"N_Cook" wrote in message
...
I'm getting rather tired of seeing band amp failures due to the use of
these
flimsey domestic grade of amp headphone sockets. Even if you can get hold
of
one off replacements, rather than minimum of 100 , what is the point of
like
for like replacement if only 3 years of use, not abuse, leads to amp
failure.

Current one carried a negative rail for switching purposes so definitely
isolated switch action required.
Starting with a standard 2 way or 3 way chassis or pcb mount socket. For 1
2
or 3 isolated sockets and continued use of the 3 tip/ring/ground contacts
to
an inserted jack.
Rough up mechanically the outer surface of the moving contact. Solder,
deliberately messily for later glue bonding, some highly flexible hookup
wire to the end of a moving contact at the switch contact end.
Open the contact and feed some 0.1mm or so plastic tape under and around
the
moving contact and wire, bounded by the channel in the socket plastic
body.
Blank off ends with blue tac or whatever and fill the channel with epoxy,
except a few mm at the hinge end. When cured bend back the locking tang at
the socket plastic and remove the moving contact and Dremmel/0.6mm
grinding
disc, slice a slot,on the inner side of the moving contact metal, between
frog (as in brick frog shape) and the contact . Assuming it takes this
mechanical action, without breaking away, add a little more epoxy
slightly
over the cut and also on and over the free end to beef up even more.
Repeat
, if required on other 1 or 2 poles for more switches. Mount perhaps
upside
down and wire into the pcb.


--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://diverse.4mg.com/index.htm




Seems like an awful lot of work to replace a component that's going to last
another 3 years anyway. Most bands would be quite happy with that sort of
level of failure. Have you had this 'improved' socket version of yours in
use anywhere that you can monitor it, for longer than three years to see if
it actually does last better, and not suffer from some different mechanical
failure ?

Some 'original' open frame switched jacks in one-off prices here

http://www.watfordvalves.com/products.asp?id=6&man=86

Not necessarily exactly what you're talking about, but still good for
replacing dodgy Fender etc jacks

Arfa