Tip : Beefing up 1/4 inch jack sockets

The notorious problem with band/stage amps, the guitar/mike leads making poor contact inside the sockets. For anyone saying replace, move to another thread. I don't see the point in replacing with much the same, that will also weaken at the bend, over a few years of use. The tip contact has to repeatedly lift over the tip and then drop down into the groove. The ring contact/s don't have to do this so rarely a problem there. Coupled with more "leveraged" movement at the tip with lead tugging. Requirements some 2mm silicone rubber cord from a fishing/angling supply shop Hama/Perler/Pearler beads about 2.5mm internal bore, (small coloured plastic rings) for making "mosaics" on a sort of pegboard from kids/craft shops Bit of looped copper wire as a "needle threader" Artery forceps, again from an angling shop, or similar tool. Thin nose pliers Assuming chassis mounted , then cut a piece of cord 100mm long. For pcb mounted ones then about 120mm and suitable 4x 2.5mm holes drilled through the board. Being rubber you can safely deill through a track or two if constricted space (caution if for speaker sockets). No need to desolder any wires. Pics below are against 1mm square graph paper.

formatting link
First one takes about 10 minutes to complete and about 5 minutes each, when familiar, for the chassis mount socket type. First shows the "needle threading" action. Second is the main assembly, thread 2 beads onto the doubled-up cord leaving a loop. Place a third bead in this loop and pull the tails to tighten in place. Place in orientation over the contact as in the pic. Take one tail around the pin edge furthest from the mounting panel, under the socket and back up the other side of the other pin. Grab this tail with pliers, 10mm back from the free end, and slide through the bead in the loop, the cord will be under a bit of tension. Anchor the free end with forceps. Lace the other tail to form a cross under the socket Reuse the threader , pushed through the bead in the loop. Trap the free end of the second tail in the threader, a few mm back, and pull back through the bead.

2 such pieces of cord will anchor themselves quite well in a bead but to be sure, balance up the 2 free tail ends and anchor both together with the forceps, while finishing off. You can then pull the bead through the loop to its final locked in position. Position all the sections of cord and top beads so near enough equal tension throughout. Remove the forceps and melt a spot of hot melt glue between the 2 tail ends The insertion and pulling-out force for any 1/4 inch plugs is then noticably greater and much more reliable contact in use. Makesure the hot-melt or beads are not near any hot components when reassembled. And guitarists can throw away those cans of contact spray

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

formatting link

Reply to
N Cook
Loading thread data ...

That's actually a good idea. I've seen many problems with those kind of jacks over the years. The are especially vulnerable when used in stomp boxes and other stuff on the floor.

Reply to
Meat Plow

weaken

into

tugging.

plastic

drilled

two

when

leaving

under

through

be

position.

tension

ends

noticably

My guitarist clientele are much approving of the technoque although it seems somewhat crude, but then the action of these sockets is pretty crude. A bit more clarification I missed out. The bead in the loop is placed at the "hinge" end of the contact. The outside diameter of the bead/s size chosen seems to move easily in the gap in the moulding of the socket for all the ones I've tried it on, mono and stereo. Some people may think that the socket shown has a carbon insert as contact, not the case, a dimple that the lighting suggests is black.

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

formatting link

Reply to
N Cook

^ | | That would be a good name for a band ;-)

Regards,

Michael

Reply to
msg

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.