Hey all,

So I've only been doing the vintage radio thing for less then two years. Many of you have been doing it much longer. Still I hear folks talking about their Loctal pins and sockets and the problems they have with them.

My Philco 46-480 has had very stubborn Loctal problems. I've cleaned until I'm blue in the face. So I thought I'd try something different. Did this about two months ago. Now I can report results.

I removed the round phenolic or cardboard piece that is on the tube side of the socket. This gives much better access to the pins within the socket. Then I got myself a set of gas welding torch tip cleaners. These are very small round metal files basically. They come in a set for less then $5. Two to four passes up and down in the socket holes and the pins are clean. Use caution because these files will remove metal from the pins. Great thing is that being round these files will follow the same path that the tube pins will follow. So you're cleaning the area of the socket pins that the tube pins will make contact with. Clean thoroughly with contact cleaner and blow the socket out with air to remove any residual debris.

Also with this round piece of material removed from the socket I was able to actually adjust, or tighten if you will, the pin contacts in the socket. From what I've seen all Loctals are two or three piece contacts.

So now two months later and I have not had to remove the tubes and clean the sockets of the 46-480 set. It continues to work great. No more wiggling tubes around etc.

So now I ask... Does anyone see a problem with removing these round pieces from the Loctal sockets?

Except maybe you're removing the original look. Can't see it anyway with the tube installed. And it actually allows the tube to seat further into the socket.

Any input on this?

Thanks for listening,
Johnny

That seems just fine to me. The Loctal part of it though is what really sets the tube in the same place every time. I have used just pipe cleaners with alcohol to clean the female pins. With the use of a little screw driver, able to push the connectors together a little bit for a snug fit.

Johnny,
Like you say the torch cleaners are just files, and do remove any plating along with the metal sleeve material. I've successfully used silver plated stranded wire (of correct guage) in a see-saw manner, back and forth thru the hole. Pipe cleaners and silverware dip solution will clean without removing any plating/metal, but a warm water flush is req'd to neutralize the solution, then blow dry, and more economical than de-oxit.

marv

:Hey all,
:
:So I've only been doing the vintage radio thing for less then two years. Many of you have been doing it much longer. Still I hear folks talking about their Loctal pins and sockets and the problems they have with them.
:
:My Philco 46-480 has had very stubborn Loctal problems. I've cleaned until I'm blue in the face. So I thought I'd try something different. Did this about two months ago. Now I can report results.
:
:I removed the round phenolic or cardboard piece that is on the tube side of the socket. This gives much better access to the pins within the socket. Then I got myself a set of gas welding torch tip cleaners. These are very small round metal files basically. They come in a set for less then $5. Two to four passes up and down in the socket holes and the pins are clean. Use caution because these files will remove metal from the pins. Great thing is that being round these files will follow the same path that the tube pins will follow. So you're cleaning the area of the socket pins that the tube pins will make contact with. Clean thoroughly with contact cleaner and blow the socket out with air to remove any residual debris.
:
:Also with this round piece of material removed from the socket I was able to actually adjust, or tighten if you will, the pin contacts in the socket. From what I've seen all Loctals are two or three piece contacts.
:
:So now two months later and I have not had to remove the tubes and clean the sockets of the 46-480 set. It continues to work great. No more wiggling tubes around etc.
:
:So now I ask... Does anyone see a problem with removing these round pieces from the Loctal sockets?
:
:Except maybe you're removing the original look. Can't see it anyway with the tube installed. And it actually allows the tube to seat further into the socket.
:
:Any input on this?
:
:Thanks for listening,
:Johnny
:
:
:

