Has anyone replaced a tube socket on a 48-2800? My rectifier socket is beyond soldering due to damage to the pin for the AC/filament connection. I overheated the terminal to destruction. It started out with too much solder causing shorting to the adjacent pins. After much sucking removal the terminal itself broke off. Is it worth it?
Welder
I would think so shouldn't be that hard.
48-2800???
Are you sure you have the right model number?
Hi Ron:
It should be 48-200. Sorry about that. Thanks for pointing it out.
Welder
I know that the first time that you change a socket, transformer, tuning cap and such it can seem overwhelming - it isn't. Take some pictures before you start and take your time.
Phlogiston:
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll take pictures and begin the procedure and look at it as another step in gaining experience for future restoration.
Welder
I think you should
1) disconnect the wires and label them;
2) make a sketch of what wire went where;
3) if any components are soldered directly to the socket, I'd leave them there.
4) drill out the rivets such that you do not increase the existing hole diameter.
5) extract the socket.
6) remove the components from it and transfer to the new socket.
7) rivet or screw the socket in place. If the socket is metal, riveting is fine; if fiber - be careful, possibly using softer aluminum rivets or putting a metal washer over the socket, watching so it doesn't short the pins.
8) solder the wires back.
Morzh:
Thanks for the check list. I'll definitely use it when the socket comes in.
Welder
WELL,,,Pipefitter telling a welder,,,,,get'er done,,,more heat,,,,,You will be fine,,,CHEERS
There are two more things that you need to watch for when you replace a tube socket, one is the distance between the two rivet holes in the chassis, the other is the diameter of the socket hole in the chassis. If the replacement socket is a used one salvaged from another Philco chassis there should not be a problem with either dimension. There is one more thing that you need to be aware of in case you buy a new socket from China or from one of the countries of the former USSR, and that is the mounting system used. There is a design of octal socket where the socket can be mounted either on top or bellow the chassis depending on how you use the metal bracket that comes with it, an old radio chassis may not have enough space underneath for the bracket, and there may not be enough height inside the cabinet to mount it on top. These sockets are available in both porcelain and in Bakelite. Another think to watch is the fact that these countries frequently give measurements in millimeters, which is fine, but make sure that the conversion is right before you order.
Regards
Arran
I would mount on top: when you put a tube in the socket, if it is only supported by rivets, its ears will bend.
Whereas if on top, when you press on it, it is supported by its whole rim against the chassis. And when pulling the tube, it is not really pulling with loctals but bending at an angle, so no truly pulling effort exists.
Morzh:
Good idea mounting so the chassis bears the stress of tuging on the tube .
Thanks,
Welder
The mounting ears are not likely to bend, the gauge of sheet metal they used in the mounting bracket is fairly thick and the length is maybe 1/4'' at most. The ears on wafer sockets are just two layers of sheet phenolic plastic and they seem to hold up, if anything the terminals pull out of the socket before the rivets will pull through. Just copy the way Philco mounted the socket and everything should work out.
Regards
Arran