I just got in my $0.95 socket samples from Antique Electronic Supply.
Socket - 9 Pin, Ceramic, Magnoval, bottom or top mount | Antique Electronic Supply
These are labeled Magnoval, but someone commented below them that Magnoval tubes don't fit them, and that they were Novar instead.
Well, Magnoval tubes don't fit, but Novar tubes just fall out of the sockets.
Probably why they are priced at $0.95.
I tried removing some socket pins to tighten them, but they are rather tight fitting. And hard to get them to stay in the socket when re-inserted.
I then tried a tiny screw driver to tighten the pins while in the socket. This can work, but after the 1st pass around the socket I found a couple that were still loose on Novar pins. I re-worked those pins again and was successful.
The pin sides are two half circles, and you have to miss-align the halves to get them to tighten up sufficiently. So this is do-able, but frustrating. Meticulously test them pin by pin or you will end up with flaky sockets. Rather time consuming.
If one could order a bag of socket pins for a ceramic Compactron socket, then these would be relatively easy to fix, by destructively removing the "Magnoval" pins (twist off the back socket pin side).
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I notice that Radio Daze is out of stock on those Cinch Novar sockets.
Cinch 9 Pin "Novar" Socket Under Chassis Style (Item: NOS-SKT-53) - Radio Daze LLC
Need to find a source for Compactron socket pins (for ceramic style sockets)!!
Socket - 9 Pin, Ceramic, Magnoval, bottom or top mount | Antique Electronic Supply
These are labeled Magnoval, but someone commented below them that Magnoval tubes don't fit them, and that they were Novar instead.
Well, Magnoval tubes don't fit, but Novar tubes just fall out of the sockets.
Probably why they are priced at $0.95.
I tried removing some socket pins to tighten them, but they are rather tight fitting. And hard to get them to stay in the socket when re-inserted.
I then tried a tiny screw driver to tighten the pins while in the socket. This can work, but after the 1st pass around the socket I found a couple that were still loose on Novar pins. I re-worked those pins again and was successful.
The pin sides are two half circles, and you have to miss-align the halves to get them to tighten up sufficiently. So this is do-able, but frustrating. Meticulously test them pin by pin or you will end up with flaky sockets. Rather time consuming.
If one could order a bag of socket pins for a ceramic Compactron socket, then these would be relatively easy to fix, by destructively removing the "Magnoval" pins (twist off the back socket pin side).
----------------------------------------------------
I notice that Radio Daze is out of stock on those Cinch Novar sockets.
Cinch 9 Pin "Novar" Socket Under Chassis Style (Item: NOS-SKT-53) - Radio Daze LLC
Need to find a source for Compactron socket pins (for ceramic style sockets)!!
I haven't seen anything like that available. I have my doubts whether solder will stick well to Novar tube pins (oxidized surface).
I have seen 1 mm socket pins that will fit onto Novar pins (pic 1 below). These were probably for RS-232 connectors. Could make a PC mount socket with them, but they offer no support against bending with a miss-aligned tube insertion.
These pins do work well, with some heat shrink tubing over them, for test leads with my curve tracer.
Searching Ebay for a socket type that shouldn't exist (strictly speaking), a 9 pin Compactron, I found an even rarer bird. A PC mount Novar (maybe) socket.
4 for $13 + $5 shpg. (pic 2)
These have no mounting tabs or rings. Nowhere does the ad mention Novar, but it says it fits:
"6JB6, 6JG6, 6JE6C, 6KG6, 6KV6, 6LQ6, 437A, etc. These are for PC board mounting."
Mostly Novar tubes listed, but 6KG6 is Magnoval. A message to the seller might clear things up.
The best solution I can see is to find some Compactron socket pins that will fit the available "Magnoval" sockets.
I have seen 1 mm socket pins that will fit onto Novar pins (pic 1 below). These were probably for RS-232 connectors. Could make a PC mount socket with them, but they offer no support against bending with a miss-aligned tube insertion.
These pins do work well, with some heat shrink tubing over them, for test leads with my curve tracer.
Searching Ebay for a socket type that shouldn't exist (strictly speaking), a 9 pin Compactron, I found an even rarer bird. A PC mount Novar (maybe) socket.
4 for $13 + $5 shpg. (pic 2)
These have no mounting tabs or rings. Nowhere does the ad mention Novar, but it says it fits:
"6JB6, 6JG6, 6JE6C, 6KG6, 6KV6, 6LQ6, 437A, etc. These are for PC board mounting."
Mostly Novar tubes listed, but 6KG6 is Magnoval. A message to the seller might clear things up.
The best solution I can see is to find some Compactron socket pins that will fit the available "Magnoval" sockets.
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I just got some samples in of the "Novar - PC mount" sockets (pic below), and they don't fit Novar or Magnoval, as usual. The Novar tube slides in with no friction, but at least no loose wiggle room like the Magnoval sockets. Again, they can be fixed by tightening the pins with a tiny screwdriver, very annoying though.
I've got one more "maybe Novar" socket coming to try out.
I've got one more "maybe Novar" socket coming to try out.
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Yes, these work much better than any Chinese ones, very well made and still in production. They hold Novar tubes pretty good, just right from my feel. I ordered a bag of them from RF Parts, they are probably available from many sources that carry Svetlana.
Just an FYI - I now make a socket for B9E tubes.
B9E Novar socket for USA large 9 pin tubes with 1 mm pins.
B9E Novar socket for USA large 9 pin tubes with 1 mm pins.
I found about 5 sellers with stock, they go anywhere from 6.50 to 10+ bucks. You're right I'm not sure they are in production, mine had nice clean Svetlana labels in the bag so I thought they were made recently.
I had a similar situation a long time ago, no chance of finding the correct socket, so I inserted thin wire strands before inserting the tube. Then I cut the wires just very close to the socket hole. Cheap and nasty, but it did the job.
Hello everyone,
Just purchased these from: Magnoval Ceramic Military - Mag Mil - Tube Sockets - Parts - Magnoval Ceramic Nos Military
I had purchased 6 before, quality is excellent, shipping to the US.... takes a while.
Ray
Just purchased these from: Magnoval Ceramic Military - Mag Mil - Tube Sockets - Parts - Magnoval Ceramic Nos Military
I had purchased 6 before, quality is excellent, shipping to the US.... takes a while.
Ray
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