Cable tester

  • Thread starter Thread starter razorbeams
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razorbeams

razorbeams

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I am looking into buying a unit to test guitar patch cables that I am making. Anyone know of good a unit that will test and let me know if my cables are good?
Thanks
 
I got one of the Behringer ones as well. I believe (like lots of the Behringer stuff) its cheap-and-cheerful clone of another, more expensive cable tester, but it does the job fine. For quick testing, the 'intermittent signal' indicator lights are really helpful... plug a cable in, hit the reset button, shake it around a lot and see if the signal gets interrupted. If you're making cables, it would also be helpful as you can check you've connected the right pins up, etc.

EDIT: Yup, its a $30 copy of the $100 EBTech cable tester :p...

http://www.ebtechaudio.com/swizzdes.html
 
You can purchase a volt/amp/ohm meter that way you can test the cable first and test as you go.... opposed to waiting till your done with your work only to find out that it's wrong.
 
moresound said:
You can purchase a volt/amp/ohm meter that way you can test the cable first and test as you go.... opposed to waiting till your done with your work only to find out that it's wrong.
Click to expand...

to say nuthin bout the other things it can be used for...
 
I think I'll try out the Behringer, but I definitely need to get a voltometer also.
 
A multimeter is an essential piece of kit, and something that you should probably rely on moreso than a cable tester when actually making cables. Cable testers are more of a convenience than anything else :) Plus there's only so much you can realistically do in terms of testing the connectors with a multimeter, etc... its a lot easier just to plug the cable in and give it a shake about than trying to hold the meter probes against the right pins, etc.
 
Yeah I'd have to say Behringer lifted that design right from EB tech. Shame on them... But I'm not complaining.
 
razorbeams said:
Yeah I'd have to say Behringer lifted that design right from EB tech. Shame on them... But I'm not complaining.
Click to expand...

Off the top of my head I can't think of one thing that Behringer hasn't lifted on any of there produces.
I don't believe there an original concept anywhere ...except for the concept of cloning cheaply other companies products.
That when they *very easily* break you just throw it away and purchase a new unit cause it would cost more to repair the broken unit.

But heck we do that with Bic lighters and many other products.




.
 
I have used these three cable testers with success:

Ebtech Swizz Army 6-in-1 ($90-100) - the one Behringer "cloned"

Whirlwind DCT-9 ($80)

Velleman TTEST15 10-way ($50-80)

The best (most versatile, most intuitive, best value) is the Velleman, IMO.

The Ebtech is good for what it does, but it is limited compared to the Velleman.

The Whirlwind I liked the least. It was limited relative to the Velleman, and counterintuitive as the output is a number in a display, rather than a simpler grid of lights showing connections. However, it was the only one of the 3 that could test RJ-45 (network) cables, which is handy.

The Velleman could test the most connector types, was easiest to understand, and is the cheapest. Highly recommended.

All were rock solid, built to last. Ebtech is made in USA, other two are Chinese.
 
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I use a Sears Multimeter I got on sale for about $10. The main thing to make sure when you buy one is that it has audible continuity.

One of my main strategies is to cut costs on everything and save my money for things like Neumanns and Summit gear that there is no way to buy cheap.

Any cable tester you buy will cost way more and not do 1/10th of what you can do with a cheap multimeter and a bag of Radio Shack alligator jumper cables.
 
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