gofar99 Messages: 1949 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, I believe before I replaced the sockets I would attempt to clean the pins. One thing that has worked for me is using de-oxit and a pipe cleaner (toothpicks can sometimes be used). Another trick is to get something like a really fine tip screwdriver (1mm or 1.5m tip) and push it into the pin sockets between the metal pin and side wall. Be really gentile as you want to "pinch" the connector and not squash it. Sometimes a pointed object like a needle can work . It depends on the construction of the pins. An alternative that might also work is to get some "socket savers" These are similar to tube bases but go between the tube and the original socket. The ones I have seen have slightly larger diameter pins and will make better contact in the existing socket than a tube would. Also verify that the tube pins are clean and not covered with oxide. That can be cleaned with steel wool, sand paper and so on.