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Re: [TowerTalk] Amphenol Connector Brands

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Amphenol Connector Brands
From: Michael Tope <W4EF@dellroy.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2025 11:47:28 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
If you buy a few UHF connectors from a distributor like Digi-Key, nobody will be going to the trouble of cherry picking standout exemplars the way a manufacturer might sample a few parts to a potentially large buyer they are trying to woo. The other option is to verify the return policy of the supplier ahead of time, buy a large quantity, and then pick out a few random samples for close inspection. I they are junk, send the rest back for a refund.
If you want a high degree of confidence in a product then you are going 
to have to pay a premium and even that is no guarantee. Even good 
manufacturers/suppliers screw up from time to time. The lower the cost, 
the more risk you assume as a consumer.
73, Mike W4EF......................

On 1/3/2025 2:24 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
On 1/3/2025 4:22 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
If I were looking to buy a large number of UHF connectors, I'd buy a
single one to check it out first before buying a large number. I'd
buy two or three and try soldering them if solder is going to be used.
Yes, but -- for 30 years, I've been a member the Standards Committee 
of the Audio Engineering Society, and principal author of most 
published Standards on EMC. I'm still Vice-Chair of the EMC Working 
Group, and have been a member of the WG on connectors for 30 years. As 
long as 25 years ago, I was hearing from engineers of major mfrs of 
connectors and microphones about their problems with counterfeit 
products, and defects in their manufacture that caused problems for 
users. With connectors, it was everything from control of dimensions 
to contact material to dielectric. With mics, it's all about how they 
sound. The mfrs on those committees were from companies like Shure, 
AKG, Sennheiser, Neumann, Switchcraft, Neutrik, and Belden. Amphenol 
was no longer selling audio connectors by the time I became active; 
Switchcraft and Neutrik were and still are the major, first rate players.
Thirty years ago, I was reading about counterfeit aircraft parts!

Far from these issues with technical products, I'm finding counterfeit kitchen utensils and other household items.
About 20 years ago, a colleague, also a member of the Standards 
Committee and a fine engineer, was buying knock-off Chinese mics and 
reselling them to churches. He had a well-equipped lab to measure 
them. They would send him samples that were wonderful, but the 
quantity orders arrived, they were junk -- measured performance was 
random.
73, Jim K9YC



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