Why do patch cords Die?

[dumbassbob]

I was wondering why do 1/4in plugs go bad over time . I hate to junk good plugs I have had for 30 yrs When I put on my little DMM they only show .4 of R But one patch cord make my 63 crackle...It not that I cant get a new one I was just wondering

[The Dude]

It's the same reason drill bits go bad. Nothing lasts forever. 30 years ain't bad.

[nevetslab]

I've been using the same Switchcraft 280 shielded T/S plugs on my unbalance guitar cords and instrumentation adapters, as well as Pomona 1297 BNC Female to Male Switchcraft T/S plugs for decades. One of the '1297's has worn thru the plating and has exposed brass, but, still continues to work fine. Some that haven't been used in a while always seem to clean up ok. I have more issues with the aging Switchcraft A3M & A3F cable XLR connectors, where their silver pins oxidize. Caig Gold Wipes usually restore them to decent condition.

[The Dude]

Intended or not, you make a good point. You get what you pay for.

[mozz]

I'd dip those silver contacts in jewelry cleaner.

[Enzo]

The plug is made up as a rivet. The rivet gets loose and the whole thing can rotate inside. Loose.

[Justin Thomas]

I'd say all the cables I've ever gotten in my life are equally good - they all last the same amount of time before they break or malfunction in some way. But this is where I will stand by a Switchcraft every single time: they are MUCH more repairable than Neutrik and other nameless connectors. I also find Switchcraft ends able to take alot more bending before the snap. I can always use either solder or super glue to fix them.

Now, if I get a bad spot in a cable, I'll wiggle it inch by inch til I find the bad spot & make more cables out of it.

Justin

[J M Fahey]

I find the broken point using my multimeterīs capacitance meter.
I made an adapter: a jack with 2 short brass pigtails, some 2 cm long which I plug into the meter socket and then plug one end of the cable in the jack, then the other.
Suppose one end measures 100pF, the other end 200pF, now I know the break is 1/3 of cable length,starting from the lower capacitance side.
That "100pF per foot/meter" spec found on cable datasheets sure comes handy.
Notice I donīt care about absolute capacitance value, just the ratio.

[nevetslab]

The plug is made up as a rivet. The rivet gets loose and the whole thing can rotate inside. Loose.

Good point. I've had to flare that rivet on a couple plugs over the years as a result of the whole assembly getting loose.