EMT 140 Plate Reverb Mechanics

[pinebox]

Looks like I have an EMT 140st plate with a bad transducer on it. One side works, the other is dead, and when I swap the contact return connectors on the back of the amp side to side the dead channel switches. I need to check the amp out 100% before doing this because there are 6 or 7 of them in a cramped room with only 10" between each so it would quite a project making room to get the sides off, and a lot of them stay in use every day. This brings me to my questions:

1: What is the name of the connector that comes back to the amp from the contact mics? I could test the return amp by making a new cable with one of these and simply feed it mic level signal, but I have no idea what this connector is called and the documents I have only refer to the Tuchel connector by name. This would simply be to triple check my troubleshooting, I am 90% sure I lost the contact mic.

2: How delicate are these microphone contact mounts to vibration? I suddenly have two separate 140st side go out on one side and the only thing I can think of is there was an earthquake recently, around the same time it was noticed. Is it feasible they could have fallen away from the plate?

Thank you.

 

[Evertide]

1: A picture would help

2: These microphone contacts moves when the plate is used...

 

[pinebox]

Fair enough, how about I reword it to ask have you ever seen one fall off or break its VC wires due to excessive physical movement?

Connector photo below.

 

[nielsk]

That is known as unobtainium!
Many have used peizo pickups to replace the originals with excellent results.
Some searching should yield results, if you can't find info I helped a friend with his a few years back, he may still have the info.
We rewound the plate driver coil as well...

 

[Rob Flinn]

You need modifications to the amps to use piezo pickups so that the amp is comfortable with the very high impedance of the piezo pick up.

 

[Evertide]

1: looks like a 4mm shielded-coaxial-plug => use unshielded and a separate ground...

2: have seen a 140 with broken clips , after hanging the plate and realigning the exciter , the mics worked fine...

Maybe the mic wires just broke...