1/4 inch socket, back nuts (black plastic)

Of course you can make a reliable jack socket if you are prepared to pay the money for one. The days of over engineered gear that will last decades is over. What we are dealing with right now, in the 21st century, is gear that is incredibly cheap to manufacture and purchase, and will probably no longer be wanted after a couple of years' use. That is what the public want. And that is a great situation for most of the cash strapped musicians out there who want to have a bit of fun on the cheap. They are largely quite happy with a 50p jack socket that will last a lifetime given appropriate care, or a year or so with abuse, cos it means they can afford to buy the gear in the first place. And if they do want to keep it past that first year or two, it will cost them a quid for the part and an hours labour, which will hopefully include a service, and it will carry on working for another year or two.

Gareth.

That wasn't the question.

Graham

Yes, I may even still have some of those kicking around. Yes, they are Cliff I think. Don't know what the material was but it looked sort of 'welded' onto the blade and had a matt finish. As long as I do have some I could have it analysed and they'll be old enough to know what the reliability is like with zero service use in about 30 years.

Hah, and Re-an also gold-plated their blades for a while too.

Didn't telephone jacks use rhodium or some such plating ? I dare say WEEE would have fits at such ideas.

Ah, well if I manage to wangle my way into this possibility (mention nothing to no-one btw !), I may be the one taking those decisions at least at a senior tech level.

Yeah, but it's crap to have to do that innit - know what I mean ?

Graham

Interesting idea. I have some colleagues with excellent contacts at the very top there.

Graham

You mean 10cent.

It's not difficult to do 'critical failure analysis' on any part and improve the weakest parts at minimal expense.

It just simply hasn't been done because of the throw-away and/or 'make-do' attitude. Maybe a make/break jack better engineered will cost a extra 5 cents but if it lasts 10 years instead of 2 or 3, the value for the brand will be inestimable.

Graham

service

But the blades were thin and easily bent upwards losing contact pressure with the plug, I think those were the ones similar to the Cliff`s but with a proper metal nut.

tech

Well, you shouldn't have to do it, but then again, you shouldn`t have to replace a jack socket after 12 months cos it`s a crappy design.

Remember the old Bulgin skeleton ones? Now they _were_ reliable - providing you used Bulgin's funny plugs.

Ron(UK)

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Then I would estimate just those minimally extra-cost changes would rid perhaps 80- percent of normal use failures in the first 5 years of use, as distinct from abnormal abuses, shorted speaker leads, being dropped etc.

But then all they have to concern themselves is getting the "QC" down tight enough/lenient enough, to make sure they don't get returns in the first year warranty period.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

The simplest solution is the best. A number of different type and makes of chassis switches, push and toggle types, with plastic rear protrusions, have metal back nuts that are coarse threads, that match these 1/4 inch front protruding socket threads. Metal rather than plastic nuts, nothing wrong with that.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on