Loose tube sockets?

[lowell]

Hello,
I bought a weber kit and the power tube sockets came w/ little plastic spacers/washers. With these installed the socket is a bit loose, I can jiggle it a bit. Is this normal or should it be very tight? I saw some pictures online in which these were installed the way I'm installing them so I think I have it right, just concerned that the sockets are not snug.

any help please?

Thanks, Lowell

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Huh?!?
What are the spacers and washers for?
No octal socket I've ever used needed anything like that.
They all just lay flat on the chassis and mount tight as a drum head.
Unless these sockets are specific, project driven, it sounds like they might have gotten stuck with a load of cheap Chinese sockets that need a modification to be usable.
Or maybe they simply bought the wrong sockets from their Chinese vendor.
Or, regardless of what they ordered, delivered the wrong kind for their chassis?
Possibly they are too big for the mounting hole and are floating above the chassis?
Anyone else had any experience with this?

[JoeM]

Where did you put the spacers? My Weber kit uses them too, but the sockets are tight with the spacers installed.

[lowell]

I put the spacers on the outside of the chassis b/t the steel "cover" and the actual ceramic socket. I tried the spacers b/t the socket and the chassis but it didn't seem right.

[TD_Madden]

the only time I've seen "spacers" used was in my old Gibson amps on the preamp sockets, probably to minimize microphonics from the chassis vibration.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

the only time I've seen "spacers" used was in my old Gibson amps on the preamp sockets, probably to minimize microphonics from the chassis vibration.

Yes, some of those old amps used a couple rubber grommets between the socket and chassis to isolate the socket from the vibrating chassis.

[xFallen]

Huh?!?
What are the spacers and washers for?
No octal socket I've ever used needed anything like that.
They all just lay flat on the chassis and mount tight as a drum head.
Unless these sockets are specific, project driven, it sounds like they might have gotten stuck with a load of cheap Chinese sockets that need a modification to be usable.
Or maybe they simply bought the wrong sockets from their Chinese vendor.
Or, regardless of what they ordered, delivered the wrong kind for their chassis?
Possibly they are too big for the mounting hole and are floating above the chassis?
Anyone else had any experience with this?

The 5F2a kit I assembled included these washers.


Barry

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

The 5F2a kit I assembled included these washers.


Barry

Any explanation of why they are needed? Does the socket float above the chassis, are the mounting tabs made wrong or >>????

[JoeM]

...Does the socket float above the chassis,...

Yes, the mounting flange sits slightly above the chassis. The small plastic washer/spacer fills the gap.

pic

[xFallen]

Any explanation of why they are needed? Does the socket float above the chassis, are the mounting tabs made wrong or >>????

There you go -- Joe posted a descriptive picture.

Seeing that picture reminds me. My 5F2a tube clamps broke by looking at them wrong. Apprently there was a bad batch at one point. Mine evidently came from that batch.



Barry

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

There you go -- Joe posted a descriptive picture.

Seeing that picture reminds me. My 5F2a tube clamps broke by looking at them wrong. Apprently there was a bad batch at one point. Mine evidently came from that batch.



Barry

Hmmm I can't get the picture to come up... regardless, it sounds possibly like an octal socket designed to be installed from the bottom of the chassis instead of the top... ?? anyone?

[JoeM]

It should work now.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

It should work now.

OK I see it. Although it looks like a pain, the nylon washers look like a good fix for that problem.