[R-390] Cleaning tube sockets

Barry Hauser barry at hausernet.com
Sun May 28 14:21:55 EDT 2006


Hi Dave

If you haven't done so already -- freshen up the solder joints on all the 
pins on that socket.  The solder can look good on the outside, but the joint 
may have impurities on the inside --  which I learned on this list can 
result in very long term degradation.  (i.e. was not a cold solder joint to 
start with)

If it's the pins themselves, good ol' Deoxit is the thing to try first.  Put 
a few drops of D5 in the socket terminals and coat the tube pins -- then 
insert/remove a few times and see if that cures it.

The terminals may have lost their grip - - often due to from pluggin in 
tubes with bent pins.  (Never use a socket as a pin straightener.)  You can 
try either using something like a dental pick to coax the terminal closed a 
bit -- or an old TV-tube jockey's trick -- bend the two pins on the tube a 
bit to establish contact.  All that fails -- it's socket replacement time.

Hope this helps.
Barry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Maples" <dsmaples at comcast.net>
To: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 12:55 PM
Subject: [R-390] Cleaning tube sockets


> All: As is always the case, this group is absolutely invaluable in their
> insight.  I've got another question.
>
> I am repairing another R-390A for another fellow, and have run into TWO 
> tube
> sockets in the IF deck that seem to have "intermittent" pins.  Everything 
> is
> soldered; the receiver has sat for so long unattended, though, that the 
> pins
> themselves seem to have oxidized.
>
> Suggestions?  Is there something I can use to gently clean the contacts in
> the tube sockets?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave WB4FUR
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/faq.htm
> Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Unsubscribe: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/options/r-390
> 




More information about the R-390 mailing list