Static electricity: Unique to Vinyl Systems?

Here in Minnesota, it can get pretty dry in the winter. But I never have pops from the turntable- ever.

To me it sounds like a bad ground so let's try a few things and see if I am right.

First, disconnect the tone arm cable from the preamp. Do you still get the ticking/popping?

If yes => problem with preamp. Bad tubes, bad ground or bad cable.

If no => the first thing to do is investigate how the 'table and arm are grounded. If the arm and 'table are not grounded together then you have your first place to look.

Let us know how things go.

RFI generally does not make clicking sounds. It really sounded like it was a preamp problem, and you seem to have confirmed that. I think you had bad luck with two preamps that both had problems. RFI is often accompanied by hum and buzzing sounds that come and go....

If the previous preamp employed a poor grounding scheme that is all it would take.