Test lead repair/replace question.

[David Farber]

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,
http://webpages.charter.net/mrfixiter/images/Test_leads/Test-leads.jpg

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.

 

[[email protected]]

David Farber wrote:

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.

Just be sure to get the banana plugs that don't have the safety shroud
around the plug... they won't fit your meters.

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.

http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5309a_101.pdf
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5325a_100.pdf
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5672a_101.pdf

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.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102874
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11931581

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

 

[David Farber]

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.

http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5309a_101.pdf
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5325a_100.pdf
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d5672a_101.pdf

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.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102874
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11931581

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, http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d1825-4897-4899-6545_101.pdf 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.

 

[Shaun]

"David Farber" wrote in message
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,
http://webpages.charter.net/mrfixiter/images/Test_leads/Test-leads.jpg

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.

--
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

 

[Leif Neland]

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