GAR
01-02-2010, 12:20 AM
http://oldtube.com/Philips-6CA7-quad.jpg
My power tubes on one amp keep getting fucked.. and I don't have a vast stash of 'em to keep playin' around trying to see what's going on.
I called a few techs, 2 of the 3 agree it sounds like "octal carbon buildup."
http://www.skoudata.dk/1987/picture014.jpg
Because of the heat buildup - dissipation cycles that power tubes go thru, if you use 'em alot you run risk of filth in your air (such as my chick's cigarettes to the casual dust in everyday air or even indoor pollution such as fried foods, heater and/or gas water heater exhaust leakage etc) drawing down on the tube pin contacts in the actual PATH of the electricals, until buildup creats an arc to ground.
I couldn't believe this, it sounded like bullshit so I had to check it out and yank a few chassis.. and there, lo and behold the trouble existeth - little black tobacco stripes from a few pins going out to the chassis and other pin points like the air wiped its ass on my amp and fucked it up to ground out one of four tubes.
So the guys that gave the correct analysis to the symptom, suggested since I know what I'm doing just to go ahead and replace the tube sockets.
I know what I'm doing with a soldering iron if I'm picking my teeth or cauterizing my bacne oozings, but if they think I can do it then I guess I gotta do it or pay the piper, $125 to one guy or $250 to the other guy.
Which, basically amounts to name-brand since the higher dude would do it fullproof and rebias, and all that crap I cannot do..
So: it comes down to 3 choices of socket
- white plastic, most commonly used modern amp use
- white ceramic, most common replacement
- brown micalex, least expensive moderate insulator
- brown bakelite, most expensive and most insulative
http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/images/SOCKETS/s8C-1-TAD.gif
Here's my cost on these things:
- white plastic, .85
- cheap ceramic, .80
- good ceramic, 3.75
- brown micalex, 1.40
- brown bakelite, 7.95
So what is SOO special about Bakelite that it's almost 8 bucks a socket?
I thought - and this is going back 25 years - my recollection from the classroom sheet it was Mica to be the best electricity insulator in all the chemistry elements tables.. so shouldn't mica-impregnated plastic parts be the better thing to have in an amp?
http://www.kaponk.com/files/ao8-omron-socket-01.jpg
I got 5 heads out on the floor tonite lookin at em while my chick is bitching about my mess, so I'm trying to make a quick job of this parts order.
I'm thinking of just redoing all of them, and if I can't get a drastic improvement just buy all new amps.
I'd avoid this if I could.. anyone had major service like this know what to do with weighing out the differences of the type of socket from 5 to select here?
My power tubes on one amp keep getting fucked.. and I don't have a vast stash of 'em to keep playin' around trying to see what's going on.
I called a few techs, 2 of the 3 agree it sounds like "octal carbon buildup."
http://www.skoudata.dk/1987/picture014.jpg
Because of the heat buildup - dissipation cycles that power tubes go thru, if you use 'em alot you run risk of filth in your air (such as my chick's cigarettes to the casual dust in everyday air or even indoor pollution such as fried foods, heater and/or gas water heater exhaust leakage etc) drawing down on the tube pin contacts in the actual PATH of the electricals, until buildup creats an arc to ground.
I couldn't believe this, it sounded like bullshit so I had to check it out and yank a few chassis.. and there, lo and behold the trouble existeth - little black tobacco stripes from a few pins going out to the chassis and other pin points like the air wiped its ass on my amp and fucked it up to ground out one of four tubes.
So the guys that gave the correct analysis to the symptom, suggested since I know what I'm doing just to go ahead and replace the tube sockets.
I know what I'm doing with a soldering iron if I'm picking my teeth or cauterizing my bacne oozings, but if they think I can do it then I guess I gotta do it or pay the piper, $125 to one guy or $250 to the other guy.
Which, basically amounts to name-brand since the higher dude would do it fullproof and rebias, and all that crap I cannot do..
So: it comes down to 3 choices of socket
- white plastic, most commonly used modern amp use
- white ceramic, most common replacement
- brown micalex, least expensive moderate insulator
- brown bakelite, most expensive and most insulative
http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/images/SOCKETS/s8C-1-TAD.gif
Here's my cost on these things:
- white plastic, .85
- cheap ceramic, .80
- good ceramic, 3.75
- brown micalex, 1.40
- brown bakelite, 7.95
So what is SOO special about Bakelite that it's almost 8 bucks a socket?
I thought - and this is going back 25 years - my recollection from the classroom sheet it was Mica to be the best electricity insulator in all the chemistry elements tables.. so shouldn't mica-impregnated plastic parts be the better thing to have in an amp?
http://www.kaponk.com/files/ao8-omron-socket-01.jpg
I got 5 heads out on the floor tonite lookin at em while my chick is bitching about my mess, so I'm trying to make a quick job of this parts order.
I'm thinking of just redoing all of them, and if I can't get a drastic improvement just buy all new amps.
I'd avoid this if I could.. anyone had major service like this know what to do with weighing out the differences of the type of socket from 5 to select here?