) and am looking for a bit of information. I am wiring the PT heater wires to V5 pins 2 and 7. The wire is too thick to go through the holes in the pins. Do I need to separate the wires and run half through the hole, half on the outside of the post and then twist them together before soldering or is it o.k. to cut enough of the wire strands and then push the remaining wire through the hole and solder it to the pin? I tried cutting just enough to slip the wire through but it was so big that I couldn't get solder to effectively flow into the hole. Thanks for the help.PT Heater Wires Question
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Turk
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PT Heater Wires Question
So I started working on my 50 watt kit (oh yeah ) and am looking for a bit of information. I am wiring the PT heater wires to V5 pins 2 and 7. The wire is too thick to go through the holes in the pins. Do I need to separate the wires and run half through the hole, half on the outside of the post and then twist them together before soldering or is it o.k. to cut enough of the wire strands and then push the remaining wire through the hole and solder it to the pin? I tried cutting just enough to slip the wire through but it was so big that I couldn't get solder to effectively flow into the hole. Thanks for the help.
) and am looking for a bit of information. I am wiring the PT heater wires to V5 pins 2 and 7. The wire is too thick to go through the holes in the pins. Do I need to separate the wires and run half through the hole, half on the outside of the post and then twist them together before soldering or is it o.k. to cut enough of the wire strands and then push the remaining wire through the hole and solder it to the pin? I tried cutting just enough to slip the wire through but it was so big that I couldn't get solder to effectively flow into the hole. Thanks for the help.-
thousandshirts
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Re: PT Heater Wires Question
What, no "Hello, I'm Turk, and I'm an Ampaholic?" 
The wire is big on the Metro 50w PTs - it's not just your individual trafo. This is a common enough
question here and a good question at that. There is also a simple answer.
When you're trimming your wires for this connection, trim to length normally as you would to make it fit. Use your wire strippers to remove the outer jacket. Everybody can do this part, but then it gets difficult to ram it in the hole of the tube socket tab.
The suggested method to deal with this is to trim some more of the stranded wire pieces from the wire away. So, in addition to stripping the jacket off the wire, take a few of the outer strands of wire off as well. Just take them off a few at a time, carefully, and test to see when the remaining wire will fit in the hole. Remember to remove a little bit more than a snug fit, because you should tin the wire with a bit of solder before making the actual connection, and adding the solder to the wire will expand its dimensions a bit at that end.
Removing enough of the outer strands to get the wires in the hole will not affect the performance of your amplifier.
Try to remove the strands flush with where you cut the insulation off with your strippers.
When I do this (removing some outer strands) I remove the insulation with one setting on the wire strippers, and then I move down to the next smallest setting, and do the cut again in the same place, and then rotate the strippers around. In this way I sever just a few of the outermost strands.
Practice on a scrap bit of wire, and be careful. If you bend the strands back one by one and snip them individually you won't be left short, but if you use the wire strippers and are heavy handed, you might cut all the strands off, and be left with a wire that is 1/2" too short to reach your sockets
The wire is big on the Metro 50w PTs - it's not just your individual trafo. This is a common enough
question here and a good question at that. There is also a simple answer.
When you're trimming your wires for this connection, trim to length normally as you would to make it fit. Use your wire strippers to remove the outer jacket. Everybody can do this part, but then it gets difficult to ram it in the hole of the tube socket tab.
The suggested method to deal with this is to trim some more of the stranded wire pieces from the wire away. So, in addition to stripping the jacket off the wire, take a few of the outer strands of wire off as well. Just take them off a few at a time, carefully, and test to see when the remaining wire will fit in the hole. Remember to remove a little bit more than a snug fit, because you should tin the wire with a bit of solder before making the actual connection, and adding the solder to the wire will expand its dimensions a bit at that end.
Removing enough of the outer strands to get the wires in the hole will not affect the performance of your amplifier.
Try to remove the strands flush with where you cut the insulation off with your strippers.
When I do this (removing some outer strands) I remove the insulation with one setting on the wire strippers, and then I move down to the next smallest setting, and do the cut again in the same place, and then rotate the strippers around. In this way I sever just a few of the outermost strands.
Practice on a scrap bit of wire, and be careful. If you bend the strands back one by one and snip them individually you won't be left short, but if you use the wire strippers and are heavy handed, you might cut all the strands off, and be left with a wire that is 1/2" too short to reach your sockets
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Turk
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Re: PT Heater Wires Question
Thanks for the fast reply. I was worried that removing strands would have a negative impact.
Hello. I am Turk and I have an addiction. Hey - at least it is to gear.
Hello. I am Turk and I have an addiction. Hey - at least it is to gear.