Posted by: "Julian Baldwin"
> Walt,
> It is my belief that in reality there is no difference between the so cal=
led
> 1/8th inch jack and the 3.5mm jack.
>
> I suspect that the jack was designed in Japan and since they are a metric
> country it was probably designed to be 3.5mm. However, since the USA
> steadfastly refuses to adopt the metric system they needed to be able to
> describe the jack in terms that Americans would understand and so it beca=
me
> known as a 1/8th inch jack because it is roughly that size. I simply do n=
ot
> believe that equipment sold in the USA uses a different sized jack from t=
he
> rest of the world.
Unlike you I apply calipers when I have a problem to solve. Yes, both
sizes exist. In fact I believe that the original size was 1/8", I
certainly saw plenty of those before running into my first 3.5mm. I
still see 1/8" plugs being supplied with even Japanese equipment,
particularly where the cable is a separate piece. It may have been added
to the kit from a separate supplier, or for all I know the Japanese did
it. It does not matter since it can be measured and fixed.
Slowly it's evolving so that all will be 3.5mm, I think. But both sizes
still exist, and are still sold on new equipment. Jacks are nearly
always 3.5mm now, but plugs are a mixture. I can buy either size from
electronics suppliers.
Just check with calipers and get on with life, it's not worth making a
big deal about when the fix is so easy.
> In any event the contacts are spring loaded and so a few fractions of a
> millimetre (manufacturing tolerances) would not be significant. Dirt and
> corrosion on the contacts is a much greater problem.
Don't get me started on the poor choice of metal for those springs. Or
poor tempering. Combine those weak and poorly designed contact springs
with a slightly undersize plug and you can and will get intermittent
contact. Although your long term fix will involve replacing the jack
with a higher quality one a 3.5mm plug will often get you a few more
seasons before it's necessary. Particularly if you have been using a
1/8" plug.
Note also that the sleeve is not a spring contact, it's just a tube in
the Jack. It's that tube that's most often the culprit when it's a loose
fit. This is particularly true where the springs used in the other
contacts are weak.
> It is about time that the USA got its act together and ceased to be 'the
> only one in step' as far as the metric system is concerned.
There is certainly plenty of anti USA sentiment invented around the
world. We are mostly nice enough to ignore it.
Before you get too cocky, your country is the inventor of the wentworth
thread. That's truly awful to deal with. And I still occasionally find
it being used on new equipment.
Walt
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