Bottlehead Forum
General Category => Technical topics => Topic started by: Strikkflypilot on July 13, 2014, 12:23:42 AM
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Hi.
Would loss of current i.e. bad solder to a grid connector result in high plate voltage?
I seem to have a bad contact for the left channel on my crack.
A3 led out and terminal 5/ plate power in the 170v range. Wiggling the input tube fixes it.
I know if I am right, all i need to do is resolder or there is something wrong with the tube socket
But what do you think?
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Poke around with a wooden chopstick and see which component is causing the issue, then replace/resolder that component.
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Wood chopsticks, check.
I assume i Wont do major damage on the live circuit that way, or on myself for that matter...
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The wood will protect you, and tubes are durable enough to tolerate some abuse.
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So Ive isolated the issue to socket 3 of the noval tube socket. Its one of those teflon sockets like on the picture. Got in there with an awl, power cord out of course, and made the socket a tight fit. Now fixed. So the cathode was not connected at all. How that caused the voltage jump, I still dont understand, however.
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When the cathode doesn't conduct, it acts like it is open, no connection to ground. So all the voltage "piles up" on the plate. At least that is the way I like to describe it. It is pretty accurate to what is happening.
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I see, and it flows current only when the meter is connected, I guess.
It will take some time before I really understand these things.
Thanks for enlightening me!