected" wear and tear with age kind of thing. My only option I've been given is a full board swap, and that rate I'm thinking of just getting an entire new unit with functional bluetooth anyways.

WS-420 BT volume potentiometer repair?
 

Ending up buying a new 420 BT and now kicking myself for not doing it sooner. My old unit must have been the old batch or somewhat defective from the get go. Used the same wiring on my new one and no longer have any of the "hiss" in my system and Bluetooth even works from the dock when the boat is in the lift, couldn't be happier.