So I bought 20 1/4" 'Stereo' connectors and they just arrived. I bought them because they were 40¢ each, and therefore if they didn't work it is no big deal and if they do work then it is an amazing deal. They just arrived, Straight Outta China as expected, and none of them have a functioning right channel.

Any chance it is the way I am hooking them up and not the connectors themselves? If not help me with mourning the loss of my $8 lol

Things I've already ruled out:

• The alligator clips are fine and working
• My 1/4" cables are working
• The right channel in my headphones are working

 

And do you have any sort of schematic showing how you hooked them up?

 

Without having at least a picture of how things are hooked up it's just a guessing game. A schematic of the actual hook up would help as well.

 

At 40 cents each how can you be out eight dollars? My guess is two plugs or two sockets (whatever you have) are not likely both bad. A picture of what you have and how they are connected would be nice.

Ron

 

--Update--

As per request a picture of the hook up, my bad for not including this in the original post.

At 40 cents each how can you be out eight dollars?

Ron

20 * 0.4 = $8

 

Now I get the $8.00.

Your green should be common, the tip and first ring should be R and L channels. Pretty sure it should go that way.

Ron

 

Now I get the $8.00.

Your green should be common, the tip and first ring should be R and L channels. Pretty sure it should go that way.

Ron

Tip is actually left and Ring is right. Sleeve is a common ground (as you said). This is where my concern is, unless something is strange about these connectors I am pretty sure they aren't any good . I am still hopeful for someone will post that I am a complete idiot and tell me I need to hook them up differently, I waited a month for these and I'd rather it not be for nothing...

Have a couple more things from this company on their way, RCA connectors and a 3PDT switch, I'll check them once they arrive. If they are also garbage I learned an inexpensive lesson about products from China, if they are good I will make a couple cables to convert RCA to 1/4".

 

How could they screw up connectors? Then too, I won't even ask. If you are sure you have good signals it is hard to imagine a 1/4" plug not working. Guess you could ring the plug out with an ohmmeter?

Ron

 

Does your jack feel good and solid when you put it in?

 

Upon inspecting the jacks, it appears all of them share the same issue. The ring pin (the pin for right audio) appears it lines up with the band rather than the conductor. This would checkout with the issue since that pin doesn't seem to be doing anything at all... I am going to saw 1 open (RIP 40¢) to see if I can get a good look at what is going on.

How could they screw up connectors? Then too, I won't even ask. If you are sure you have good signals it is hard to imagine a 1/4" plug not working. Guess you could ring the plug out with an ohmmeter?

Ron

Wish I knew where it was. My best guess would be it is in a shed in the backyard, so I wouldn't be able to get to it until tomorrow. I may just ask my boss if he has one (he likely does) and then I'd be able to check them tomorrow without searching for mine. Thanks for the suggestion.

Does your jack feel good and solid when you put it in?

If you mean does the jack complete the connection? Yes it does. It actually completely plugs into all 20 of them.

 

I'd test for continuity with a multimeter. No offense, but you should eliminate as many issues as possible and those alligator clips and wires add a question mark to your tests.

 

Well, I fixed 1 of the remaining 19. I figured out how to disassemble them and I bent the right channel pin very slightly, just enough that it makes a contact with the ring. This 100% fixed the issue.

China's QC is amazing haha. Now, just another 18 connectors to disassemble, bend and then reassemble. Sigh

 

So much for the low price.

 

So much for the low price.

40¢ per connector and a night of bending right channels vs $8 per connector locally. I miss radio shack man...

 

Trouble is, Radio Shack was also selling the 40¢ connector. OK maybe they weren't that bad, but I was disappointed that they cut corners towards the end. I have a lot of stuff I bough there that's still in use, though.