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Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:37 pm
by deshawnsmith
Hi all!

I bought an EICO 610A add-on for my EICO 666 tube tester so that I could test a bunch of the "newer" types of tubes (compactrons, magnovals, novars, etc.). When I went to test my first novar-type tube, I discovered that the 610A uses the exact same socket for both magnoval and compactron tubes. Unfortunately, a previous owner had shoved a magnoval tube into the novar socket, which sadly, as many of you already know, makes the socket unfit for ever testing a novar-type tube again.

It appears that I have a couple of options:
1) Replace the socket. This wouldn't be the easiest thing to do because all of the sockets are riveted to the faceplace on the 610A. I'd have to carefully drill out the rivets before installing a new novar socket.
2) Create a novar-to-magnoval adapter. I'd rather do this if possible, but therein is the rub: this just may not be possible. Do any of you know if I could even find a novar socket and a magnoval base? I'd wire the socket straight through to the base. It wouldn't look the greatest, but it would be a lot easier than drilling out rivets and hoping that a replacement socket would even fit right.

Any ideas here? Any favorite sources of such part as I might need for the homebrew adapter? Or does such an adapter already exist?

Thanks!

DeShawn

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:58 am
by Geek
Hi,

#1 is your best bet. Do the job right first time and all. Novar sockets abound on fleabay.

Cheers!

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:08 pm
by deshawnsmith
Any hints on how to drill out the rivets without accidentally damaging something else?

Love the username, by the way. My amateur radio callsign is KG7EEK. (lol)

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:14 pm
by Geek
That's a rockin ham call (y)

Take a centre punch and give the rivet a good ding dead centre. Drill a 1/16" hole there, then a 1/8" after that. Extract the rivet with sharp tipped side cutters.

If the rivet spins, no problem. With a nail, work at it like a dentist extracting a tooth.

Cheers!

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:35 pm
by deshawnsmith
Excellent! I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes. But I probably won't start until the new socket arrives.

Thanks for the tips!

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:29 am
by deshawnsmith
Replacing the socket worked like a charm! I just finished testing a mess of Novar-type tubes. Thanks, Geek for your suggestions.

(y)

Re: Novar to Magnoval Adapter?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 4:06 am
by Geek
Glad it worked out well! Thanks for the update :))