[R-390] Wanted 9 pin plugs (tube plugs) with shell/shrouds

[Tim Shoppa]

WA7DUY writes:
> I am trying to find a source for a few 9 pin plugs with shell/shrounds.  I
> need to build some plug in modules   I am not even sure what they are called
> but searching for 9 pin tube plugs gets nothing.

Hams doing this these days use a piece of PCB (9-pin or 7-pin pattern as
necessary) with steel or bronze pins soldered to it. Official spec for pin diameter is
0.040 inches or 18 AWG.

Or they take a dud tube and cut the glass at the base using, for example,
really hot nichrome wire wrapped around the base, then solder to the
base.

Look at the pictures of 1L4 replacements etc. Some of them put a
PCB with solid state components back into a glass tube!

I have in the past had some Amphenol phenolic 7-pin and 9-pin shrouds like
you're looking for... but the phenolic has NOT stood the test of time and
usually after one or two uses it just crumbles into dust. If you do roll your own,
I highly highly encourage you to use glass epoxy (e.g. PCB).

Tim.