Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => AmpTools/Tech Tips => Topic started by: vacuous on October 15, 2025, 04:27:10 pm

Title: Substitution box rotary switch question: Shorting vs non-shorting
Post by: vacuous on October 15, 2025, 04:27:10 pm

I'm rehabbing a Heathkit resistor substitution box and a Heathkit capacitor substitution box.  Both have bad switches and it looks like the original switches are shorting but all I can find is non-shorting NOS switches with the correct number of positions.  Am I risking anything more than noise and/or popping with the non-shorting switches?

Title: Re: Substitution box rotary switch question: Shorting vs non-shorting
Post by: Merlin on January 23, 2026, 09:42:58 am

Non shorting should be fine. You just have to remember when using the boxes that "this circuit will go open for a moment when I turn the switch". But that's a pretty normal expectation when operating any switch.