Color-matching knobs, banana jacks, wire etc.

I have a somewhat-odd request:

I am looking for color-matched knobs, banana jacks, binding-posts,
banana plugs, etc. Matching colored wires would be really cool too.

Having at least eight distinct colors available would be really nice.
I know that last one is difficult because I'm a very typical male who
cannot name more than four different colors off the top of his head.
But I have no problem looking at any color-coded resistor and having
the value and tolerance immediately register in big shining numbers in
my brain, so I don't think the problem is my eyes, I think it's just
that I'm male .

I believe that HH Smith etc. used to do stuff like this and while
they're still around I don't see any colors but red and black in their
catalog.

Looking in the Digikey catalog they list "Emerson"/"Johnson" as the
maker of some banana plugs and jacks available in ten colors. If I
could get matching colored knobs and maybe even test lead wire, I
would be so so happy.

Any leads (including just "how to paint random knobs in matching
colors") would be greatly appreciated.

In case nobody else has figured it out yet, this is for a super-duper
bench tube tester that currently is just a bunch of stuff scattered
across my bench but which in my head I could turn into one mega-super
tube tester/curve tracer. Black would of course be ground, and I
suppose the two filaments should be green, and maybe the cathode can
be black, but I still need three other colors (plate, grid, screen)
and at the moment can only name two, so seeing a catalog page with a
color-coded lineup of everything would so make my vision come true!
Many decades ago I saw a picture in a magazine of what to my juvenile
eyes looked like what must be the ultimate tube tester of all time,
and while I do not remember the model or make I do clearly remember
row after row of gleaming colored knobs and jacks. Does this
description ring a bell with anyone?

Tim.

 

I believe Kilo sells anodized knobs in a few different colors, still, and
that Pomona Electronics should have a few colors of banana jack.

Go to the auto parts store and get cans of automotive lacquer. It gives
a nice even finish on generic aluminum knobs and comes in more colors
than you can imagine.

Filaments are brown. Red is plate. Grid and screen are orange and
yellow but I forget which is which. There's a RETMA standard for all
this stuff somewhere.
--scott

 

AES, http://www.tubesandmore.com/, has knobs in 8 colors. Click on "Knobs"
in the left hand column. In the next screen click on "Chicken Head".

I've never seen test lead wire in more than 4 colors. If you can use
ordinary wire, colors shouldn't be a problem.

 

I have seen test wire in more than 4 colors. It is actually in the Belden
catalog I have -- BUT the minimum order (in feet/spool) for any color other
than red or black is high (at least 1000 feet, as I remember)

It does look cool when properly set-up. Old EF Johnson and HH Smith banana
jacks did have several colors. Needs any in blue? I have several panel
mount banana jacks in that color.

gb

 

Hi,

Try Small Bear:
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Categories.bok?category=Knobs&searchpath=502393&start=25&total=30

Cheers!
__
Gregg

 

Not really (the one at the local Radio Shack (way in the back in
1970-something when I was getting an old Hallicrafters up and running)
was more boring - blue and white with brown sockets and black knobs, as
I recall), but I suspect that certain auction sites probably have
exactly the thing you were looking at available from time to time. All
the other old junque shows up there.

Not to deny you the joy of building, or anything like that - but if it
was made, there are probably examples out ion the wild to buy, if you
look for them.

 

In fact, following the lead of Alan Douglas, I think in my head the
unit I had seen in a picture was the Weston CA-1630. Nice pic here:

http://www.tubedepot.com/tt-ca-1630.html

At circa $5000 I think I'll have to pass, but it's a beaut.

I think in my mind I want even more color matching than in the
original - I just see black and red binding posts there, in my head
the posts should match the knob should match the element. So it looks
like the decades have elaborated the original, to the point where I
desire something more than the original .

Like Scott Dorsey suggested, probably the way for me to go is to get 5
or 6 or 7 different color banana jacks and paint the knobs to match,
as it seems increasingly unlikely I'll get much match in "raw" knob
color, but still thanks to the others who posted about the multi-color
chickenheads available from AES (I had actually bought them in the
past!) and the knobs from Small Bear.

Tim.

 

Pomona Electronics plugs! Nine colors available! Stocked by Allied!
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d1325-5230-5406-6546_100.pdf
--scott

 

Actually - it's all ten of the "standard" color code colors - I have a
couple of the kits... for a project "someday".

best regards...
--
Sherry

A Tender Tale - a page dedicated to those Ships and Crews
so vital to the United States Silent Service:
http://tendertale.com

 

Actually, ten colors available! 0-9 is ten, not nine. Sometimes I fall
into FORTRAN mode too so I won't blame you for being off by one .

I don't know if the Pomona parts are 100% identical, but I just
ordered a few sets from Digikey sold under the "Emerson/Johnson" name.
I'm guessing they're all made in China by the same company:

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T073/P0372.pdf

Using color-coded Banana plugs/jacks seems preferable to having
massive crossbar wiring, at least in my head.

Question for anyone who has used the Weston CA-1630: Am I correct that
there are pushbuttons in many of the knobs and this is somehow related
to either removing the function of the knob (pin selection) or
selecting that knob's function for stepping during curve tracing
(grid, plate, screen)?

Really wonderful link to a big pic (may not work!) showing the CA-1630
set up to test a 300B:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-8476489043850_1968_29319026

Tim.

 

With wonderful toys like this available, made in China, the lead content
should be checked!
Please, please do not put them in your mouth.

Mike W5CHR
Memphis

 

Hey, I grew up holding 60/40 solder in my mouth while plugging
krypton-85 filled regulator tubes in my left hand and turning knobs
just inches away from radium-filled meters with my right hand. None of
it made in china. And I'm perfectly normal!

Joking aside, it's pretty obvious that a test set with 1000V B+
running around obviously won't be in my kids' hands much less in their
mouths.

Tim.

 

I suspect the lead content on them is much lower than it should be. The
Chinese are not exactly big into making quality phosphor bronze and most
of these sorts of parts coming from China tend to be made from cheap and
gummy cartridge brass. That's okay for the socket, not so good for the plug.
--scott

 

Nice pic - shame they didn't power it up when they took the pic.
Tom