[SignalOne] Yet More CX7A work

[jerry]

All,

   So having suitably fortified myself with 9 hours of sleep,
   I got back to working on the rig.  I had decided that the easiest 
thing would be to remove the back panel.

   I started by removing the tube.  I donned disposable gloves, loosened 
the clamp.  The tube came right out.  Loose
fit with the clamp screw loosened.  It's a GE tube.  I then spent an 
hour of quality time with Q-tips, paper towels and isopropyl cleaning 
off every trace of heatsink goo.  I removed the heatsink together with 
the tube clamp.  Guess what?  Two of the holes that the heatsink screws 
screw into - are stripped.  Somebody really wrenched down on that poor 
thing.

How to fix?  Don't know if there's enough space for a Rive-nut.  I might 
have to punt and epoxy a steel nut to the inside back of the panel.  The 
cabinet, BTW is aluminum, according to my magnet.

   The connection from the plate choke to the tube clamp was a bit loose.

   Then I removed every last screw from the back of the panel.  Put them 
in a baggie labeled "BACK PANEL HARDWARE".
Bad News.  It still wouldn't budge.  Stuck tight at the
corners with the side panels.  I'm guessing that the factory spot-welded 
or glued the panels together before screwing them together.

   So the back panel concept is toast.  Gonna go back and put those 
screws back in.  Going forward, the hot ticket is to
disassemble the lower PA cabinet.

                  - Jerry, KF6VB