Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[David Dunlop]

Well, the plan had been to start the switch and socket contact cleaning next, for both the Remote Receiver and Main Set Receiver, but when I sat down and reviewed my project notes, I remembered a more important task needed to be done first. The big bakelite Socket, 7-Point on the back of the Remote Receiver had to be replaced. I had forgotten that earlier in the project I had discovered it had some sort of interior shorting issue and the Terminal Leaf Assembly for the ‘R’ circuit on the socket had been snapped off, which meant potential loose hardware rattling around inside the assembly. I had also noted that one lead on the S5A Relay Switch, mounted on the back of the Socket had broken free and another on the No. 7 terminal of the socket was close to coming off.

As shown in the first three photos of this Post, the Socket 7-Point on my backup receiver was minty and still sporting the original Terminal Identification label on the back of it. For comparison, the 4th photo is the sad looking Socket, 7-Point on the Remote Receiver. So the first phase of this task was to figure out how to carefully uninstall this Socket, undamaged, without making use of wire cutters at the very least, and hopefully not having to do any unsoldering either. It was going to be good practise sorting this all out on the backup receiver, as it was vitally important not to screw up any aspect of this work on the Remote Receiver.

The easy part was the first step: removal of the three countersunk slotted screws that secure the socket backing plate to the receiver chassis. Two are located at the top corners of the plate, attaching it to the upper chassis cross frame. The third is located in the bottom right corner of the backing plate, attaching it to a long support post. Once these screws are removed, the socket assembly will drop away from the chassis slightly, along its top edge.

At this point, it is important to remember one is dealing with 75 year old wiring that for the most part was stuffed into a particular position and has stayed that way largely undisturbed. Soldered connections can develop a degree of corrosion and the small bits of exposed wire at these soldered connections have grown comfortable sitting still. They may, or may not, react well to suddenly being tugged and twisted (as I eventually discovered). In order to create a little more manovering room to do further work behind the socket backing plate, you can carefully pull away part of the wiring shown in Photo 5, which has been tucked back between the large three capacitor mounting panel on the side of the chassis below the socket, and the chassis corner. That section of harness has only been laced up to the bottom of the cap panel. The wires you need to release are easy to identify and as they come free, the socket assembly will relax downward to allow you a good view behind it.

To be concluded.

David