Author Topic: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?  (Read 2816 times)

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Offline splinTopic starter

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Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« on: March 01, 2017, 04:40:45 pm »
When I say cheap I mean cheaper than these Mueller hook clips at £6.52 each:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/hook-clips/7148134/

That is too expensive given I want to make up a number of sets of test leads. I suppose I could perhaps use cheaper for most leads and only use the Muellers for one pair but it would be easier to manage if they were all the same.

Also hook clips aren't particularly robust - either the plastic melts if you accidently put too much current through them or the hook breaks if it has been bent a few times.

Hirschmann make some with gold plated bronze contacts and gold plated Berylium copper banna sockets but I can't find any with gold plated copper contacts.

Has anyone found any decent quality Chinese clips? Many are dirt cheap but rubbish; more expensive ones may be equally rubbish with bigger profit margins.
 

Offline MK

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Re: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2017, 09:41:36 pm »
I took a punt on some decent looking four terminal chinese clip pairs, but a quick file in an inner portion showed they were brass underneath and not hard copper.
 

Offline tablatronix

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Re: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2017, 10:07:12 pm »
I am no electroplating expert but i think gold on copper requires an intermediate plating like nickel so they are probably more expensive or harder to find, also might not be the right springyness with copper base fwiw
 

Offline MK

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Re: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2017, 10:21:21 am »
I am no electroplating expert but i think gold on copper requires an intermediate plating like nickel so they are probably more expensive or harder to find, also might not be the right springyness with copper base fwiw
All true, but they were advertised as "Copper" clips, that is what annoyed me, but they are adequate for general purpose measurements so not totally wasted.
 

Offline tablatronix

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Re: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2017, 01:58:39 pm »
I know banana jacks are typically copper beryllium alloy. Maybe that is what they were, it is typically used and can be plated with gold.
 

Offline MK

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Re: Cheap gold plated copper test clips?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2017, 03:47:20 pm »
The colour was definitely brass and not beryllium copper.
 


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