:Thanks Marv, But what about removing those phenolic pieces to get to the pins? Does this pose and problems for the socket or the way the tube fits in the socket?
Johnny
:
:Johnny,
:Like you say the torch cleaners are just files, and do remove any plating along with the metal sleeve material. I've successfully used silver plated stranded wire (of correct guage) in a see-saw manner, back and forth thru the hole. Pipe cleaners and silverware dip solution will clean without removing any plating/metal, but a warm water flush is req'd to neutralize the solution, then blow dry, and more economical than de-oxit.
:
:marv
:
::Hey all,
::
::So I've only been doing the vintage radio thing for less then two years. Many of you have been doing it much longer. Still I hear folks talking about their Loctal pins and sockets and the problems they have with them.
::
::My Philco 46-480 has had very stubborn Loctal problems. I've cleaned until I'm blue in the face. So I thought I'd try something different. Did this about two months ago. Now I can report results.
::
::I removed the round phenolic or cardboard piece that is on the tube side of the socket. This gives much better access to the pins within the socket. Then I got myself a set of gas welding torch tip cleaners. These are very small round metal files basically. They come in a set for less then $5. Two to four passes up and down in the socket holes and the pins are clean. Use caution because these files will remove metal from the pins. Great thing is that being round these files will follow the same path that the tube pins will follow. So you're cleaning the area of the socket pins that the tube pins will make contact with. Clean thoroughly with contact cleaner and blow the socket out with air to remove any residual debris.
::
::Also with this round piece of material removed from the socket I was able to actually adjust, or tighten if you will, the pin contacts in the socket. From what I've seen all Loctals are two or three piece contacts.
::
::So now two months later and I have not had to remove the tubes and clean the sockets of the 46-480 set. It continues to work great. No more wiggling tubes around etc.
::
::So now I ask... Does anyone see a problem with removing these round pieces from the Loctal sockets?
::
::Except maybe you're removing the original look. Can't see it anyway with the tube installed. And it actually allows the tube to seat further into the socket.
::
::Any input on this?
::
::Thanks for listening,
::Johnny
::
::
::

Johnny,
Not having one in front of me, can't remember how the wafer is attached. Maybe rivets. A small hand drill (read pin vise) can be used to enlarged the wafer holes to allow the pipe cleaner/stranded wire or any cleaning tool to pass thru easily without affecting tube insertion. As I recall the center pin on the tube is the keying device for the socket. I remember at least one socket in a Philco 48-460 Hippo that defied all my efforts, and was still questionable when I sold the radio, but provided a short summary to the buyer about removing rear fiberboard panel, and wiggling the tube if it failed. May have been a broken socket pin, but down time was not enough to justify socket removal and replacement.

marv

::Thanks Marv, But what about removing those phenolic pieces to get to the pins? Does this pose and problems for the socket or the way the tube fits in the socket?
:Johnny
::
::Johnny,
::Like you say the torch cleaners are just files, and do remove any plating along with the metal sleeve material. I've successfully used silver plated stranded wire (of correct guage) in a see-saw manner, back and forth thru the hole. Pipe cleaners and silverware dip solution will clean without removing any plating/metal, but a warm water flush is req'd to neutralize the solution, then blow dry, and more economical than de-oxit.
::
::marv
::
:::Hey all,
:::
:::So I've only been doing the vintage radio thing for less then two years. Many of you have been doing it much longer. Still I hear folks talking about their Loctal pins and sockets and the problems they have with them.
:::
:::My Philco 46-480 has had very stubborn Loctal problems. I've cleaned until I'm blue in the face. So I thought I'd try something different. Did this about two months ago. Now I can report results.
:::
:::I removed the round phenolic or cardboard piece that is on the tube side of the socket. This gives much better access to the pins within the socket. Then I got myself a set of gas welding torch tip cleaners. These are very small round metal files basically. They come in a set for less then $5. Two to four passes up and down in the socket holes and the pins are clean. Use caution because these files will remove metal from the pins. Great thing is that being round these files will follow the same path that the tube pins will follow. So you're cleaning the area of the socket pins that the tube pins will make contact with. Clean thoroughly with contact cleaner and blow the socket out with air to remove any residual debris.
:::
:::Also with this round piece of material removed from the socket I was able to actually adjust, or tighten if you will, the pin contacts in the socket. From what I've seen all Loctals are two or three piece contacts.
:::
:::So now two months later and I have not had to remove the tubes and clean the sockets of the 46-480 set. It continues to work great. No more wiggling tubes around etc.
:::
:::So now I ask... Does anyone see a problem with removing these round pieces from the Loctal sockets?
:::
:::Except maybe you're removing the original look. Can't see it anyway with the tube installed. And it actually allows the tube to seat further into the socket.
:::
:::Any input on this?
:::
:::Thanks for listening,
:::Johnny
:::
:::
:::