Testing a TRS jack / cable

hotpickups

I'm soldering up my TRS cable for switching my amp channel etc. I noticed using my metre that when testing the tip and shield etc on the plugs that I get no beep on the metre to tell me I've got a connection like when I do when making patch cables. Is this normal? Is this to do with not being an instrument cable for sound etc? How does one test TRS cables then?

Hope you can help

hotpickups

Just youtube'd it found I needed to set the metre on 2k. All ok to reading the test now however, it doesn't beep like it did when testing normal patch cables. Why is that?

normula1

It should beep. A TRS just adds a third connection, so meter tip to tip, ring to ring and sleeve to sleeve.
If you are measuring 2k, there's a bad joint.

hotpickups

normula1 said:

It should beep. A TRS just adds a third connection, so meter tip to tip, ring to ring and sleeve to sleeve.
If you are measuring 2k, there's a bad joint.

No I've set the metre to 2k and zeros up when testing. It just doesn't beep on that setting. Maybe it's the type of metre etc. It does beep though when using a normal patch cable when setting the metre to the wifi type symbol

John_P

Does the meter still make a beep for continuity when you have set it to 2k?    You shouldn't have to set it that way as normula1 said there is no difference to any other cable - just an extra connection to check.   tip to tip,  sleeve to sleeve and ring to ring.    If it isn't showing a good connection then something is probably wrong with the wiring. 

hotpickups

John_P said:

Does the meter still make a beep for continuity when you have set it to 2k?    You shouldn't have to set it that way as normula1 said there is no difference to any other cable - just an extra connection to check.   tip to tip,  sleeve to sleeve and ring to ring.    If it isn't showing a good connection then something is probably wrong with the wiring. 

It's showing a good connection but no beep

ICBM

If no beep then something is wrong. If it beeps on the patch cable, it's not the meter. There is no way the extra cable length could add enough resistance to stop it, so either the cable is faulty, one of the plugs is faulty (depending on the type they can have poor contacts internally, where the terminal is rivetted) or it isn't soldered right.

Does it fail to beep on all three connections, or just the two 'hot' ones? If so you've got them cross-wired at one end. There is a reason I know that .

The only other possibility I can think of is that the outsides of the plugs are a bit corroded and you're not getting a good contact.

hotpickups

Well all I can say is I've just rigged it all up and my stereo rig sounds awesome and the newly soldered TRS cable switches my amp channel perfectly. Also the boost function of the amp

Incidentally I bought two new cables, both with neutral jacks on them and out of the packet they tested fine but no beep. One being a 10ft length which connects my board to the amp for channel switching. The shorter one I've cut to length and soldered from my Boss ES 5 control output to a lockable socket jack that sits on my temple audio board. 

hotpickups

Hold on. Just checked again and when I put the metre on the wifi icon and test the TRS cable it does beep. However, when I set the metre to 2k it doesn't beep but reads ok. Weird

John_P

No - that's normal, it means you only have the beep when you are testing a simple connection or not but for other tests you don't have the beep going off when the value on screen is what matters.

hotpickups

John_P said:

No - that's normal, it means you only have the beep when you are testing a simple connection or not but for other tests you don't have the beep going off when the value on screen is what matters.

Awesom. Thanks for the comments all. Such a helpful forum this