5150 Preamp Tube...

[Nimitz]

The middle preamp tube out of 5 preamp tubes on my 5150 is not seating very well and sometimes making a god awful hum... what is the solution to seat it properly or can I use the amp without this middle preamp tube?

[Grandturk]

You can't use the amp without the tube. Have you tried pulling it out and putting it back in? The connectors are pretty forgiving from a "perfect alignment" stndpoint.

[Twitch]

Some of them just rock if the tube isnt flat on the bottom. Buy a new tube, like $12.

[Nimitz]

You can't use the amp without the tube. Have you tried pulling it out and putting it back in? The connectors are pretty forgiving from a "perfect alignment" stndpoint.

+1 seems to have worked for now...

[Nimitz]

Well I sprayed some carb cleaner into a cup and dipped a toothpick in the solution and gently cleaned the holes for the tube prongs and almost all the hum is gone now...

[DonP]

Well I sprayed some carb cleaner into a cup and dipped a toothpick in the solution and gently cleaned the holes for the tube prongs and almost all the hum is gone now...

Flamable carb cleaner in a tube socket that gets hot and high voltages floating around for sparks? Ok so you didn't use too much but it's not the correct stuff to use.

Radio Shack make electronic component cleaner for cleaning tube sockets, scratch pots, etc.

[Nimitz]

What I really used was a Multi use Lube for metal... I thought about it getting hot and all used very little and let it dry before I turned the amp on... I don't have money to burn on stuff every time I want to do something so I use what I have around the garage... in the end most cleaners are all petroleum anyway so I don't see a big problem with it.