So my question to the AAC collective wisdom is: do you have any specific suggestions for high value test leads where price, performance, and longevity beat the Pomonas?
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I have too, but that really just pushes the question off to the choice of wire, banana plugs, and clips. I am not averse to making my own, it's just not seemed to be a winning proposition on value after the cost of materials. If you have some ideas for manufacturers/suppliers that make it better, I am all... eyes.In the past I have purchased a spool of black & red test lead wire and made my own up, specific lengths and ends etc.
There are things worth saving a buck on. Cheap test leads are IMO not one of them.I have too, but that really just pushes the question off to the choice of wire, banana plugs, and clips. I am not averse to making my own, it's just not seemed to be a winning proposition on value after the cost of materials. If you have some ideas for manufacturers/suppliers that make it better, I am all... eyes.
I agree, hence my question. But I don't think fabricating them myself would necessarily lead to an inferior product. I've been known to make some really excellent cables (of all sorts), and I do enjoy it, but in this case I don't feel the enjoyment is enough to go through the trouble if I can find something manufactured for a similar price.There are things worth saving a buck on. Cheap test leads are IMO not one of them.
I've been ordering all kinds of stuff like this recently, because I've just started setting up a serious electronics workshop for the first time in years.
View attachment 258364 So I feel the time has come to invest some money in additional and possibly better test leads. By this I mean standard banana-to-clip type leads with various sorts of clips. For years I have used Pomona products which are excellent but exceedingly expensive. I still have some Pomona banana to minigrabber leads, but over the years things have been lost, "borrowed", and broken so I am down to only a few. These are about $20USD a set, which isn't outrageous, but can I do better? View attachment 258365 I also want to get some heavier gauge leads with different clips for power supplies. I also have used Pomona products for these, but again, the cost seems high at $7USD each. One more thing I need are good alligator to alligator leads. I don't tend to melt them as I have seen some do so I don't treat them as disposable. Still, once again, I would prefer not to pay the Pomona tax if it's not necessary.
So my question to the AAC collective wisdom is: do you have any specific suggestions for high value test leads where price, performance, and longevity beat the Pomonas?
Wow, it exists! I also never heard of Pomona!Almost, but not quite: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/pomona-electronics/4945-K-18/737054
Seems to be more demand for this version. I did see a few homemade cables like yours. If I wanted to make that connection i'd have to use either my one of my male BNC to micrograbbers cables connected to a pair of short Dupont jumpers or a BNC male-to-male cable terminated in a female BNC to micrograbbers adapter on a pair of Duponts.
Yes, Pomona is basically the leads no one gets fired for buying.I guess Pomona are the choice for non hobby needs, serious professional work where consistency and robustness are absolutely essential, the stuff on Amazon seems fine for me and my needs but I guess in a serious production setting one could get fired for buying cheap stuff!
Thanks.There is an eBay store from a regular on the EEVBlog forum (Franky, 99centhobbies on eBay) that has several parts to DIY your cables (even Kelvin) that myself and many others have purchased with excellent quality and service. He is located in Hong Kong and has very reasonable prices with great quality products - not the ultra-cheap that you would find in Aliexpress or Banggood, but overall lower cost than pre-fabricated probes.
He is out until the end of the month, thus his store shows nothing (at least for me).
A long thread about his products and satisfied customers:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/franky_s-sales-thread/700/
A bunch of us got a Kelvin clip kit he sells:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/decent-kelvin-clip-leads/
eBay store:
https://www.ebay.com/str/99centhobbies
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