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3.5 mm jacks in the panel

Ed_Wischmeyer

Well Known Member
So the big idea was that rather than run that long, clunky Y cable from the headphone jack to the video camera, why not install a 3.5 mm jack parallel to the headphone jack so that I could run a shorter, thinner cable to the video camera? Why not?

So I ordered some 3.5 mm jacks, just what I wanted, and they came in a pack of 10. Two for me, and two for everybody on my Christmas list, or something. Drill the hole. Oops! (not quite what I said) The threaded portion is too short so I can't get the knurled nut on it. In fact, only have a half of a thread protrudes

Okay, measure it. The panel is about 0.085" thick, not precise but close enough. Go back on Amazon and check that detail. Order two more. Oops! (not quite what I said). On these, the hex nut in on the back of the jack, meaning that the wires and everything have to go through the panel and then be attached. Not nearly what you want for an already flying airplane, not to mention that you can't put heat shrink tubing on the final assembly till the nut is tight on the back side of the panel -- if you can reach it. And the threaded portion of the jack is plastic.

So here's where I made my best decision of the process -- it was hot in the hangar, I was frustrated, so I made sure nothing would get damaged and I closed the canopy, got in the car and drove home.

Anybody got any leads on where I can get two good 3.5 mm panel jacks? Why two? Well, that's another story, but I've got two holes in the panel... And you can guess what I said...
 
Or...

Allied Electronics has what you want.

But, as option you can just put the jacks you have on a pigtail, the jacks tucked up under the panel when not in use.

Or have the pigtail terminate in the plug that fits what you want to use. Again the pigtail and plug tucked under the panel when not in use.

As far as what to do with the holes if you go the pigtail path - just call them a speed mod, good for another five knots.

Carl
 
Is the purpose for a camera mic input?

It is a little (never?) talked about feature that a CQ1 3.5mm AUX port works as a microphone input into just about every camera I've tried :). Many devices require a little bit of inline attenuation, but that is easy.
 
So I looked up Allied Electronics and they had some PCB mount jacks that looked like they might work, but I was a bit leery...

Brainstorm! I called up Stein to ask him and the word was discouraging. There used to be jacks that would work fine, but now all that's available is the cheap Chinese junk. He said that when they want to install a jack like that, they mill the panel down to 0.020" thick. That's what my avionics shop had said...

So it looks like when I got back to the avionics shop for the 406 MHz ELT signoff, I'll have them thin the panel with a Forstner bit or whatever they use. Meanwhile, I can do things like get the wiring pretty much done, except my wire strippers don't work on wire that small. Oops! (not quite what I said)...
 
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Is the purpose for a camera mic input?

It is a little (never?) talked about feature that a CQ1 3.5mm AUX port works as a microphone input into just about every camera I've tried :). Many devices require a little bit of inline attenuation, but that is easy.

Scott,
Please expand on this feature, I have it on my CQ1 but have not used it.
Thanks
 
I have a separate audio input jack on the panel so the passenger can listen to my music or their own (did panel before blutooth was big). I just picked up a jack from fry's electronics (may have even been radio-shack).
 
Scott,
Please expand on this feature, I have it on my CQ1 but have not used it.
Thanks

Don, for the purpose of recording "what you hear" on another device (DSLR, gopro, iphone...), you can plug a cable into your CQ1 headset 3.5mm jack (TRS) and the other end into the camera mic input, usually through a line attenuator of about -35dB which are broadly available.

As much as I hate cables in the cockpit, sometimes a wire really is best. I use this mechanism with our headsets in flight quite often to record the output from all kinds of audio panels and radios for spectrum analysis. It is an unpublished use-case that the customer service dept wishes I wouldn't talk about :).
 
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Don, for the purpose of recording "what you hear" on another device (DSLR, gopro, iphone...), you can plug a cable into your CQ1 headset 3.5mm jack (TRS) and the other end into the camera mic input, usually through a line attenuator of about -35dB which are broadly available.

As much as I hate cables in the cockpit, sometimes a wire really is best. I use this mechanism with our headsets in flight quite often to record the output from all kinds of audio panels and radios for spectrum analysis. It is an unpublished use-case that the customer service dept wishes I wouldn't talk about :).

Thanks Scott,
I appreciate the info.............I won't call customer service and get you in trouble.;)
 
There used to be jacks that would work fine, but now all that's available is the cheap Chinese junk.
Good thing you don't want to plug anything into it that was made in China... Like a phone, camera, tablet, etc. :rolleyes:

A 2-minute search found this:
https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/switchcraft-inc/35RM3LS/6695850

All metal body, 0.3" threaded which should leave lots for mounting in a .085" panel. I didn't look to see what the country of origin is, but at $13 each it's probably the US.
 
Good thing you don't want to plug anything into it that was made in China... Like a phone, camera, tablet, etc. :rolleyes:

A 2-minute search found this:
https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/switchcraft-inc/35RM3LS/6695850

All metal body, 0.3" threaded which should leave lots for mounting in a .085" panel. I didn't look to see what the country of origin is, but at $13 each it's probably the US.

Great find. RM for rear mount. I see there is also a non-sealed version if you leave the S off the end... 35RML... versus 35RMLS... http://www.switchcraft.com/productsummary.aspx?Parent=1178
.
.
 
A 2-minute search found this:
https://www.digikey.ca/en/products/detail/switchcraft-inc/35RM3LS/6695850

All metal body, 0.3" threaded which should leave lots for mounting in a .085" panel. I didn't look to see what the country of origin is, but at $13 each it's probably the US.

Thanks for the lead!

Long story short, I found comparable parts (35RM3L) on mouser.com for $8. Looked at a number of vendor's web sites and saw variations on minimum order, shipping time, price, etc. So I ordered two that should get here Friday, install on Saturday. (Don't let Murphy's law hear me) Bottom line is $25 but lots less than having the panel shaved. Might end up looking funky but I'll deal with that.

We all know how it's not a real project till you've been to the hardware store three times. I'm doing that on the internet... and when all is said and done, the ratio of time spent on dead ends etc to actual installation will be much greater than 1:1.

Instead of giving coal on Christmas to folks who deserve it, I'll give them 3.5 mm panel jacks.

Somehow this hearkens back to homebuilding 50 years ago, when plans was plans and you had to source the materials yourself...
 
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I wanted to run a music input to my panel, but was not a fan of the the idea of one of those little flimsy 3.5mm plugs sticking into my panel. It seems like a misplaced hand in even the slightest turbulence could snap those little things off. So instead I went with one of those beefier 1/4" jacks (in my case Switchcraft) that are also used in airplanes as headset jacks. When I need to plug in a 3.5mm source I can use an adapter.
 
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