Author Topic: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads  (Read 6308 times)

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Offline szszokeTopic starter

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Hello!

I want to make some alternative ground leads for my oscilloscope probes. I want them to have a test hook instead of a crocodile clip.

I would essentially need the fork terminal from cables like these: https://www.mouser.se/ProductDetail/Cal-Test/CT2710-12-0?qs=vgjKjNJexTjNS7asfHV5FA%3D%3D

I could technically buy the cables, cut off the crocodile clip, but it feels like a waste of resources.

Anyone knows what they are called and where I could buy them (preferable inside the EU)?
 

Online ebastler

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2021, 09:37:15 pm »
I don't think there is a size standard for these clips. I have scope probes from Testek, Rigol, and older Hitachis, and they have three different clip sizes. I would buy spare ground leads for your brand of probes.
 
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Offline szszokeTopic starter

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2021, 09:40:00 pm »
I have the standard probes that came with my Siglend SDS 1104X-E. The metal part where the fork terminals are connected is 5mm wide.

I'm thinking that everybody who makes those cheap oscilloscope probes must source them from somewhere..
 
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Online tautech

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2021, 10:42:14 pm »
Contact Siglent Germany for the probe accessory pack:
https://siglentna.com/product/probe-accessory-kit-pak1/
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Siglent Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SiglentVideo/videos
 

Offline szszokeTopic starter

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2021, 07:01:19 am »
Contact Siglent Germany for the probe accessory pack:
https://siglentna.com/product/probe-accessory-kit-pak1/

I only need the fork connector from the ground lead so that I can solder it onto my own cable.

Everything else that is in the pack would be useless for me and buying it would be a waste of resources.
 

Online ebastler

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2021, 07:06:39 am »
Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.
 

Online tautech

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2021, 07:26:18 am »
Contact Siglent Germany for the probe accessory pack:
https://siglentna.com/product/probe-accessory-kit-pak1/

I only need the fork connector from the ground lead so that I can solder it onto my own cable.

Everything else that is in the pack would be useless for me and buying it would be a waste of resources.
There are other off shelf solutions only dearer.

Here's an example of a 500 MHz professional probe I got recently and particularly for the grabber accessory that comes with it however for its cost you could buy 8 probe accessory packs but if you had a 3D printer you might make the flying lead adaptor instead.

http://www.pintek.com.tw/customer/pintek/Product/CP-3501R-PRO-b.jpg
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Online tautech

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2021, 08:06:30 am »
I want them to have a test hook instead of a crocodile clip.
My years old solution was to use grabbers with leads to connect the probe reference lead to and preserve it as intact.
Why would that not suit ?

Full story from 2014 however I'd built these a few years before:

Grabbers
A few ideas to stimulate thought......

This post refers only to low frequency general fault finding and testing.  ;)

While scope hook probes are great, there will be times when they just won't do the job.  :rant:

Soldering test wires to the DUT can be OK occasionally, but time consuming and frustrating if there are several POI.
If you are working on SMD, then you must use other methods to connect.

I use Tek grabbers, relatively cheap and versatile, but be mindful of their 40 V max rating.
They seem fine for all the SOIC work I have done.  :-+
They have 25 thou pins and one can easily knock up a selection of leads, with a tinned loop.
Have a rummage through your junk pile for wire with the right connectors, knock the shells off and shrink sleeve.  :)
To have enough for a 4 Ch scope you would want 5 as a minimum IMO.



And if you have more POI's then you could knock up a little test probe header like this.


This one is from cheap grabbers off eBay, good quality wire and the header from a 10 mm thick mains switchboard off-cut. Each cable is finished in a loop and glued in a hole, and recessed for safety. The hole is large enough to accommodate a scope hook probe or the reference (GND) lead clip.
If I built another, I would use better grabbers and white nylon/plastic for the header to better display the grabber colors that were put on with a Sharpie or highlighter.  ;D
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Offline justanothername

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2021, 08:21:21 am »
There is nothing you can't get on aliexpress.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000423308252.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000440166668.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000516520798.html

Here is a cheap alternative to the tek grabbers that tautech mentioned. I use them and they are basically the same.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001769970310.html
« Last Edit: April 29, 2021, 08:22:59 am by justanothername »
 

Offline szszokeTopic starter

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2021, 05:55:20 pm »
Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.

I did. I was just hoping that some might be able to point me towards something that is closer to what I originally wanted.
 

Offline szszokeTopic starter

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2021, 08:27:48 pm »
I think I found something that might be suitable.

https://m.aliexpress.com/i/33034313289.html

The search term that I used was "crab foot terminal".
 

Offline Electro Fan

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2021, 08:38:43 pm »
« Last Edit: April 29, 2021, 08:45:48 pm by Electro Fan »
 

Offline Ian.M

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2021, 08:43:33 pm »
There's not much chance of those "crab foot terminals" working - they are too wide to fit in the slot for the ground clip on most probes, and they aren't springy, so will buckle as you force them over the cylindrical ground contact and will then be loose.

Bite the bullet: buy a pack of CT2710 or similar ground clip leads, remove the crocodile clips and save them for other uses.
 

Offline ChuckDarwin

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2021, 07:30:21 am »
Certainly more expensive than starting from scratch, but consider the Cal Test CT3669-15-8 lead.  Same idea as the aligator version but has a 0.6mm pin-jack/socket for connecting grabbers on a 15cm lead.   Versatile in the original state and easy to replace the connector with your own if you need to (and shorten the lead).     PMK has something similar # 890-400-013 at 11cm with a 0.8mm socket.   
 
