- 2024
- Nov
- 5
A Heathkit IG-72 Signal Generator Part 6 - We’re back up and running.
In the last part of this series, I was just getting ready to button up the device when it started arcing across two of the pins on the rectifier tube socket. Carbon tracking is a thing with these older devices, and it’s hard to tell how much flux, solder, dirt, and other grime that this thing has collected over the years, so a tube socket replacement was in order. I measured the centers and ordered some.
Turns out the ones that Heathkit used here are on slightly wider centers than 1”. 1 1/8” maybe? Regardless, I decided to pull the socket out of the one I have as a spare.
I took the bad socket out of the good chassis and noticed something. You’ve probably been screaming this at the screen the whole time, but I apparently chose to stick my head in the mud.
Turns out that, unlike the old chassis, Heathkit slotted the mount holes for sockets on this one. I could have used one of the 7/8” center sockets here. It probably will require some wire extension as the old socket has the pins on a wider diameter, as well as having them splayed out more.
The new socket was installed with minimal issue. It is a little smaller of a hole than it should have, and messing with those small screws was kind of a pain, but it’s there, and secure.
There was less wire manipulation required than I thought. I had to extend the heater wire a bit because some idiot tried to trim it and ended up cutting it instead. (If I find him I’ve got some strong words for him.) Overall, I was able to keep all of the original wire without too much heat damage from soldering/unsoldering.
As with all of these, I try not to cut any transfomer wires back.
What’s the verdict? At first, it was nothing. Aww crap, something’s wrong, but that just turned out to be that big lightbulb had come loose. A quick tighten and:
We now return you to your previously scheduled calibration.
Next part of this series: Coming soon.
Previous part of this series: https://wereboar.com … 5-were-not-done-yet/