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Hi,I just received my Walker SST package and after reading the instructions numerous times, I still have a couple of questions.
1. When treating the female RCAs should you only cover 1/2 length of the RCA or the whole RCA?
2. When treating the speaker connections, is it OK to treat the contact area of the speaker binding posts? The instructions only mention treating the spades or bananas.Any information would be apprecited.
Thanks
Tom
Follow Ups:
Thanks for all the input guys. Looks like rain all weekend here in So. Cal. A good day to do this project.Tom
On your binding posts, also unscrew the binding posts nuts and apply SST to the threads.
Steven, I'm not sure I see the value of applying SST to the binding post threads. The contact between the spade lugs and the posts is the electrical interface. I'm very reluctant to spread SST anywhere it doesn't need to be due to its high conductivity and how easy it is to get it transferred by contact to where it doesn't belong - Lloyd has drilled that point into my hard head. However, I'd be very interested in hearing about any comparitive listening test you've done between "applied to the threads" and not.
Yeah, the stuff does go where it shouldn't! I was on the phone with a well known tube amp/pre-amp manufacturer recently and he mentioned that they have seen amps coming back with problems after folks have put SST on their tube sockets.It seems that SST has a way of running down and shorting out between pins, which burns resistors and other parts inside.
Word to the warning: Do not use SST or Mapleshade's silver contact enhancer on your tube pins!
"problems after folks have put SST on their tube sockets."One would need to be a moron to put SST on tube sockets. Really a dum thing to do.
Putting it on tube pins is another matter.
"It seems that SST has a way of running down and shorting out between pins, which burns resistors and other parts inside."
I've had SST on my tube pins on BOTH my SET amps, that run very hot, for a bit over a year now.
It does not run AT ALL under high temperature. Zero.
I suspect anyone who has such a problem isn't applying SST correctly. When I posted a year ago about how good it is on tube pins, I very specifically said you must only apply a light coat over the top HALF of the pins only.
If doing that, as opposed to a sloppy big coat over the whole pin, it will be no problem.
Or if you do apply SST, be sure to follow the directions and use only a very minimal coating and only on 1/2 of the tube pins. The SST should always look like a thin paint coat, not a pasted surface.Jack, I can't comment on Silclear, but I do know that as of three weeks ago Lloyd Walker had not received any reports of problems with SST on tube pins like the one you describe. I'd think if this were happening, people would be calling him about it, and he tells me that no one has.
I didn't ask which of the two similar products caused the tube pin shorts, the amp/pre-amp manufacturer only mentioned that it was the silver conductive film material that is popular now.It is possible that the end user who mis-used the product may be too embarrassed to call Lloyd and make issue with it. I know that if I had caused damage that was my fault, I wouldn't call Mapleshade or Walker. I can't imagine too many folks calling and admitting they screwed up ...
All I know is that I'm not using it on my tube pins.
Thanks for the clarification, Jack. The Walker SST uses a different carrier agent than the Silclear and much less likely to move with heat from where it is applied.Still, your caution about the use of any of these contact enhancers is well grounded.
The nut on the binding post is what makes the pressure contact with the speaker cable spade.The threads are what makes contact between the nut and the binding posts.
I first read about this SST application from John Cassler over at Audio Circles. I have all cardas binding posts (amps & speakers) and noticed a nice improvement after the application.
Steven, just to help me get clear: did you listen with SST on just the spade lug contact at the binding posts and not on the threads and then compare that to applying SST to the threads in addition?
.
Yes, SST was first applied to just speaker able spades. Later on I read about applying it to the threads of the binding posts. Was a positive improvement for me.
Thanks for the clarification, Steven. Given your experience, I'll try this.
Tom, the main issue is not to apply too much; you only need to "paint" on a very thin coating. When you push the RCA connectors together, the contact will slide the SST along the rest of the pin or sleeve. So, you don't need to coat the entire outer sleeve of the female RCA jack, just the first one-half to two-thirds will do fine.For spade lug speaker connections, I applied a very light coating to both surfaces: both sides of the spade lug and the contact area of the speaker binding post. Again, don't over do the amount of SST material that you lay on and you'll be fine.
For banana plugs, just apply to the banana plug and don't try to apply anything to the female connector on the speaker.
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