[SET Man]

Hey!

     Last week I turned on my system and let it heat up for couple of minutes. Than I put on Dave Brubeck "Take Five" on my turntable. About half way through side A the left channel starts to sputtering like crazy!

     Oh! No! I turn the volume all the way down. So, I know it wasn't my amp. Than I selected CD input nothing, so I know it wasn't the line stage section. With that I know there is something wrong in the phono stage.

    First I thought it was my cheap Chinese 12AX7B that I recently got have gone bad but switching tube between the channel but it wasn't the tubes. I was changing the caps a few days before so I though that was it. I popped the cover and check all caps of which was fine. Every thing measured fine. I just can't figure it out why this happen, it was a mind boggling.

    There I was sitting staring at those empty sockets. Hmmm... sockets, eh? So, I got a sewing needle and start bending those metal contacts in the sockets, tighten them up a bit. Than luckily I have a one of these in the bathroom of which I haven't use yet...



     With Craig Labs Detoxit contact cleaner and the small brush of the teeth cleaner to clean those 9 pins sockets. Let it dry out, popped back in the tubes and use my DMM to check and bingo! Everything is quiet. Actually I noticed the noise residue when down slightly.

     Anyway, I bought my Audio Note M1 Pre back in 1997 and have pull those in and out a few times. So, tighten up and cleaning those sockets is long over due I guess. Well, it is good to have it back spinning my LPs again.

    BTW... be careful sticking the sewing needle in to the socket, make sure the pre is full discharged first.

Take care,
Buddy



   

[decal]

How clean and tight are your sockets?

Squeaky clean and tighter than a frogs butt.

[FullRangeMan]

If your sockets are this or use this kind claw contact, you will have bad contact issues sonner or later, maybe after 5K hours.
But it is very cheap, just one dolar in China, and for batch purchase it cost even less.

[rbwalt]

yes those sockets do tend to get a bit dirty and loose from tube rolling. they are not the best sockets. i had to tighten mine up on my mkII. good tip rex!

[poseidonsvoice]

Buddy,

Great post, how right you are!

Best,
Anand.

[underdawg]

I clean my sockets every 3 months, I dont wait for an issue, its just proper maint to me.

[FullRangeMan]

Do you mean say you remeve the tubes for clean the sockets??

[underdawg]

Yes i remove the tubes soak them in deoxit, clean all sockets with deoxit.

[FullRangeMan]

Insert in & out the tubes frequently will short the useful socket life and the pin/glass vacuum seal.

[underdawg]

That could be possible but in my 25 years experience with tubes I have yet to wear out or damage a tube socket with careful cleaning or by removing tubes periodically while owning over 100 pieces of vintage and new vacuum tube audio equipment.

[FullRangeMan]

You had a very extensive background on tubes, much bigger than me. Congrats.
I mention it because author Robert B Tomer recommend dont remove the tubes frequently in his book Getting the most Out of Vacuum Tubes on page 10.
Page 10 is all about pins, glass and sockets.

[rollo]

Either Music Direct or Audio Advisor sells a tube socket cleaning kit. Just cannot remember. BTW check the solder joints of the socket as well with older gear. Solder can crack over time. Recently resoldered the sockets in  my General Radio power supplies from 1956. No more crackling or noise.
   While we are talking sockets, any favorite brands ??


charles

[underdawg]

You had a very extensive background on tubes, much bigger than me. Congrats.
I mention it because author Robert B Tomer recommend dont remove the tubes frequently in his book Getting the most Out of Vacuum Tubes on page 10.
Page 10 is all about pins, glass and sockets.

thank you, I have a lot of books, I cannot remeber owning that. I will have to look for a copy of it, thank you for pointing out a new reference.
I started in tubes in 1986 aboard us ballistic missle submarines as a sonar tech, we still had tube equipment, so I was fortunate to go through tube, analog, and digital electronics schools in the Navy.

[underdawg]

Either Music Direct or Audio Advisor sells a tube socket cleaning kit. Just cannot remember. BTW check the solder joints of the socket as well with older gear. Solder can crack over time. Recently resoldered the sockets in  my General Radio power supplies from 1956. No more crackling or noise.
   While we are talking sockets, any favorite brands ??


charles

Maple shade sells a cleaning kit now, seems really nice with special soaking pads for the tube pins

[geowak]

Set Man-
Yes as a matter of fact.....I purchased my first tube amp in 2012 and with some tubes, the sockets were VERY tight. Hard to get the pins in! But as I acquired some NOS Sylvania tubes they went in now no problem.
Used some cotton and Deoxit first and have had no other issues...but my sockets are tight for sure.

[underdawg]

I bought  a well used dentist kit at local salvation army for couple bucks, works great for tightening tube sockets up

[FullRangeMan]

thank you, I have a lot of books, I cannot remeber owning that. I will have to look for a copy of it, thank you for pointing out a new reference.
I started in tubes in 1986 aboard us ballistic missle submarines as a sonar tech, we still had tube equipment, so I was fortunate to go through tube, analog, and digital electronics schools in the Navy.

I get a free PDF copy on Frank datasheet, it worth to download.
There is others free books in this site.

[FullRangeMan]

Either Music Direct or Audio Advisor sells a tube socket cleaning kit. Just cannot remember. BTW check the solder joints of the socket as well with older gear. Solder can crack over time. Recently resoldered the sockets in  my General Radio power supplies from 1956. No more crackling or noise.
   While we are talking sockets, any favorite brands ??


charles

Not Yamamoto, too expensive, Teflon septar for 6C33/GM70 top 8000 yens, Gulp!
I prefer Chinese Teflon:
http://www.goodcomponent.com/CMC%20tube%20socket.html
Or Ceramic Russian stuff:
http://www.gstube.com/catalog/4/

Edited for Link correction.

[gjm]

I like these, bakelite with segmented sleeve contacts, bought from Hifi Collective for use in a VAC PA60:



And these ceramic bases, bought for my (new) DIY 2A3 monoblocks:



Given I'm now looking at a F2a11 amp instead they may be a bit redundant!