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[Kirby Yarbrough]

I have one channel on a subsnake with pin 1 shorted to pin 3 and vice versa (e.g., pin 1 in shows up on pins 1 and 3 out, pin 3 in shows up on pins 3 and 1 out).  Testing using an EWI Bug Catcher; all other channels are fine, no issue in previous checks.  I don't suppose there's an easy way to detect whether it's in the fan or stagebox end, is there?

[Frank DeWitt]

I have one channel on a subsnake with pin 1 shorted to pin 3 and vice versa (e.g., pin 1 in shows up on pins 1 and 3 out, pin 3 in shows up on pins 3 and 1 out).  Testing using an EWI Bug Catcher; all other channels are fine, no issue in previous checks.  I don't suppose there's an easy way to detect whether it's in the fan or stagebox end, is there?

Ask some geek friends and you may find one with a Ohm meter with a very low range.  I have one that measures 2 ohms full scale with 4 digit resolution.  Measure the resistance from 1 to 3 at each end and the low resistance end is where the problem is.

[Scott Harris]

I would just open up the XLR connector and see if everything is OK inside.  If not, open up the snake box.  50/50 shot at the XLR being the problem.  Even if you find it at the connector, I would open up the box to check that everything was OK and make sure the strain relief is setup correctly.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Ask some geek friends and you may find one with a Ohm meter with a very low range.  I have one that measures 2 ohms full scale with 4 digit resolution.  Measure the resistance from 1 to 3 at each end and the low resistance end is where the problem is.

+1.. however the problem is probably in one end's connector or the other, so if you don't have an ohmmeter open up both. 

[Jordan Wolf]

Kirby,

If one channel is doing it - and it's just a subsnake - I would open up all the connections and check all the solder joints.

[Kirby Yarbrough]

Measure the resistance from 1 to 3 at each end and the low resistance end is where the problem is.

Thanks for the suggestion.  Opened fan connector and stage box, nothing visually wrong: no loose connections, no missing solder.  Tested for continuity with a Fluke 79, no problems.  Tested for resistance from 1 to 3 on each: no reading.  I do get a resistance reading from pin 1 fan connector to pin 1 on the stage stage box, but no reading from pin 1 to 3 on the same end, even using the Fluke's low resistance function.  Am I doing this wrong?

[John Roberts {JR}]

or you cable tester is pulling your leg.

JR

[Kirby Yarbrough]

cable tester is pulling your leg.

Then it's like my dancing: random and unpredictable.  Not what I'm used to from EWI.

[Jordan Wolf]

Kirby,

When soldering, it is certainly possible to melt the insulation surrounding one of the wires.  If the XLR shell is jumpered to Pin 1 for some reason, or the insulation around Pin 3 and Pin 1 has melted together in the soldering process, that could be the issue.

Of course, it's always good to test the tester.  See if you can re-create the results you got; that might shed some light on where the issue actually lies. :-)

[John Roberts {JR}]

Short could be intermittent, hopefully the suspect cable is identified.

retest,,, wiggle, spank...

Visually look for potential shorts inside the shell, loose unprotected single strands of wire could be hard to see, but enough to complete a conductive path. Or oversized blobs of solder that move when connector is plugged into a socket. 

 

JR