Hello fine folks at AK. I read posts here from time to time but now have a question. I am an old guitar guy that employs tube amps exclusively. Picked up a hickok 600a and was hoping to use it. Someone had previously replaced the 5y3gt tube socket and they did a poor job of it. Well I put a new socket in but have a wiring issue. There are 6 wires (2red, 2 purple and 2 white/blue striped) plus one leg of capacitor from #83 tube. Can anyone help please. Thank you in advance. - russ
Hickok 600a rectifier socket question
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- 600a rectfier tester hickok tube
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danielrhall
New Member
I don't have or know that tester, so I regret I offer no personal experience, but I did find this schematic online...maybe it'll help. FWIW, I don't see on the schematic that there are any more than four connections to the 5Y3GT and they all go directly to the power transformer. There is no connection of any capacitor. Perhaps your tester has been modified.
https://stevenjohnson.com/hickok/data/hickok-600a-schematic.pdf
https://stevenjohnson.com/hickok/data/hickok-600a-schematic.pdf
Yes, thank you. I have that schematic. There is a capacitor (C2) that impacts both tubes. It was attached directly to both sockets. 2 red wires go on 2 and 8 pins. 2 purple wires, I believe, go on the 4 and 6 pins.. So I also know one of the white/blue stripe wires are connected at pin 5 of the 5y3 and other wire (same color) connects to pin 6 also? Please, need help. Thanks.
danielrhall
New Member
A possible source of help might be to try Bob Putnak at https://tubesound.com/
He's got an impressive collection of tube testers (in excess of 75 of them, it appears).
He's got an impressive collection of tube testers (in excess of 75 of them, it appears).
Yes sir, thank you for reaching out. In my quest for information I have come across these pics. One is a set of rectifier sockets from a 600a. The cap is square, I have that on this unit. 2ndThe only additional connections to the 5Y3 tube socket, other than those shown on the schematic, will be using the unused socket terminals as tie-points. I'm not dismantling my 600A, but I did snag this photo off the interweb; me don't see a capacitor
pic is my tester.. The other pic is a wide shot of 600a guts. In it you can locate the square cap on it. I believe this to be c4 on the schematic. Any other ideas? Thanks, russ
arts
Addicted Member
The cap is connected to pin 5 of the octal socket, which is unused on the 5Y3, and the other end of the cap is connected to pin 2 of the 4 pin socket, which is one of the plates of the 83.
As Cap 4 is shown across the plates (& HV secondary winding) of the 83, I would think they would have just wired it directly across pins 2 & 3 of the 4-pin socket. Therefore, this could also be Cap 2, slightly weirdly wired as well.
Oftentimes, circuits are wired slightly differently than indicated on the schematics, due to production/design errors or just plain old "it was easier that way!". In many instances these changes will have minimal or no effect.
If you can locate the second cap in your unit (they are both the same value) and trace the wiring to determine it's circuit position, by process of elimination you will determine which cap the "suspect" is, and where the wiring should go.
As Cap 4 is shown across the plates (& HV secondary winding) of the 83, I would think they would have just wired it directly across pins 2 & 3 of the 4-pin socket. Therefore, this could also be Cap 2, slightly weirdly wired as well.
Oftentimes, circuits are wired slightly differently than indicated on the schematics, due to production/design errors or just plain old "it was easier that way!". In many instances these changes will have minimal or no effect.
If you can locate the second cap in your unit (they are both the same value) and trace the wiring to determine it's circuit position, by process of elimination you will determine which cap the "suspect" is, and where the wiring should go.
Y
Yes. again many thanks. I know this place can help me. I am perhaps not being clear. I know where the C2 and C4 caps go. On the 5y3gt socket there are 6 wires. 2 red, they attach to pins number 2 and 8, got it. 2 violet, they attach to pins number 4 and 6, I believe. Then there are 2 white w/ blue stripes. One of these connects at pin 5 with the leg of the capacitor from the #83 tube. I do not know where the other white/blue stripe wire connects. That is my dilemma. Any, any help from anyone is humbly appreciated. Thank you all.