Socket questions...

[FunkyE9th]

I was just at tubesandmore looking at sockets. On one of the sockets they have this info...

"8 pin octal saddle, Micalex. 1 1/2" mounting centers, fits 1 3/16" chassis hole. We recommend that you solder the terminals before bending."

Bend the terminals? Why? Is that something that is normally done with the socket terminals?

Thanks,

-FunkyE9th

[Structo]

Not sure exactly what they mean by that, but a lot of guys bend the terminals outward to aid in wiring them.

[FunkyE9th]

I was wondering if maybe it had something to do with making tighter contacts with the tubes. I had some problems with some sockets and was wondering if not bending it was part of the issue.

[collinsamps]

Those are made by belkin, a great maintenance free socket tensioning wise but yes you must solder them, I have first hand experience of the breakage if you don't and then try to bend them. I've been using them for the past few months and am probably going to switch to another piece for that reason.

When you insert huge resistors between pins 5 & 6, or want to use pin 1 to anchor one that goes across the socket you almost always have to bend the pins to get them in there.

Another case where these broke was a design that had a huge impedance switch directly over the socket on the chassis. Bending the pins to fit it snapped pin 3 right off.

Soldering them before hand makes them stronger but you never know when just changing tubes will yank the top part of the pin out the top.

[Structo]

Oh Ok, those are the ones with the brittle metal on the pin holders.

Yes I have heard they are very delicate. I would steer clear of those.

[FunkyE9th]

Thanks guys. Good info.

[v846]

If not bent over a bit the contact can pull out from the top of the socket when removing a tube