Audio Innovations series 300 mark 2

Hi
I wonder if someone can help me, I have had my amp for years, I’ve just cleaned inside the case but realised I need 2 new valves, a large and a smaller one. Forgive I’m I have no idea what size these are and where to purchase them from? Any ideas? Also do I just unscrew them and replace with new ones?
any help would be very much appreciated
Many thanks

Karen

 

The amplifier uses two ECL86 and half an ECC82 in each power amplifier channel, and an ECC83 in each phono section. Replacements can be found on line from Watford Valves, Colomor and other suppliers.

You DON'T unscrew the valves, but unplug them by pulling vertically on the valve.

Finally, are you sure you need new valves? What symptoms are you getting?

S

 

thank you so much for all your help, I’m on it, two of the valves are not working and I’m getting a lot of crackling when playing the cd player, it’s also only is working through one speaker

 

By 'valves not working' I'm assuming you mean that the heaters aren't glowing. That would indicate faulty valves, but if the amp is years old, it might just be corrosion on the valve pins. I suggest that first you pull out each valve and reinsert it a few times to clean the pins. Careful you don't bend them.

As to crackling, that could be the same fault, i.e. dirty valve pins, but could be indicative of other component failures. At that point, you really need to find a tech to have a look, as valve amps have dangerously high voltages and you need a certain amount of instrumentation to find the fault(s). Valve amps are simple beasts, there's not a lot of circuitry, but it does need some specialist knowledge and instruments.

Where are you located? I may be able to suggest a reasonably local tech.

S.

 

Thanks for that, I’ll start with taking them out, I’m in Leek in Staffordshire, probably a good idea for someone to service it maybe?

 

There's Jez (Arkless of this parish) who does just that sort of thing. He's in Northumberland, so not terribly local, but better than Suffolk.

You could send him a direct message unless he sees this and responds himself.

S.

 

I'm surely not the most local but I can take the job on if Karen was to pack it well and send it to me.

 

Flippin heck I think Suffolk is closer but my daughter lives up that way so I could possibly take it up, thanks for the referral