Products > Test Equipment
Banana Adapters BNC, shorting bars, thermocouple, mutimeter leads distance
amar87:
that wikipedia article is nice i googled 'distance between multimeter leads' and could not find anything. Maybe some manufacturer chose the 19mm and then everyone decided to stick with it. So apparently this is a 'thing' right?
RoGeorge:
I guess that distance might come from a time that precede DMMs, and it might come from the standard for mains power socket outlets.
Here in EU/Ro we have household mains power plugs (220-240V/50Hz, 2 round pins + a sideways grounding optional, as 2 sideways metal bands embedded in the plug, not a 3rd pin)
First type has a little thicker pins, but the second type seem to have the right thickness, and both with the same spacing as that banana-to-BNC adapter.
Though, this is just a guess of mine, I didn't try if the banana to BNC adapter fits into the mains outlet. :)
alm:
--- Quote from: RoGeorge on January 04, 2024, 07:48:05 pm ---I guess that distance might come from a time that precede DMMs, and it might come from the standard for mains power socket outlets.
--- End quote ---
According to the Wikipedia link JohanH posted earlier, it originates from the 1920. So long before the first DMM. If it came from General Radio, then I doubt it's based on European mains outlets, though it's possible they were both derived from a common source.
If anything, I think the compatibility leads to dual banana plugs like this being less common in Europe compared to the US.
JohanH:
Although without a source, the same wikipedia article is claiming there have been some controversy (and possibly some legalization) around the 19 mm banana spacing and European sockets:
"In most European countries, the standard mains power receptacle will physically accept banana and even US-style "double banana" plugs (the standard US pin spacing of 3⁄4 inch (19 mm) is close enough to the mains plug spacing of about 19 mm, and the pin diameter is also compatible), leading to a risk of electrical shock. For this reason, throughout the European Union, audio amplifiers and loudspeakers that accept banana plugs must have plastic plugs in their sockets which can be manually removed by the user.[citation needed] The UK was included in the prohibition even though such mains sockets were not used there.[citation needed]"
That might be one reason why more and more the safety type banana is preferred especially in Europe.
tooki:
--- Quote from: alm on January 04, 2024, 08:04:31 pm ---If anything, I think the compatibility leads to dual banana plugs like this being less common in Europe compared to the US.
--- End quote ---
Who says they’re less common? Anecdotally they seem quite common in electronics labs here.
--- Quote from: JohanH on January 04, 2024, 08:38:27 pm ---That might be one reason why more and more the safety type banana is preferred especially in Europe.
--- End quote ---
Similarly, is there any evidence of this claim, either?
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