Seems like every radio I own with a 35Z5 rectifier needed to have it replaced during the repair process. Took me a while to realize that the flash bulb effect on the pilot lamp is caused by one side of the center tapped filiment opening up. I have been through 5 this month. I know I should check the voltage divider network for the lamp, and the capacitor I typically find in that circuit. If I lose a 35Z5 tube, I usually just replace the cap with no question asked, and check the resistors, but I have never actually found either the cap or the resisors are bad. Is this just the nature of center tap rectifiers or is there something I might be doing that causes the problem?

:Seems like every radio I own with a 35Z5 rectifier needed to have it replaced during the repair process. Took me a while to realize that the flash bulb effect on the pilot lamp is caused by one side of the center tapped filiment opening up. I have been through 5 this month. I know I should check the voltage divider network for the lamp, and the capacitor I typically find in that circuit. If I lose a 35Z5 tube, I usually just replace the cap with no question asked, and check the resistors, but I have never actually found either the cap or the resisors are bad. Is this just the nature of center tap rectifiers or is there something I might be doing that causes the problem?
_____________________________________________________________________

Are you replacing the filters and bad caps before firing these up? Excessive B+ draw will burn out the pilot lamp which causes the filament to go.

Dave

Join the club-I had a bit of trouble with a GE radio that uses 35w4's. The dial lamp is connected to a housing mounted on the dial pulley- as soon as I got to a certain spot on the travel the lamp would glow brightly and take out the tap on the tube. I finally found that the wiring inside the dial lamp housing was contacting the housing during that travel. Injected some rtv in and took care of the problem.

:Seems like every radio I own with a 35Z5 rectifier needed to have it replaced during the repair process. Took me a while to realize that the flash bulb effect on the pilot lamp is caused by one side of the center tapped filiment opening up. I have been through 5 this month. I know I should check the voltage divider network for the lamp, and the capacitor I typically find in that circuit. If I lose a 35Z5 tube, I usually just replace the cap with no question asked, and check the resistors, but I have never actually found either the cap or the resisors are bad. Is this just the nature of center tap rectifiers or is there something I might be doing that causes the problem?

I wouldn't throw them all away - they are still perfectly good as a rectifier for a non-pilot lamp type radio! Just mark them as such.

35Z5s are notorious for the filament tap burning out. See Service Tip 40 from my site: http://www.philcorepairbench.com/tips/svctip40.htm

Thanks guys, these answers really did help. SO I adopt a repair strategy that immediately looks for suspect caps and replaces them, checks the value of suspect resistors before turning on the radio and verifying the B+ immediately upon power up. Then cross my fingures. Oh, and make sure the aliens don't mess with my garage door openers like they did with Peter in his posting :>)

:Seems like every radio I own with a 35Z5 rectifier needed to have it replaced during the repair process. Took me a while to realize that the flash bulb effect on the pilot lamp is caused by one side of the center tapped filiment opening up. I have been through 5 this month. I know I should check the voltage divider network for the lamp, and the capacitor I typically find in that circuit. If I lose a 35Z5 tube, I usually just replace the cap with no question asked, and check the resistors, but I have never actually found either the cap or the resisors are bad. Is this just the nature of center tap rectifiers or is there something I might be doing that causes the problem?

You could try installing a thermsitor in the B+ line.

S.U. Geston