Where can I buy replacement test lead probes?

I've been playing around with electronics for around 50 years. In the old days, test lead probes had tips that screw into the probe insulator (the part you hold). Those old ones were easy to fix, just unscrew the tip, solder the wire on and screw it back in.

The test leads sold today are all molded in, and when the wire comes off (which it will), the whole lead needs to be replaced. That's assinine. Not to mention very incovenient, because I have to keep a spare set of leads on hand, or cant use my meter till I buy more leads.

Someone must still sell the replacement (reusable) probes? Does anyone know where to buy them? I looked on Radio Shack website, and it appears they dont sell them anymore, just complete sets of leads, which appear to have the molded probes on the ends.

Reply to
Jeff
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** Look on Ebay.

Multimeter leads start at $2 a pair including postage from HK.

High quality pairs & sets cost few dollars extra.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

I've not seen any of those in years. Even new make Simpson meters have completely molded leads, although they still look pretty old.

I do have a set of Radio Shack coiled test leads that come apart, but they're long discontinued and must have been from no later than the early

1990s.
Reply to
Cydrome Leader

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http://www.orvac.com/ShowItem/132155%20Solderless%20Test%20Probe%20Red.aspx 

http://www.intertexelectronics.com/Philmore-912J-Solderless-Test-Prods-4-Long-Red-Handle-P9049.aspx 
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Reply to
John Fields

On 2014-03-26, snipped-for-privacy@theshop.com wrote: [meter probes]

I got mine from pc-global (Altronics) these have a ring-nut on the tip that anchors the wire no solderiong required.

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Reply to
Jasen Betts

I have an old Heathkit FET DMM that has that style.

I don't do this for a living, but I think I have managed to kill one set of molded DMM test leads in 20 years. That set was on a meter that I used to work on trucks with, so they were more exposed than usual to sharp edges, hot things, getting doors shut on them, etc. That's an acceptable attrition rate to me.

I think Keystone used to have them, but they don't appear to any more.

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Pomona still sells test probes in many styles, but I don't know if they have the one you are after. Their Web site is fairly horrible; you pretty much have to look at several nearly-identical images to find what you want.

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I think some of this is driven by safety regulations; there appears to be a desire to make it harder to touch high voltages. Witness how most handheld DMMs for 15 years or more have been coming with the shrouded banana plugs on the test leads. I don't *know*, but I get the impression that it started as an EU thing, and the manufacturers just ship EU-compliant test leads everywhere, to make the logistics easier.

I've seen directions for a multimeter that say "for over X volts, do not hold leads in hand - turn off power, connect leads, turn on power, take reading, turn off power, remove leads." There are probably as many as five people in the world who have followed those directions.

Matt Roberds

Reply to
mroberds

I dont doubt that a million (so called) "safety rules + regulations" are now required by law. However, I also believe it's a sign of the times too. We live in a disposible society. Rather than fix something, you just toss it and buy another one. It's just like razors. When I was young, you'd replace the razor blade. Now you toss the entire razor.

I took the molded test probe, grabbed the tip with a vice grips, and pulled the tip out. There was no solder on it at all. It appears that the wire was just wrapped to it and molded into the plastic. In other words CHEAP JUNK. But this is on a cheap multimeter which I bought for automotive use, to keep my good meter from getting all gunky. The problem is that for automotive use, you need to stretch out the leads much further and since the wire inside the leads is real flimsy, it didn't take long for it to just pull out of the probe. But I suppose I may as well get new probes and fix it. Only this time I'm gonna wrap electrical tape around the wire and probe to prevent straining the wires.

The fact the wires were never even soldered to the tip shows just how cheaply made this thing is.

I'd consider buying a whole new set of leads, and a better quality set, since they can be used on any meters, but if all they sell are molded ones, I'd rather buy all the parts, and use a decent wire, and make my own. I may even use some stranded #14 house wire, which will hold up much better for automotive use.

