Test lead repair/replace question.

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The easiest solution for you is to get new banana plugs and replace the  
broken one(s).  They are available at most electronic suppliers and Ebay.  
Just be sure to get the banana plugs that don't have the safety shroud  
around the plug...  they won't fit your meters.  If you're looking for a new  
set of leads, try these: 

The test lead kit from MCM looks pretty versatile.  Should work for you in a  
variety of situations.  
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/TENMA-21-550-/21-550.  I don't have  
one of these kits, so I can't vouch for their quality, but Tenma usually  
makes pretty good stuff. 
Also, look at Surplus Sales of Nebraska  
(http://www.surplussales.com/Equipment/TestEquipment/TestEquip-5.html) for  
item (WAA) 2140A/U. 
Parts Express has a basic test lead set  
http://www.parts-express.com/test-lead-set-with-insulated-banana-plugs--390-120. 
HMC Electronics http://www.hmcelectronics.com has a number of versatile test  
lead kits, although rather expensive. 

Happy Thanksgiving Day 
Dave M

About all you can do is put a new banana plug on the end of the lead. Life becomes exciting in a hurry when you have the probe on a 240 V,

30 A circuit and the plug falls out of the meter and starts swinging around. Most electronics suppliers stock suitable banana plugs. Pomona (see below) is a well-known manufacturer and has drawings for most of their parts, so you can compare them to the ones that you have to find one that will likely fit. The part search on Pomona's site kind of sucks, though... it's easier to use the search at Digi-Key or Mouser, and then if they don't have a link to the drawing, go back to Pomona's site to find it.

It should be.

Pomona has nice test leads, and lots of nifty clips and grabbers and things that work with them. Rat Shock has a couple of sets that you can at least look at before you buy. A local electronics distributor may have a few sets that you can look at, but the prices may or may not be reasonable.

This. Most lead sets have these now. You can *probably* cut off the plastic shroud on the plugs and get it to work.

Note that you can go the other way: an unshrouded plug *will* fit most newer meters and other equipment that expects a shrouded plug. It's not as "safe", but you're sticking test probes into live equipment in the first place...

Pomona still has a few lead sets that don't have the shroud: 5309A,

5325A, 5672A. $15 to $30 at Mouser and other suppliers.

If you want it today, Rat Shock has an $8 set (278-708) and a fancier $19 set (278-038). You'll have to cut the shroud off of the plugs on both of these; one reviewer of the cheap set says they did that and it worked.

I bought the $8 set, or its predecessor, at Radio Shack several years ago as a replacement for one of my handheld DMMs, and it works OK. It didn't have all the safety approval markings actually on the leads, so if you're using them where somebody will care about that, you might want another set.

You can also buy probes that have banana jacks in the ends (Pomona

5689A, 6232A, 6479), and then make or buy test leads of whatever length you want with banana plugs on each ead.

Matt Roberds

Hi Dave and Matt,

Thanks for all the links and info. Looks like the Pomona, solderless banana jack,

will do the trick. Mouser has them in stock.

I did notice that the original Simpson test leads that I have use a 10.5 mm banana plug whereas the one that came with the Triplett meter is 14 mm. The Pomona plug is a 14 mm plug as well.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA

I have to old meters that need test leads. One is a Simpson 464-2. The other is a Triplett 630-APL. The tip of the red test lead shown here in the center of the photo,

has broken off. I can push it back into its correct place but as soon as I remove the test lead from the meter's receptacle, for example to change it from voltage to current input, the tip remains in the receptacle and I have to fish it out. I don't suppose there's a nifty way to fix this, is there?

The large plug on the far right of the photo came with the Triplett meter when I acquired it. It will fit into the Simpson meter but the plugs at the end of the Simpson test leads are too short to make a good connection into the Triplett meter.

Is it possible to get a pair of test leads that would fit either meter? Do you have a preference for a supplier of these leads?

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for your reply.

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David Farber 
Los Osos, CA 



You could put the springy part of the banana plug into the lead connector  
and try soldering it right where they meet.  You will probably have to clean  
the metal surfaces with some abrasive first to get the solder to wet and  
hold. 

I used to repair test lead sets many years ago for customers. 


Shaun

Do not reply below the tagline separator ( --) or yoyr reply can't be read and replied to by many newsreaders.

And if possible, get a newsreader which can properly mark quotes.

Leif

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Husk kørelys bagpå, hvis din bilfabrikant har taget den idiotiske  
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