Quick Review: Cables, test leads, etc. from Franky

[nidlaX]

Last month, I placed a big order with Franky Tong (99centHobbies) for a bunch of random cables, leads, etc. Sorting out the goodies from the detritus on eBay is really annoying, so I decided to buy from his store on the basis of his good reputation here.

Pardon the poor quality close ups as I don't have a proper macro lens for my camera at the moment. Images are clickable for full resolution.

Everything shipped in this paper / plastic zip up bag, and each part is contained in its own zip up bag as well.


Banana cables: good quality banana plugs and jacks with real flexible silicone wiring. Excellent, but a bit pricey.


Banana plug to alligator clip adapters. The insulation is very thick.




Shrouded female to unshrouded male banana adapter. Works just fine.


Mini-hook leads with banana plugs. The grabbers feel good.




Male to male jumper cables.


The crimping quality looks decent.


9V battery connector. I would like to see the PVC solid core wire replaced with soft silicone wire.


ETA needle point adapters. Very handy for probing in hard to reach / dense areas.


These points will draw blood, but they're not very hard - use with care.


The plastic guard is actually a fair bit wider than the metal core. Not sure if this is by design.


Fits snugly on my Brymen / Greenlee test leads.


Did I save the best for last? Not quite. These Digitek leads are ok, but I would rather buy the Brymen leads if I could do it over. Cables are PVC and feel similar to my UNI-T cheapies.




But let me get to the point: these tips are similar in sharpness to ball point pens. A quick n dirty measurement gives ~0.87mm diameter for these vs. ~0.42mm for my Brymen / Greenlee leads. Also, they are not compatible with the ETA adapters.


Overall, I'm pretty happy with the quality of most of the things I purchased. I may have left out one or two other items such as the bare silicone wires or a spade adapter, but you can expect similar results. My one gripe is with the Digitek leads, but I suppose I got what I paid for. If you want good leads with sharp tips and soft silicone wiring, go for the Brymen every time (or step up to the Probemaster if you prefer).

Thanks for looking. Keep up the good work Franky!