Reply to
Jeff

Do not use ordinary household wire. Use MTW minimum instead, much more flexible. Using proper instrument led wire would be better yet, even more flexible.

?-)

Reply to
josephkk

Every place I've shopped recently that sells shaving products (Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreen's, Hy-Vee) sells a selection of razors with replaceable blades. Granted, the blades aren't just a piece of steel anymore - there is some molded plastic around them - but you can buy a handle and a pack of blades to fit it, just like old times.

If you want you can also buy a pack of disposable razors, where the blade can't be changed. The main use case I can think of for these is when somebody is traveling and has forgotten their usual razor at home. People who don't need to shave very much (genes or age) might be another.

Is the cheap meter from Harbor Freight Tools?

14 AWG THHN stranded requires written notice before it will bend around a corner. I suspect that wire would end up dragging the meter around.

For me, the very best test lead wire is the highly-stranded rubber- insulated stuff. I have some of that wire on a DC power supply that I built in about 1990 and it's still going strong. There is a plastic- insulated equivalent that is almost as good; Radio Shock (used to?) have it on small spools.

If I was going to use some other wire for a meter test lead, and I never wanted to measure current with it, I might look for some TST/TPT/ shaver cord. It's pretty flexible, but only 27 AWG. It's also rated for at least 120 V AC, in case the meter gets used for something else.

For use around a car, I might look for some cross-linked SXL, GXL, or TXL wire, in the right gauge and as finely stranded as I could get it. A lot of the wiring harness already installed on the car is this kind of wire. This wire is probably only rated to 30 volts or so. It will work at 120 volts but I don't know how much above that I would trust it.

Matt Roberds

Reply to
mroberds

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#14 stranded house wire is stiff enough that it's not a good idea. 

If you want to build your own solderless probes, you could start 
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Reply to
John Fields

the stuff they use inside walls is way too stiff, you can get wire for meter probes with soft insulation and fine strands

The local "Powerbase" electrician's supply has a roll of red and a roll of blask from which they will sell cut lenghts to walk-in customers.

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Reply to
Jasen Betts

I've been playing around with electronics for around 50 years. In the old days, test lead probes had tips that screw into the probe insulator (the part you hold). Those old ones were easy to fix, just unscrew the tip, solder the wire on and screw it back in.

The test leads sold today are all molded in, and when the wire comes off (which it will), the whole lead needs to be replaced. That's assinine. Not to mention very incovenient, because I have to keep a spare set of leads on hand, or cant use my meter till I buy more leads.

Someone must still sell the replacement (reusable) probes? Does anyone know where to buy them? I looked on Radio Shack website, and it appears they dont sell them anymore, just complete sets of leads, which appear to have the molded probes on the ends.

Just Fix them!!

18 years ago I used to work at an industrial and instrumentation electronics repair shop. I used to repair test leads; the ones with moulded ends could be fixed by putting the handle in a vice and heating the probe end with a soldering iron to soften the plastic, then pull out the metal tip. I would resolder the wire to the probe end, heat the whole thing up again and re-insert it back into the handle, sometimes I would have to reshape the plastic at the tip. I would repair Dielectric strength tester leads / probes that way, which were quite expensive to purchase and this way the customer would not have to wait for them to be shipped to us (~three weeks). I've done this with DMM test leads too.

Shaun

Reply to
Shaun

He needs real test lead wire, which can be found all over the place..

and average of 15 bucks/50Ft..

most of it in the neighborhood of 65 or so strands at ~ 36 awg.

The insulation is a very soft flexible PVC.

Years ago the company I work for used to make the John Fluke test lead wire. I remember the lab had about 500,000 feet of RED that was not properly color mixed and so it wasn't the org/red that fluke used and got rejected.

But the company managed to find a buyer that actually payed more for it than fluke contracted it for. They remade the Fluke RED which had a matching BLACK wire of 500,000 ft.

a few of the color rejected reels were squirreled away for a rainy day :)

Jamie

Reply to
Maynard A. Philbrook Jr.

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