Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

bigfathairyvika · 18th Jan 2022, 10:54 pm

Hi All,

Just had an opps with my Hickok/Tek 545 plugin.
Moving stuff about and stepped on the plugin breaking five of the trimmer capacitors.
Picture below.
Can these just be super glued back together?
Or is replacement the only way?
Will I most likely have to re trim them once fixed?
Ideas?
Bit annoyed with myself for leaving it on the floor.

Mark

high_vacuum_house · 18th Jan 2022, 11:05 pm

Good evening,
Had me chuckling there a bit (Fawlty Towers where the roast chicken got trodden on!)
A careful application of superglue should be ok. It looks like a hard plastic so not too much distortion would be left in the plastic bodies after repair. If these trimmers are for the probe input compensation, I don't think they would need much if any readjustment after repair.

Had an accident with a fairly grotty Bakelite set years ago I was playing with. Got up from the table, trod on the plug with one foot and whipped the whole lot onto the floor via the mains cable with my other foot completely wrecking the cabinet !!

Christopher Capener

joebog1 · 18th Jan 2022, 11:13 pm

I have a few of these modules laying about. I pay $20 each for them. They were complete and calibrated for the RAAF in 1986, put into storage and never touched again. Alas the audiophools have removed the twin triodes from them. The trimmers are ceramic, not plastic and may just glue together, but I doubt you will align them suffiently to retain calibration.
I can remove a complete unit and send the board to you if you want to :
1. use the whole board ( paper not fibreglass like your ).
2. remove the nessesary trimmers and refit to your module.
Will still need calibrating though.
3. The same as working on high voltage, keep one hand in your pocket. When playing hopscotch with CRO modules also place one foot in your pocket

.

Let me know how you go.

Joe

joebog1 · 18th Jan 2022, 11:14 pm

sorry mods, I forgot the pic
j.b.

bigfathairyvika · 19th Jan 2022, 11:15 am

Thanks for the offer Joe.
I will try glue first.
Not in a hurry as I still have to get the mainframe working first.

Mark

joebog1 · 19th Jan 2022, 10:33 pm

The broken off top part is the "moving vanes " of the trimmer capacitor.
The rivetted in rivet part are the fixed vanes. You will need to make very sure that everything is perfectly aligned and back in place because if there is a gap you will still need recalibration because you will have changed the capacitance that was set.
But you already know this

regards
Joe

18th Jan 2022, 10:54 pm	#1
bigfathairyvika Hexode Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 494	Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... Hi All, Just had an opps with my Hickok/Tek 545 plugin. Moving stuff about and stepped on the plugin breaking five of the trimmer capacitors. Picture below. Can these just be super glued back together? Or is replacement the only way? Will I most likely have to re trim them once fixed? Ideas? Bit annoyed with myself for leaving it on the floor. Mark Attached Thumbnails

18th Jan 2022, 11:05 pm	#2
high_vacuum_house Octode Join Date: May 2003 Location: Belper Derbyshire Posts: 1,935	Re: Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... Good evening, Had me chuckling there a bit (Fawlty Towers where the roast chicken got trodden on!) A careful application of superglue should be ok. It looks like a hard plastic so not too much distortion would be left in the plastic bodies after repair. If these trimmers are for the probe input compensation, I don't think they would need much if any readjustment after repair. Had an accident with a fairly grotty Bakelite set years ago I was playing with. Got up from the table, trod on the plug with one foot and whipped the whole lot onto the floor via the mains cable with my other foot completely wrecking the cabinet !! Christopher Capener __________________ Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television

18th Jan 2022, 11:13 pm	#3
joebog1 Banned Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,704	Re: Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... I have a few of these modules laying about. I pay $20 each for them. They were complete and calibrated for the RAAF in 1986, put into storage and never touched again. Alas the audiophools have removed the twin triodes from them. The trimmers are ceramic, not plastic and may just glue together, but I doubt you will align them suffiently to retain calibration. I can remove a complete unit and send the board to you if you want to : 1. use the whole board ( paper not fibreglass like your ). 2. remove the nessesary trimmers and refit to your module. Will still need calibrating though. 3. The same as working on high voltage, keep one hand in your pocket. When playing hopscotch with CRO modules also place one foot in your pocket . Let me know how you go. Joe

18th Jan 2022, 11:14 pm	#4
joebog1 Banned Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,704	Re: Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... sorry mods, I forgot the pic j.b. Attached Thumbnails

19th Jan 2022, 11:15 am	#5
bigfathairyvika Hexode Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 494	Re: Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... Thanks for the offer Joe. I will try glue first. Not in a hurry as I still have to get the mainframe working first. Mark

19th Jan 2022, 10:33 pm	#6
joebog1 Banned Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,704	Re: Stepped on Hickok/Tek plugin.... The broken off top part is the "moving vanes " of the trimmer capacitor. The rivetted in rivet part are the fixed vanes. You will need to make very sure that everything is perfectly aligned and back in place because if there is a gap you will still need recalibration because you will have changed the capacitance that was set. But you already know this regards Joe