Radio W4KAZ

Thanks for stopping by the virtual KazShack. Feel free to comment - I often approve them.

This Should Be Obvious

Sometimes common sense is everything but common.  Just never can find the right adapters when hooking everything back together.

Case in point: It is a lot easier to use 1/8th(3.5mm) stereo plugs, and use an adapter to go up in size to 1/4 inch.   Going from large to small just adds stress to the connections.  The smaller size is also becoming the more commonly used jack on gear as the gear itself becomes smaller.  Soldering the teensy connectors is more of a PITA, but such is life.

Just as soon chop all of the paddle and keyer plugs now – almost all of the shack radio gear has 1/8th jacks now.  But the peripherals seem to all still have 1/4 plugs.

Another fun fact: It’s easier to use all stereo connectors than a mix of stereo and mono.  A stereo plug can be wired tip and shell for mono usage, but a mono plug is worthless when you need stereo.   So to hell with mono 1/8th and 1/4 audio connectors.  They are banished forevermore from the KazShack.

Soldering Tip: When soldering RCA, 1/8th or 1/4 plugs, it is worthwhile heat sinking the connector, especially with low-quality connectors.  The easiest way is to just plug them into a jack.  That seems to provide enough sinking, unless you really try to cook them.  This seems to really be helpful with RCA connections, where the center pin will sometimes drift if the connector is overheated.  Using an RCA barrel as heat sink allows a melted connection to re-solidify correctly aligned.  Good to go, unless it shorted when overcooked.

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