My plans for power supply test leads have me wanting to have at least one set of leads that has 2x bananas on one end and a barrel plug on the other to allow me to plug in prototype PCBs without having to fuss around with finding the right wall wart and plugging it in instead. I'm debating between individual test lead wires (silicone insulated) and parallel-lead low-voltage "zip cord" of the type used for the outputs of wall-wart type DC supplies for the wiring material for these leads, but that's a bit out of scope for this question, as I have a more specific problem with the single-wires approach.
In particular, I am wanting to use this barrel plug:
in conjunction with a pair of these test lead wires in appropriate colors:
Terminating the actual wires is simple: the Switchcraft 767 plug has holes in the contacts that I can put the wires through then solder. However, how can I strain-relieve this connector to the pair of wires exiting it? Is the included boot useful for this purpose, or should I ditch it and go with a different strain relief approach?
Best Answer
The spikes in the connector are intended to be crimped overtop of the cable insulation to strain relieve the connector. The holes are to accept the wire and solder.
The boot is not useful for strain relief as is, but it will prevent sharp bends that can cause the cable to fail.
This kind of DIY connector cannot be compared to a molded connector in terms of strain relief. You could get some of the benefit by filling the boot with hot glue before assembly but it might take a couple tries to get it right, and it cannot be fixed most likely if it breaks.