[Amps] Repairing early Alpha Amp pushbutton switches

[Larry Dighera]

Hello Lon,

Thank you for this information.

Are you able to provide a link to the Walmart page that has the switches you
used?

Thanks again.

Best regards,
Larry
WB6BBB


On Mon, 19 Dec 2022 10:32:37 -0600, K5jv <k5jv at kingwoodcable.com> wrote:

>Greetings to all,
>
>       After a long search for a replacement for the  push-button switches in my  Alpha 78, I thought I had found them at, of all places, Walmart.  You can not just go pick them up.  You must order them online.   After a three week wait, the switches finally arrived.  They are the  modern version for the Alpha switch, but not an exact replacement for the 50 year old switches.  However, the internal switch contacts in the new switches are exact replacements for the contacts in the old switches.  These new contacts appear to be silver ( at least in color) plated.  The contacts in the old switches appear to be made of copper, or bronze, and, in my case, were badly pitted from nearly 50 years of use.
>
>       The new push-rod will slide into the old switch body but will not larch properly.  Two tiny contacts and springs are  attached to the internal push-rod. The springs and contacts must be removed from the new push-rod and installed on the old push-rod.  Do not cut any wires. Do not remove the small circuit board attached to the bottom of the switches.  Just remove the meters.  The entire switch assembly can then be unscrewed from the chassis and rotated up through the meter hole for relatively easy access. 
>
>       It is not an easy job, in fact, it was a very meticulous job for me.  If I can do it at 81, you youngsters should have no trouble.  It might take a little practice and I suggest you get a magnet on a stick to retrieve the tiny springs that will shoot all over the room.  Be careful, the springs are magnetic, the contacts are not.
>
>       The project is really worthwhile.  After several hours of quite meticulous work, the multi-meter switches on my Alpha 78 works like new     
>
>73 de Lon, K5JV
>281-795-1335
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