Thanks Al,

An excellent explanation of Rain X.  This is why I've had mixed results
using it.  Personally I find that since it beads up rather than spreads
thin, the visiblity is actually make worse!

But, it is great for headlights and side windows.  Also, insects sweep
right off the windshield in the summer.

James

>A quick note on how R-X works and why you may or may not like it.
>
>R-X is an anti-wetting solution developed for high airflow situations such as
>aircraft windscreens.  Yep, just like they say, the water beads up and blows
>or falls off (depending on airflow).  The downside is using wipers AND R-X.
>The fine structure analysis shows that wipers rely on a microscopic layer of
>water to slip across the glass.  R-X eliminates that layer and the wipers will
>skip, just like they were running on "dry" glass, which in fact they are.
>
>The key is to use "specially aged" rubber in the wipers (read "old wipers").
>
>The micro-surface on well used wipers is such that the rubber/glass interface
>is poor enough to allow skip-free operation with R-X applied.  New wipers will
>skip and deposit rubber marks at the excursion limits of the wiper arms as
>they quickly degrade to the desired "specially aged" condition.
>
>So that's how the stuff works and why you may or may not like its performance.
>
>It does seem to work well in snirt conditions (SNow,Rain,dIRT).
>