Tape Project Forum
Tape Machines => Tape Project Machines => Topic started by: docb on January 04, 2010, 08:28:09 PM
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We were fine tuning the Repros that we will have at CES, and I suggested that we use an old trick I learned from Buddha many years ago. Take a Q-tip and cut it in half. Chuck one half up in a Dremel (small mandrel) and use a little metal polish to polish the pins of your Repro or Eros tubes. You may not see a huge difference in the appearance of the pins, but you will probably see a fair amount of black tarnish on the Q tip. Then treat the tube pins and the sockets with a little Pro Gold. We heard a very worthwhile reduction of the noise floor doing this on two different Repros.
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Wow, nice trick Doc.
That's gonna save me from buying a bunch of those felt, polishing "cones" for all kinds of stuff.
Thanks
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We were fine tuning the Repros that we will have at CES, and I suggested that we use an old trick I learned from Buddha many years ago. Take a Q-tip and cut it in half. Chuck one half up in a Dremel (small mandrel) and use a little metal polish to polish the pins of your Repro or Eros tubes. You may not see a huge difference in the appearance of the pins, but you will probably see a fair amount of black tarnish on the Q tip. Then treat the tube pins and the sockets with a little Pro Gold. We heard a very worthwhile reduction of the noise floor doing this on two different Repros.
Will this little trick work on the Seduction as well?
Jay
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The Seduction has less gain so it may not be as a striking a difference. But sure, it should help. IIRC the original discussion with Buddha was about doing this to a tube FM tuner, where it could have a very positive effect. Should be a useful for tube mics, phono preamps, and any other tube circuit that deals with very small signals.
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any other tube circuit that deals with very small signals
Should work on socket mounted step up transformers for MC cartridges too.
Now, if only you had posted this a week ago when I was in the US and could order the Pro Gold ;^)
Thanks
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We were fine tuning the Repros that we will have at CES, and I suggested that we use an old trick I learned from Buddha many years ago. Take a Q-tip and cut it in half. Chuck one half up in a Dremel (small mandrel) and use a little metal polish to polish the pins of your Repro or Eros tubes. You may not see a huge difference in the appearance of the pins, but you will probably see a fair amount of black tarnish on the Q tip. Then treat the tube pins and the sockets with a little Pro Gold. We heard a very worthwhile reduction of the noise floor doing this on two different Repros.
Doc:
I always clean the tube pins of all tubes-esp. all NOS types that really look bad.
I use a q-tip and dip it in Gorham silver polish (paste not the liquid; paste works far better). The pins are "polished" twice and then cleaned with water. I then clean the pins with Kontak.
Alternatively, one can do what an old friend of David Berning did years ago (he marketed this kit ten or more years ago). Take a pipe cleaner and bend it in an ellipse shape. Then dip it in polish and clean the tube pins. The clean and retreat with Kontak
Myles