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Hi everyone, I purchased a pair of matched PS Vane WE 300B Replica tubes.
The tube pins are 1.5mm longer than the tubes that came with the preamp.
When you push down the tube into the tube socket the female receptacles in the socket reject the pins and the tube pops back up.
This is true for both tubes in both sockets.
The original PS Vane 300B tubes click into place effortlessly.
The manufacturer of the preamp said I could file off the bottom of the tubes.
How much can I file off?
How about the connection inside the pins?
Are the pins completely filled with solder?
What a bummer!
Follow Ups:
Folks, here's what I found out that killed the problem.
On the PS Vane WE 300B Replica tube there's a brass pin protruding from the black base of the tube (horizontally).
What it is for, I don't know, maybe part of the original Western Electric 300 tube design.
I contacted Suena at Mingda, and after several emails back and forth, she said I should cut this horizonal pin off with diagonal cutters.
I decided to file the pins off.
Bingo! Tubes go into the socket neatly.
Why didn't I think of this? Because they appeared too high up the black base to cause a problem.
Man do these tubes sound good.
Thanks to all for your help.
Here's a photo of what I'm talking about.
I find that inexcusable of the manufacture to make a unit that uses 300Bs and won't use the original 300b that all had that guide pin. All Western Electric 300Bs had that pin. 300b tube sockets used to have a metal sleeve with a slot in it to prevent the tube from being plugged in wrong.
This picture is of a modern 845/211 tube socket. I show it because it has the guide sleeve I am speaking of.
It looks like your preamp has a "beauty ring" causing the problem.
Again, inexcusable of the manufacture.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Why?
Who knows?
When was the last time Philips made capacitors? I thought they sold that division years ago. Strange to see them in a new product.
Because they are morons. That's why.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
The amp in question is a Chinese product. What more needs to be said? My 211 SETs have beauty rings too, but they'll accept any properly-constructed 211. Sorry, I don't have a lot of sympathy for this sort of thing.
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
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Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
do NOT file off the bottom of the pins as Tre said. The solder inside the pins may not go further up than the tip itself and it would be a shame to find that out.
1.5mm is not a very long difference so something else must be wrong. Pics of the tubes and angled shots inside the amp would be my suggestion to figure this out because it makes no common sense unless something has an import disease.
Are they willing to replace the sockets?
They should.
Or like facts if you're a plague denier.
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields
Not good marks if parts beneath the socket impede the installation of a tube.
Neither is it if the tube does not meet the specs for its type.
or PSVane.
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields
300B tube sockets used to have no bottom to the hole and the pins went all the way through. Longer pins were not a problem.
But a lot of the newer ones do are as below and even a couple mm longer pins will not seat properly
Its the first style of socket, not the second.
or a picture in any of his posts, but if that is indeed the case and that is a picture of the under side of the amp in question I wouldn't blame the manufacturer of the tube.
Will G. said "I own the Meixing Mingda MC300-PRE vacuum valve 300B preamplifier."
The picture I posted is a picture of a Meixing Mingda MC300-PRE vacuum valve 300B preamplifier.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
But yes I agree likely those resistors blocking the tube pins.
It looks like they could be. I would have had the bottom off at the first sign of trouble with putting the new tubes in.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
It looks like the tube pins could be running into those blue resistors.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
that looks dangerous
IMO measure the pins of the new tubes, and compare them to the spec for the 300B. If your new tube doesn't match the spec, then don't use them. If they do, then replace the sockets. Something is wrong here, and I wouldn't be too fast to blame the sockets. If the tube base is way off the spec for the WE tube, I think the vendor needs to take it back. I would definitely not start taking apart the preamp and changing sockets just to accommodate off-spec tubes.
Edits: 03/09/21 03/09/21
PS Vane shows the same diagram for both their 300B and 300B WE replica. But in realty the replica is longer and actually to spec. The measurements concur with the OP's findings.
Aye ya yie!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
I appreciate all the good advice. I will try a spacer, and if that doesn't work I will remove the bottom cover of the preamp and see what's happening, and if that doesn't work I'll replace the sockets. Thanks to all.
I find it odd that a longer pin would pop out. Most 300B sockets are though hole. The length of the pin shouldn't matter.
Is there something in the way under the socket that is hitting the pins?.
I would have a look underneath before doing anything, and i certainly wouldn file the pins.
Dan Santoni
Whenever someone writes something of this nature now, I start looking for the "Like" button. Damn FB!
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
AFAF
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Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
.
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Maybe you could make a spacer like a washer to put below the base of the tube. Use something like an old plastic container cut into a circle then make 4 holes for the pins. Place between the tube base and the socket.
I agree. You can even use pieces of cardboard - easier to cut. You can also try the round plastic spacers you can get from home improvement stores. Find one that is the same outer diameter as the tube base and just use that - I don't think the exposed pins between the socket and spacer will do anything (arc/etc.), but if you're paranoid you can 'fill in' with cardboard.
Don't touch the tubes. Just change the socket for one that works.
So replacement is the answer, and replacing with an 'original' design like the above that has not bottom to the tube pin hole and any pin length will work.
I would be concerned about vibration from filing, and voiding the tube warranty.
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