 

Offline tooki

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2021, 03:53:43 pm »
Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.
It wasn’t a particularly helpful reply. The question wasn’t “how can I connect something”, it was “where do I get this part”. If you don’t know, replying a second time just to insult the OP is truly unnecessary. And you didn’t, and still don’t, know the answer to the OP’s question...
 

Online ebastler

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2021, 04:19:26 pm »
Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.
It wasn’t a particularly helpful reply. The question wasn’t “how can I connect something”, it was “where do I get this part”. If you don’t know, replying a second time just to insult the OP is truly unnecessary. And you didn’t, and still don’t, know the answer to the OP’s question...

I beg to differ. In my original reply I had cautioned the OP that there is no standard size for the clips, but that they seem to vary by probe brand. Tautech then recommended a source for complete ground leads, for the brand of probes the OP has. When the OP repeated his "I want just the clips", I felt that he had ignored the prior posts.

The "crab foot terminals" the OP then suggested will certainly not work, by the way, as pointed out by Ian.M.
 

Offline tkamiya

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2021, 05:51:33 pm »
Like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Oscilloscope-Ground-Professional-Presision-Accessories/dp/B08LKYXJXX/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=oscilloscope+probe+ground+clip&qid=1619891402&sr=8-4

I bought something similar to this and it works with most of my probes.  The "clip" part is just a springy metal wire.  I can easily adjust to fit the probe.
 

Offline tkamiya

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #17 on: May 02, 2021, 05:13:22 pm »
Oh, you wanted JUST the grabby part that attache to the probes?  I really don't think you can buy just that, especially in small quantities.  You could get an appropriate material and make them yourself, or have a fab house make it for you.  But in the end, they will be far cheaper to buy a set and take it apart. 
 
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Offline tooki

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #18 on: May 02, 2021, 06:34:22 pm »
Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.
It wasn’t a particularly helpful reply. The question wasn’t “how can I connect something”, it was “where do I get this part”. If you don’t know, replying a second time just to insult the OP is truly unnecessary. And you didn’t, and still don’t, know the answer to the OP’s question...

I beg to differ. In my original reply I had cautioned the OP that there is no standard size for the clips, but that they seem to vary by probe brand. Tautech then recommended a source for complete ground leads, for the brand of probes the OP has. When the OP repeated his "I want just the clips", I felt that he had ignored the prior posts.
How is him reiterating what he does want, after people repeatedly suggest something he’d expressly said he didn’t want (right in the original post!) indicative of him ignoring?!?  :o It’s everyone who suggested the very thing he said he didn’t want who were doing the ignoring!!!

And then to get snippy with the OP? Ridiculous.

In the end, it’s very possible that they aren’t available. But maybe they are, if one doesn’t give up on page 1 of AliExpress search results. Maybe one has to know the exact specific industry name for the part. Is this an elusive part? Absolutely. But the probe manufacturers get them from somewhere, after all...
 

Offline tkamiya

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« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 06:53:32 pm by tkamiya »
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #20 on: May 02, 2021, 06:58:11 pm »
There is nothing you can't get on aliexpress.

Wrong!



 :)
« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 07:01:41 pm by Cerebus »
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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Online ebastler

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #22 on: May 02, 2021, 07:20:58 pm »
How is him reiterating what he does want, after people repeatedly suggest something he’d expressly said he didn’t want (right in the original post!) indicative of him ignoring?!?  :o It’s everyone who suggested the very thing he said he didn’t want who were doing the ignoring!!!

And then to get snippy with the OP? Ridiculous.

tooki, you are conveniently omitting the fact that I had given a reason in my initial reply why I think looking for the individual clips is not a good idea: They come in different sizes, subtle but sufficiently different to ensure that e.g. they are not interchangeable between the three probe brands I have. Hence, even if one finds clips which look plausible, they might not fit. Which is why I recommended to buy complete ground leads for the right brand of probes.

You may also have missed the posts the OP and I had written here in the meantime; they unfortunately fell victim to Dave's tinkering with the forum today. I think we had sorted it out. Contrary to what you seem to assume, we are both adults. I am rather baffled why you felt the need to step in and get all excited, and I don't intend to discuss this matter with you any further.
 

Offline tkamiya

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #23 on: May 02, 2021, 07:25:07 pm »
I am not an adult.  I won't acknowledge it.  It's over rated.   At least I don't act like one.  :-/O
 
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Offline tooki

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Re: Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads
« Reply #24 on: May 03, 2021, 03:54:35 am »
How is him reiterating what he does want, after people repeatedly suggest something he’d expressly said he didn’t want (right in the original post!) indicative of him ignoring?!?  :o It’s everyone who suggested the very thing he said he didn’t want who were doing the ignoring!!!

And then to get snippy with the OP? Ridiculous.

tooki, you are conveniently omitting the fact that I had given a reason in my initial reply why I think looking for the individual clips is not a good idea: They come in different sizes, subtle but sufficiently different to ensure that e.g. they are not interchangeable between the three probe brands I have. Hence, even if one finds clips which look plausible, they might not fit. Which is why I recommended to buy complete ground leads for the right brand of probes.
Wording it as "conveniently omitting" implies that it's deliberate omission of a pertinent fact. But it's not pertinent: while it's perfectly fine to add information like that, it doesn't give you the right to be rude when they choose to not end their search because of it.

You may also have missed the posts the OP and I had written here in the meantime; they unfortunately fell victim to Dave's tinkering with the forum today. I think we had sorted it out. Contrary to what you seem to assume, we are both adults. I am rather baffled why you felt the need to step in and get all excited, and I don't intend to discuss this matter with you any further.
Because you were rude. Not a difficult concept to understand.
 


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