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Seeking recommendations for replacement OPT for PILOT AA 920 Mono Amp

S

SixCats!

Super Member
Hi all,

Might anyone have a suggestion for a replacement OPT for my PILOT AA 920 Mono Amp ?

I purchased this Amp "as is" years ago and I'd like to get her back up and running as she is such

a nice looking vintage Amp. Here are (borrowed photographs/thank you) of the Amp :

Smith_Pilot_AA-920_more.jpg


Also, might I be able to use my original (Ultra Cool looking) Genalex Gold Lion KT-66 in place of the 6L6's ?

images


Thanks for any help/recommendations/suggestions.

Regards,

SixCats!
 
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You could have a new one made by Heyboer, Edcor, or any of the other transformer shops which do this sort of thing The other option is to be on the lookout for an original. I was gifted an AA920 dead, years ago for the price of shipping. I haven't looked that closely at it but the OPT might still be ok. IIRC it is a "screen tapped" design but definitely not an "Ultralinear" (ultralinear being a registerd trademark at that point). A very cool piece of history given that stereo was less than a decade away, those MONO eq curves aren't coming back, and then theres the relative rarity of the item. I dig it!
 
Hi train,

Thank you for the information you provided. Truthfully, I need another Amp like the proverbial "hole in the Head". I may be acquiring a 2A3 SET (Mono) Amp tomorrow.

That being said, I so love my lil' Pilot PT-1030D/AA-903B (EL 84) Mono Amp (I use often with my Stephens Tru-Sonic Mono Horn) that I feel (if I can afford to do so)

bring back to life this Pilot AA-920 Amp missing it's OPT. Otherwise, this Amp is in BEAUTIFUL physical/looking condition! Come to think of it, I also have the equally

beautiful condition matching Pilot 402 Tube Tuner. I guess I like to have "back up" Amps for my Mono Systems. As I type this, I am playing "The Legendary Andres Segovia"

with the lil' Mono Pilot PT-1030D (about 13 Watts) with my Stephens Tru-Sonic Horn and it sounds WONDERFUL! I'm so excited about try a SET Amp with the Tru-Sonic!

I must say, there is something special about owning/playing/enjoying Vintage Audio gear/History!

Stephens.jpg



SixCats!
 
Did you know that the PT on your amp is not stock? You can see that the original marks for the PT are still on the chassis under the new one. In fact it looks huge. AFAIK original Pilot trannys dont have labels on them. So this new PT also calls into question the reason for the replacement, and whether there was any collateral damage, since the OPT is also kaput. You should check things carefully as the circuit might be altered.
For replacing the OPT Hammonds are readily available. If not you can find lots of replacement 6l6 type PP OPT. You need to check if your amp has UL taps or if it is pentode mode. Also check the PT label to see what the 6.3v filament tap amperage rating. The kt66 has nearly twice the heater current as a 6l6 so that needs to be checked with PT rating.
 
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Hi primo,

The photographs I posted (marked borrowed photos) are just posted for "illustration" purposes only. I.E. that is not MY Amp and I should of made that more clear. Good catch though!
To the best of my knowledge, my Amp is all original but missing the OPT. That said, lol, no waaaay am "I" going to mess with with
this Amp. I will bring it to a qualified Tech to assess the situation/condition of Amp. I perhaps should of been more clear in my post
as to whether or not it was even possible to purchase a proper OPT for this vintage Amp. Thanks primo for the info. regarding the KT66's.
I will for sure tell the Tech of my intentions and ask his console/advice. Sorry for the confusion.

SixCats!
 
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