JTC
PFM Villager...
Hi all.
I am strongly considering re-routing the heater wire in my amp and to do so will probably be easier if I remove the input stages, which involves de-soldering power and signal wires. So, while I'm in there it would seem daft not to also replace the signal caps (the resistors all seem to measure well within spec) as they're nothing particularly fancy, and Vishay type replacements are fairly affordable.
So I'm looking for tips about replacing the caps. Assume that I know to fully discharge first, and that I have basic soldering skills. I plan to do some practice runs to brush up on those skills, but I am guessing there may be advice that I can follow to make this easier and/or minimise any risks.
One thing I want to do first is get the necessary bits. I've sourced caps, so all I think I really need now is to decide on what kind of solder is best. I have some Draper SW2 which I think is lead-free modern stuff - it's about 15 years old, and the label is largely worn but I will assume that it's new enough to be lead-free, and I believe consensus is to avoid lead-free if longevity and reliability are important (they are). The other type of solder I have is silver solder, in thin stick form. Actually my wife's for stained glass work, so I will assume that it's probably not much use for this purpose. Would I be right in thinking it's quite tricky to get decent lead solder these days, or is it simply a matter of paying more? I don't need a lot - there are 9 axial caps that I plan to replace - but a specific recommendation would be useful.
Second thing is whether axial caps have any particular tips for attaching their ends - twisting, prepping, whatever - that might be useful to know. The input stage is kinda cramped and I'd like to leave as much of it alone as possible, which means working in fairly close proximity to other components. I've attached a pic of what I'm dealing with (x2):
My first thoughts were to de-solder the heater, dc, earth and signal wires so that I can unbolt the entire 'tray', but I may also need to then remove the valve bases as well, which will get complicated. I reckon I could do all the work except recap the top two caps without removing the tray, but to get at those particular caps so might involve de-soldering that four-way connection block, which might be fiddly itself.
On the plus side, I have time and patience. On the down side, middle-aged eyesight and this is something I've not done before. I could pay someone to do this for me, providing the caps etc., but I don't really know anyone locally who could. And I don't want to send the amp away....
I am strongly considering re-routing the heater wire in my amp and to do so will probably be easier if I remove the input stages, which involves de-soldering power and signal wires. So, while I'm in there it would seem daft not to also replace the signal caps (the resistors all seem to measure well within spec) as they're nothing particularly fancy, and Vishay type replacements are fairly affordable.
So I'm looking for tips about replacing the caps. Assume that I know to fully discharge first, and that I have basic soldering skills. I plan to do some practice runs to brush up on those skills, but I am guessing there may be advice that I can follow to make this easier and/or minimise any risks.
One thing I want to do first is get the necessary bits. I've sourced caps, so all I think I really need now is to decide on what kind of solder is best. I have some Draper SW2 which I think is lead-free modern stuff - it's about 15 years old, and the label is largely worn but I will assume that it's new enough to be lead-free, and I believe consensus is to avoid lead-free if longevity and reliability are important (they are). The other type of solder I have is silver solder, in thin stick form. Actually my wife's for stained glass work, so I will assume that it's probably not much use for this purpose. Would I be right in thinking it's quite tricky to get decent lead solder these days, or is it simply a matter of paying more? I don't need a lot - there are 9 axial caps that I plan to replace - but a specific recommendation would be useful.
Second thing is whether axial caps have any particular tips for attaching their ends - twisting, prepping, whatever - that might be useful to know. The input stage is kinda cramped and I'd like to leave as much of it alone as possible, which means working in fairly close proximity to other components. I've attached a pic of what I'm dealing with (x2):
My first thoughts were to de-solder the heater, dc, earth and signal wires so that I can unbolt the entire 'tray', but I may also need to then remove the valve bases as well, which will get complicated. I reckon I could do all the work except recap the top two caps without removing the tray, but to get at those particular caps so might involve de-soldering that four-way connection block, which might be fiddly itself.
On the plus side, I have time and patience. On the down side, middle-aged eyesight and this is something I've not done before. I could pay someone to do this for me, providing the caps etc., but I don't really know anyone locally who could. And I don't want to send the amp away....
