Identifying jack tips part 2

[Herr Masel]

Ok so the last time was a big help, but now for my second pedal the guy at the store gave me jacks with black plastic covers on them (I only noticed this at home and the store is not close). One looks like this http://www.switchcraft.com/products/jack-83.html probably the stereo. The other has only two lugs at the bottom and one sticking out of the side. I don't understand why they have so many lugs, and I can't find out which lugs to use with the multimeter because the only part of the cable I can touch (when inserted) with the dmm leads is the tip! I hope I didn't put this down in too much of a confusing manner. Damn and I really wanted to finish the pedal before going to work... help please..

[petemoore]

  Here's what always works for me...
  Since I'm always using mono 1/4'' plugs on my cables....
  I plug a cable into the jack I want to understand, then connect a DMM cable to  the sleeve of the cable and find the corresponding lug of the jack for that, also check to see what other lugs also connect...if one of the other lugs Is connected but only when a plug is insterted, that's the 'stereo jack with mono plug battery defeat trick'...the sleeve of the mono jack spans and connects the sleeve ANd ring inside the jack...
  If you want input jack battery defeat...we'[ll worry about that next round.
  So you have ground connection and the DMM verifies this by confirming the route between the open cable end sleeve...through the cable, other end plugged in the jack...and all the way to a lug of the jack.
  Do the same while you have a cable plugged in the jack for the 'Hot/Tip'...connect DMM to the open end of the cables tip, then find where it comes out of the jack.
  Basically just plug in a cable to the jack, and use the DMM to find where the connections come out as lugs on the jack.
  A diagram, a DMM, a jack and a cable are worth a thousand explanatory words really....basically if you have a multi lug jack, it may be stereo...you can find this out hence...test all the lugs that are connected on the jack without a mono plug inserted, then do same with a mono plug inserted...you may notice two of the lugs are 'switched' Ie connected when plug is insterted...this means it's a stereo jack, and is a candidate for wiring the battery ground to circuit connection through those two lugs...to switch the battery off when a plug is de-inserted.

[cuthbertg]

Just wanted to say thank for for this lightening bolt of common sense!

I have just spent hours trying to debug two pedals that I have been building with these ruddy 5 lug box type sockets I had never seen before, which sometimes would only work the the leads plugged halfway in

Cannot believe I forgot to try using the DMM..........

Moral of this story - if in doubt about the lug out, get the DMM out!