[TowerTalk] Amphenol Connector Brands

[Jim Brown]

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