How many different size banana plugs are there?

[Don Lancaster]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?


--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss: http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: [email protected]

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch
hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?

Bananaplus are either 4mm or 2mm as far as I know.

Rene

 

[Roger Hamlett]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch
hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?

There are four sizes you are likely to meet. Normally called 2mm, 4mm,
0.1" & 1/8". The 4mm, would be your '0.15"' one, with the hole slightly
larger than you are measuring. The 1/8", would be your '0.12"' one. The
0.1" variety, has the socket 2.64mm in diameter (0.104"). This is commonly
called 'mini banana', and will be what is on the Triplett meter.
The 2mm variety tends to be used only on stuff from places like Germany,
while the 1/8" version, was common on British kit, perhaps 40 years ago,
and I haven't seen this on sale in recent times.
There are quite a few odd 'custom' varieties around. For instance, here in
the UK, there are Fluke meters, with non standard ones, that were supplied
to (back in the old days), BT.

Best Wishes

 

[colin]

There are four sizes you are likely to meet. Normally called 2mm, 4mm,
0.1" & 1/8". The 4mm, would be your '0.15"' one, with the hole slightly
larger than you are measuring. The 1/8", would be your '0.12"' one. The
0.1" variety, has the socket 2.64mm in diameter (0.104"). This is commonly
called 'mini banana', and will be what is on the Triplett meter.
The 2mm variety tends to be used only on stuff from places like Germany,
while the 1/8" version, was common on British kit, perhaps 40 years ago,
and I haven't seen this on sale in recent times.
There are quite a few odd 'custom' varieties around. For instance, here in
the UK, there are Fluke meters, with non standard ones, that were supplied
to (back in the old days), BT.

I wonder why did they call them banana plugs ?
I mean theyr not banana shaped,
theyr not yellow, well ok maybe some of them are

 

[Eeyore]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?

What reason do you have for thinking they're specified in inches ?

The only one I know that's called a banana plug (and it's very popular) is 4 mm.

Graham

 

[Phil Allison]

"colin"

I wonder why did they call them banana plugs ?
I mean theyr not banana shaped,
theyr not yellow, well ok maybe some of them are

http://www.inovadis.com/ftp/Phototheque/NorstoneCable/Banana/BananeA.jpg




....... Phil

 

[Eeyore]

I wonder why did they call them banana plugs ?
I mean theyr not banana shaped,
theyr not yellow, well ok maybe some of them are

The way some are constructed (notably Hirschmann), the contact spring is
slightly banana shaped.

Graham

 

[mpm]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?

--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss:http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: [email protected]

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site athttp://www.tinaja.com

I have a few in inventory and would have to resort to measuring them,
but that probably wouldn't help you very much.(?)

I can tell you this: For dual plugs, there are definitely different
hole spacings.
The "familiar" Pamona-type dual plug has about 1" space post-to-post,
but there's another size that's about 150% that spacing. I suspect
this could be for a higher current banana plug (as they so seem to be
"beefier"), but I can't swear to it.

ITT-Pamona (or some spelling like that), might be a good place to
Google for the datasheets, and hence size info. I think Tyco also
makes them these days.., and probably a hundred Chinese outfits whose
names I can't pronounce, let alone spell.

EF Johnson also used to make these back in the 80's.
Not sure if they still do, but might also be worth Googleing.
-mpm

 

[mpm]

What are their proper names?

And where can I find their intended dimensions?

As near as I can tell, a "regular" banana plug fits a 0.15 inch jack.

What might be a "miniature" banana plug fits a 0.12 inch jack.

What might be a "subminiature" banana plug fits an 0.10 inch jack.
Such as on the Triplett 310 multimeter.

And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch hole.

Can anyone verify the proper names and exact sizes?

--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss:http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email: [email protected]

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site athttp://www.tinaja.com

As for exact name: I believe the receptable end is called a "5-way
binding post".
(even though, I can come up with a lot more ways than that to connect
to it! Ha!!)
-mpm

 

[G]

I call that the other plug. I pull out my old DEC patch cord sets, come in
different colors, and I use the plugs from these when necessary. Thats all I
know.

greg

 

[JeffM]

[. . .]
And there are apparently "oversize" banana plugs that fit an 0.25 inch hole.

The giant ones:
http://www.superiorelectric.com/SUPERCON.htm

 

[Robert Baer]

I have a few in inventory and would have to resort to measuring them,
but that probably wouldn't help you very much.(?)

I can tell you this: For dual plugs, there are definitely different
hole spacings.
The "familiar" Pamona-type dual plug has about 1" space post-to-post,
but there's another size that's about 150% that spacing. I suspect
this could be for a higher current banana plug (as they so seem to be
"beefier"), but I can't swear to it.

ITT-Pamona (or some spelling like that), might be a good place to
Google for the datasheets, and hence size info. I think Tyco also
makes them these days.., and probably a hundred Chinese outfits whose
names I can't pronounce, let alone spell.

EF Johnson also used to make these back in the 80's.
Not sure if they still do, but might also be worth Googleing.
-mpm

You are full of it.
The (standard) Pomona banana pair spacing is 0.75 inches, *NOT* one
inch!!
This 3/4 spacing is seen on many DVMs and curve tracers (includes
scope plugins).

Use DigiKey, and get the datasheet for the Pomona 1269; *NO*
dimensions are one inch!

 

[Phil Hobbs]

The way some are constructed (notably Hirschmann), the contact spring is
slightly banana shaped.

Graham

I suspect it's that the longitudinally split spring reminded someone of
the way a banana peels.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

 

[charrid]

You are full of it.
The (standard) Pomona banana pair spacing is 0.75 inches, *NOT* one
inch!!
This 3/4 spacing is seen on many DVMs and curve tracers (includes
scope plugins).

Use DigiKey, and get the datasheet for the Pomona 1269; *NO*
dimensions are one inch!

Right you are - 3/4 inch has been the banana pair spacing standard
since I remember, maybe 50 years ago. Living in Europe, I wandered,
why the pairs of electrical contacts, on all test equipment and even
the public power network were spaced 19 mm and not the nice round 20
or so. Then on moving to the US it hit me - 19mm is 3/4 inch! (well,
ignore the 0.05mm). So who started it - Edison?, Westinghouse?...

Rich

 

[colin]

I suspect it's that the longitudinally split spring reminded someone of
the way a banana peels.

oo I didnt think of that.

there seems to be several different types with different spring arangements.
in the electronics lab at school we used to have ones wich were basically a
bunch of
7 or so springy wires wich worked quite well

Colin =^.^=

 

[JeffM]

oo I didnt think of that.

there seems to be several different types with different spring arangements.
in the electronics lab at school we used to have ones
[which] were basically a bunch of 7 or so springy wires
[which] worked quite well
Colin =^.^=

VERY well...and after seeing them once, I never saw them again
--AND I never found a place to BUY any.