Heathkit W5 triode build

I have a bad one and one primary reads about 2200 ohms, as opposed to about 300 for the other. I don't know enough about OPTs to know what that means (except that it's probably no good). Does it tell you anything?
The one that reads high has probably a short and something like a carbon track that is still making a connection with the other open winding.
 
c_dk, the wiring and terminals of the mains AC input and fuse are pretty close to the input circuitry.
 
  • The RCA jacks are on the left hand side, 120 volt mains are on the far right, with a added power switch, thermistor, and extra AC receptacle which is not switched. What might appear to be a 220 volt recepticle is the probe ports for a multimeter's test probes for balancing the tubes.
You should have seen them before I stripped out the old sockets and the real scary looking nichrome wire heater with the open bimetallic soft start switch.....

When I finally got in the strain relief for the heater wire power cord I dressed the power cord loop further away from the thermistor.
 
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I only have the OPTs, so I'm going to build mine from scratch with a pair of Stancor 800vct trannies and use a 5AR4 rectifier, which should get me about the right B+.

Also, the W4's arrived today--all original, in very good condition, and all the iron appears to be in good order. They look like factory builds to me, different coupling caps in each one, but the OPTs are Stancors and date-code matched, a big plus! I'll do a full refurb underneath and convert them to the Gillespie EL34 triode version.
 
I called Heyboer to ask if they could remember a common failure mode for the 13609 transformer. Too long ago and therfore no memory of how the one or two they prototyped failed.
 
I called Heyboer to ask if they could remember a common failure mode for the 13609 transformer. Too long ago and therfore no memory of how the one or two they prototyped failed.

So they made a few copies, and those failed too?
 
That is not what he said. I believe he referenced back to years ago (10 years?) taking some apart for someone and creating a replacement the specs of which they keep on file so they can build more.

He did not remember a particular failure mode for the ones they copied.

I considered it to be a long shot, he was kind enough to let me waste a few minutes of his time.

They build and rebuild transformers......they don't worship them.
 
Sorry, I misunderstood. ;-) I know someone else sent one to Pacific Transformer and they built copies. I have a pair but I'm not sure they're very faithful copies. I know the sound is nothing like the originals.
 
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