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I just bought some tube gear...what did I get myself into?!? Help. Somebody. Anybody. Everybody.

regore said:
You're learning to read schematics which is good. You now need to know how and why tubes work. I would suggest you purchase a reprint of the RCA RC-30 tube manual from Antique Electronic Supply. It starts with very basic vacuum tube theory and progresses to multi grid tubes and circuitry. I use it as a reference manual when designing and building tube amplifiers. Once you gain knowledge you will have graduated from parts changer to electronics technician. Might be the best $15 you ever spent !
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Just bought a copy off eBay, looking forward to the good read indeed. Thanks regore!
 
trainbuftony said:
Perhaps i should elaborate: Often times folks brush up their skills by rebuilding old console amplifiers. Some of the most common are sourced from "magnavox" consoles. Theres even a thread on how to turn one in to a pretty respectable hifi amp. Lots of people have done that, which is super cool. Especially considering that they are often one step from becoming a Maggot-box when a lucky AKer rescues the powe amp. Many of these former Maggot boxes, have been rebuilt into beautiful works of High Fidelity art.
Rather than dive head first into an MC30, if the OP feels like brushing up on their solder skills it may be a prudent investment to rebuild one, before diving into something with a high collector value. I have no idea what the OPs skill level is and i apologize of it came of as offensive.
Congratulations on the score and welcome to Audiokarma!
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It was obvious what you was meaning, it wasn’t you that came off a bit offensively in my opinion. I quoted the message the OP was responding to because someone apparently didn’t read it.
 
angelaudio said:
I didn't realize maggot box was offensive to some. But I get what you mean. My skill level is absolute beginner so going the Maggie route sounds like a good starting point. I actually have a Clairtone chassis pull that sounded really good before I pulled it and started tweaking I'll put that on my bench and start having at it. Thanks trainbuftony!
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Ah, I see you've already been introduced to the forum police. ;-}

Some would say "maggotbox" also refers to current release McIntosh. Pass it on.

(let the carnage begin) :lurk:

Oh. DO invest in some decent tools before you tackle any projects you mean to keep. A good soldering iron (not the cheepo pencils) can do wonders for your skillz. Also a big fan of roach cl ... er ... electronic hemostats for holding stuff in place and also acting as a heat sink when soldering the more sensitive bits.

** Another good tip ... always wear pants when soldering!
 
sKiZo said:
Ah, I see you've already been introduced to the forum police. ;-}

Some would say "maggotbox" also refers to current release McIntosh. Pass it on.

(let the carnage begin) :lurk:

Oh. DO invest in some decent tools before you tackle any projects you mean to keep. A good soldering iron (not the cheepo pencils) can do wonders for your skillz. Also a big fan of roach cl ... er ... electronic hemostats for holding stuff in place and also acting as a heat sink when soldering the more sensitive bits.

** Another good tip ... always wear pants when soldering!
Click to expand...
I’ll get back to this in a bit :biggrin:
 
There's a single ended RCA console pull on barter town for $65 to your door. They don't get much simpler or cheaper than that, short of finding them in the trash. The $150 you will have in it will give you the opportunity to make your newbie mistakes and still end up with a working stereo. You will have fun (That's a direct order) and you will learn stuff.
 
trainbuftony said:
There's a single ended RCA console pull on barter town for $65 to your door. They don't get much simpler or cheaper than that, short of finding them in the trash. The $150 you will have in it will give you the opportunity to make your newbie mistakes and still end up with a working stereo. You will have fun (That's a direct order) and you will learn stuff.
Click to expand...
Tennnn hut! I’m on it. Stat!
 
Techs are over rated. If you don't know what you are paying for, how do you know that you have actually bought it? It is better if you Know...:)
cheers,
Douglas
 
PakProtector said:
Techs are over rated. If you don't know what you are paying for, how do you know that you have actually bought it? It is better if you Know...:)
cheers,
Douglas
Click to expand...
I’m on a YouTube tube-a-thon hunting down tube amp knowledge and it ain’t easy so far but maybe I’m overthinking a lot of the basic concepts. I understand the basics so far but I need to soak up more theory, the whys and hows of it all. Do you work on your own equipment? If so, how did you learn?
 
When you get the thing in the mail look it over closely.
Write down a list of all of the capacitors split into electrolytic and film. I put brackets arround values which are found in a can. (Big aluminum can above the chassis) or within the black paper wrapped cans beneath the chassis. Then I'd start checking resistors against the schematic (find a schematic) once you have a list of all the parts you want to order, go ahead and order them. What you've got in this console pull is the most basic power stage, ultra low power with very low gain. Got a DVOM, and a soldering iron? That's what I started with...
 
