[CQ-Contest] Beware those Radio Shack right angle connectors!

[Jim White, K4OJ]

***CAUTION***

K1TTT wrote

One comment on right angle 1/4" stereo adapters.  Radio Shack 274-902 is
a right angle adapter, I'm going to try two of these in series to fold
the headphone and key plugs back alongside the radio to get them out of
the way.  This should be nicer than those fat headed 1/4" right angle
plugs you can make up yourself.


I purchased some right angle 1/4" stereo connectors from Radio Shack so 
that the headphone plug would NOT be jutting out into the "operating 
space" and allowed me to route the cable down and below the rig and out 
behind before coming up into a socket on the inside of the underside of 
the desk at thigh height - keeping the headphone cable out of the 
"operating space" completely...

THE CAUTION:

If it is the type with three small craws holding the metal piece onto 
the black plastic shell DO NOT USE THESE!

I used them and it turns out the screws are not fully countersunk and 
the little bit of their head has caused scratches on the front panel of 
the 1000D... the word headphone now has an arc engraved through it from 
that connector spinning about its pin and scarring the face of the rig :-(

I recommend using a prefabricated molded stereo cable and at the far end 
putting either a double female to plug you headphones in or a socket for 
the headset...

Yes they look great -  no connector jutting out, but this particular 
animal has a short coming!  NOTE also that this connector needs to be 
pushes "all the way in" - it tends to want to not quite make it all the 
way into the socket - undoubtedly as a consequence of the screws not 
allowing the plate of the connector to come "all the way in"

Good thing I love the 1000D so much - otherwise this would be a negative 
hit as far as resale of the rig!

73,

Jim, K4OJ