• 2024
  • Nov
  • 6

I found the 60Ω resistor in my Heathkit IG-72 socket.

Back in part 5 of my Heathkit IG-72 series, I was getting ready to button things up when the socket for the rectifier tube started arcing. I assumed there as carbon tracking inside the socket and moved on with replacing it.

That assumption was correct. Here’s the top wafer:

topwaf.jpg

You can clearly see the arc has eaten away the portion between pins 6 and 7, while depositing a lot of carbon and other debris on the phenolic wafer. The bottom wafer is similar:

bottwaf.jpg

It’s not the easiest thing to see, but there’s a lot of soot on the same two pins, and part of the socket crumbled away as the rivet was being drilled out. I’m surprised this thing didn’t arc as soon as it was turned on - but perhaps this is why the device was retired. Who knows, really.

Regardless, there’s a new socket in it’s place that shouldn’t have this issue, and this one goes in the bin - although I may save a few of the better pins for some later purpose.