Search the utoob for Blueglow Electronics. Mark's videos about many types of tube amps and repairs has been a great resource to me.

I'll also take a moment to remind everyone of the great stickies at the top of this sub forum. Very comprehensive and pertinent information already here and archived for just this purpose ☺️

-Steve
 
trainbuftony said:
When you get the thing in the mail look it over closely.
Write down a list of all of the capacitors split into electrolytic and film. I put brackets arround values which are found in a can. (Big aluminum can above the chassis) or within the black paper wrapped cans beneath the chassis. Then I'd start checking resistors against the schematic (find a schematic) once you have a list of all the parts you want to order, go ahead and order them. What you've got in this console pull is the most basic power stage, ultra low power with very low gain. Got a DVOM, and a soldering iron? That's what I started with...
Click to expand...
I bought a capacitor meter on Amazon for around $35. Might be good to have.
 
trainbuftony said:
When you get the thing in the mail look it over closely.
Write down a list of all of the capacitors split into electrolytic and film. I put brackets arround values which are found in a can. (Big aluminum can above the chassis) or within the black paper wrapped cans beneath the chassis. Then I'd start checking resistors against the schematic (find a schematic) once you have a list of all the parts you want to order, go ahead and order them. What you've got in this console pull is the most basic power stage, ultra low power with very low gain. Got a DVOM, and a soldering iron? That's what I started with...
Click to expand...
I have a DVOM but it’s a cheapy one from Harbor Freight. Will that do or should I get something more reliable/accurate? And I do have a soldering iron which goes up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ll be getting the RCA soon so as soon as I do I’m doing all of the above. Thanks trainbuftony! I’ll keep ya posted on the progress:beerchug:
 
sbcrockett said:
Search the utoob for Blueglow Electronics. Mark's videos about many types of tube amps and repairs has been a great resource to me.

I'll also take a moment to remind everyone of the great stickies at the top of this sub forum. Very comprehensive and pertinent information already here and archived for just this purpose ☺️

-Steve
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve! As a matter of fact I was watching some of his videos last night. Very thorough and great info. I am scouring the forums as well, thanks for the reminder :bigok:
 
The "Hazard Frought Tools" Dvom may very well be up to the task, but getting ahold of a Fluke, with leads that are category 2 or whatever is ssfe for 600v is a step better. By all means, use what you have, do what you can. I don't know what a 400° iron equates to wattage wise, but a 25 to 50 watt iron with replaceable tips is what i use for most tube repairs.
 
Someone mentioned: "...A good soldering iron (not the cheepo pencils)..."

I'd go further and recomend a temperature controlled soldering station. These have gotten cheap enough from the Chinese vendors that there is really no reason not to go for the soldering station if you are at all serious about building or repairing.

With practice, you'll find a temperature that let's you make nice solder connections without damaging components, and you can crank it up when you are making connections to larger stuff.

Even with a "pro" soldering station, avoid the bottom of the line.
 
^This. 100 percent

angelaudio said:
And I do have a soldering iron which goes up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Click to expand...

While the most common leaded solder alloy has a melting point just under 400 degrees, it's been my experience that your target temp should be quite a bit higher than that, especially if you're working on point to point electronics like vintage tube stuff. When working on some of the heavier wire and component leads I will crank my temps up to 600+ in order to get good flow. Sitting for 30 seconds on a solder joint isn't good for components or old wire insulation, hence the higher temp.

-Steve
 
linuxslate said:
Someone mentioned: "...A good soldering iron (not the cheepo pencils)..."

I'd go further and recomend a temperature controlled soldering station. These have gotten cheap enough from the Chinese vendors that there is really no reason not to go for the soldering station if you are at all serious about building or repairing.

With practice, you'll find a temperature that let's you make nice solder connections without damaging components, and you can crank it up when you are making connections to larger stuff.

Even with a "pro" soldering station, avoid the bottom of the line.
Click to expand...
Scouring eBay. Thanks for the advice!
 
sbcrockett said:
^This. 100 percent



While the most common leaded solder alloy has a melting point just under 400 degrees, it's been my experience that your target temp should be quite a bit higher than that, especially if you're working on point to point electronics like vintage tube stuff. When working on some of the heavier wire and component leads I will crank my temps up to 600+ in order to get good flow. Sitting for 30 seconds on a solder joint isn't good for components or old wire insulation, hence the higher temp.

-Steve
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve. I did notice that even at 400 the wire doesn't seem to melt very well. I remember soldering back in my electronics class back in high school and I remember the wire melting instantly and remaining pliable for a second or two. I'll look into getting a better one. Any recommendations?
 
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