[HBR] Reading through the W6TC material again : )

[Walt Hutchens]

William Wood said:

> ... sending off for a few new parts too, such as the tube sockets, caps and
> such, might eliminate a few headaches a little down the road, rather then
> using 40 to 50 year old intermittent sockets and the like.

Sockets are widely variable.   The ones from military junk are most often
fine unless they show signs of a specific problem -- arcing, severe water
damage, green corrosion, etc.   OTOH many of those I took from the two
Heathkit HR-10 receivers I used doing the HR-10 to HBR project were junk --
the pins were so loose that I had nothing but trouble with them.

The Heath sockets looked just like many others but seem to have had very
poor quality contacts -- maybe just cadmium plated mild steel rather than
phosphor bronze spring material?  The tension was GONE in many sockets in
those two sets.   

If you can easily stick a tube in and pull it out of a used socket while
holding the socket in your had, I think that socket should be thrown away.

LO sockets are particularly critical: not only should the tube be firmly
secured but it shouldn't flop around as the slightest vibration will lead to
instability.   For sets having a separate 1st mixer I'd extend that rule to
the mixer, too.    And DEFINITELY get a socket that holds the oscillator
coil rigidly: That's another place where any 'flop' will take you off
channel on 20M and higher.

Walt Hutchens
KJ4KV