power switch question

[tominredbank]

After building the Quickie and upgrading caps, resistors , Nos tube sockets and RCA`s I must say after almost 50 years in this hobby I`m blown away. ( I was hooked when I was 8 and my father brought home a 10 WPC Lafayette tube amp, Criterion speakers and a Garrard turntable) Now, 52 years later I`m just as hooked on the Quickie. It`s beaten my Forte model 40, PS Audio 4.5 and PS audio SP 100 by a wide margin. Speakers used are Maggie MMG, Dalquist DQ 20 and Cain and Cain Abby. Huge improvement on all of them. I`m stunned at times at just how this can be happening but it is. Now my question,,,, I now have 3 preamps that don`t want to use and want to build another Quickie . I have all the parts but want to know if I can use a simple switch from RS. I`m only using 1 input but the more I look at the wires and instructions the more confused I get. Anyone can chime in? Also a HUGE thank you to the guys/ gals who engineered this preamp. You did an old dude a huge favor!!!!!! Tom H

[Grainger49]

The current and voltage in the Quickie, power and signal, are very low.  The only concern about a substitute switch might be the quality of contacts that the signal goes through. 

But that is a small concern.  One that I have never addressed.

[mcandmar]

The Quickie is a little gem, i fell in love with mine too.

The switch on the quickie turns off the filament heater supply (1.5v batterys).  Each tube has its own battery supply which are kept separate from each other so its a double switch that disconnects both sides at the same time.  For a generic switch anything with dual pole single throw should do (DPST), and use one side of the switch per tube. Power and current are so small they are irrelevant.

[tominredbank]

Thanks for the response. Each tube gets 1.5 volts. How would I connect 4 --9 volt batteries?

[Paul Birkeland]

How would I connect 4 --9 volt batteries?

You just leave them connected.  No current is drawn if the tubes aren't heated.