You’re talking about the round DIN connectors here (like used for MIDI), versus
the RF DIN connectors?
Yes, DIN and mini-DIN are way too delicate for stage use.. you want something
you can step on or drive over and not damage it. XLR, Lemo, etc. seem to work.
Socaplex and similar “round” connectors derived from the MIL round connectors
also works.
Or that’s so cheap, you throw it away and swap in another - there’s a lot to
be said for modern cheap Cat 5-6 cables. But then, you need to make sure
you’re tolerant of mis-mating. Don’t want to plug the power supply cable into
the mic jack.
(bad enough that 4 pin XLRs are used for 12/24V power).
On Thu, 2 Oct 2025 20:05:49 -0700, Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
On 10/2/2025 10:47 AM, Steve Harrison wrote:
> I have also heard of big multi-multis experiencing connector generation
> of spurious products due to poor or loose coaxial connectors, which can
> result from thermal expansion/contraction. Dissimilar-material coaxial
> connectors can also cause problems; I remember reading of one in New
> England that took the station operator SEVERAL YEARS before he
> accidentally ran across (and cured) the real source of the spurious
> products that had plagued his operators for years.
I also have served for more than 30 years on the AES Standards Committee
WG on connectors. We've dealt entirely with those used for pro audio.
For decades, the only players in the world of analog audio have been
Switchcraft, based in Chicago, and Neutrik based in Liechtenstein. Since
digital audio started taking over, we addressed connectors for those
systems.
Sometime in the '90s, engineers representing these companies began
reporting issues with production tolerances in counterfeits. It's
entirely possible that this could be a contributor to the overheating
you're describing.
DIN connectors in the family that were widely used for control circuitry
in ham gear were widely used 60 years ago in Europe for pro microphones.
They were a high quality product. Switchcraft sold them in the US, and I
but I think they were made in Europe. Pro audio in Europe eventually
switched to the XL-connectors for mic and line level that I believe were
developed in the US, by Cannon. Switchcraft came along as a competitor,
and Cannon gradually disappeared.
Twenty years ago, I wanted to stock up on males in that DIN series for
radios I was using, but all I could find was junk from Asia. They had
dissimilar metals, metals that wouldn't take solder, and a dielectric
that melted when you tried to solder to it.
73, Jim K9YC
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