Banana Plugs/Jacks for ZW hookup

Have you tried an audio or electronics store? Maybe an online store sells them.

Radio Shack has closed many of their stores so I don't know who else for any certainty has those.

You can always try Lionel or MTH but you will pay a whole lot more for them.

Lee Fritz

Haven't used any jacks, but I have tried several brands of the plugs and these are by far the best I have found so far. They are easy to connect to the wire and plug in all the way and stay tightly plugged in without loosening up at all.

I got them from Digi-Key Part # 461-1214-ND and they are made by E-Z Hook. You might also try Digi-Key for the jacks. I have never had a need for the jacks, the reason I have never tried any of those.

(emphasis added by me)

I think you guys maybe missed the key part of Ken's post.

He's looking for something that would be able to attach directly to the screw posts that already exist.

I suspect such a part would be very difficult if not impossible to find.

I obviously can't say for sure since I don't have possession of the transformer to examine it, but my first impression would be that the ZW in that photo had the stock posts removed and the case drilled to accept the banana jack posts. 

I'm making an assumption that the banana posts are not smaller than the stock posts in terms of the hole that would be required in the case for mounting.  The ideal situation would be if the hole size required was the exact same size, but that's probably highly unlikely.

Ken, do you have this transformer, or is this a picture you saw that just prompted you to ask the question?

-Dave

Dave,

I agree with you 99%. The piece needed to connect to the threaded studs is very easy to fabricate. If he has the part pictured he can forward a photo to, Digi-Key. They should be able to match it.

Why the hard-over requirement that they thread onto the studs?  It would be a piece of cake to get the banana jacks with studs and just replace the studs on the ZW.  Since the banana jacks also offer the option of using them with spade connectors, you have the best of both worlds.

As others have said, finding something that threads onto the old studs will be pretty unlikely.

Note that the picture you posted is NOT using jacks that thread onto the existing ZW posts.

I realize what he wants to do. The title of the thread was not just 'banana jacks', it was:  "Banana Plugs/Jacks for ZW hookup"

I also realize that once he finds the jacks he will need something to plug into them.

Although not perfect because the threads do not match, I just use regular banana plugs (part no. 9436) from Monoprice, and unscrew the pieces. Then screw the plug onto the post of my ZW.  It doesn't go all the way on to the base of the post, but enough to make a good connection.  Then take another banana plug with the wire attached, and plug that into the one attached to the post.  Works ok for me.

My problem with this sort of arrangement is any side load on those posts are liable to break them off,  It also requires quite a bit of clearance behind the transformer for the projection of the connectors and jacks.

What happened to KISS?

How about open or closed spade connectors to the ZW with female or male banana plugs to the whatever?

As I said in my post, it wasn't perfect but it worked for me.  I have no worries about load or distance behind my ZW.

And for an arthritis sufferer such as myself, tightening those little nuts on a ZW post can be quite the challenge, and crimping any kind of connectors is too painful and I usually have to take more than one try at it to get a good crimp, or wait for a friend to drop by and help me out.

I was just about to switch to the open spade connectors (as in the larger audio type) when I found the banana plugs I posted above, which look a LOT like the ones you have pictured here on the wires. I think the spades are a good idea and would also take up a lot less space than the banana jacks and plugs. I may still use them on my TIU?

I mounted a terminal strip behind my ZW & it works great.  I used the ground bar type & cut it to the number of terminals I needed.

Ken M

RKR,

    If you do another search, we discussed this and I showed the other RS female Banana plugs, I now use for the ZW & KW's, the picture you posted in your initial post has the old style short banana plugs that I used, I really liked them for both strength and size, however those particular females are no longer available.

As guns points out the newer female Banana Plugs take up more room than the old originals I used, that you pictured in your post.   MrMoe50 has given you a real nice

picture of which plugs to use now, and they work well and are easy installed. However they are also more delicate than my originals.  My idea was to eliminate all the spades and nuts with female Banana plugs on my ZW's & KW's for quick secure multiple usage.

PCRR/Dave  

Home Depot sells them in a multipack.

This is not the simplest solution, I'll give that credit to Susan above, but would do the job neatly if you have the tools and the patience.  

To make things easier for my father with cerebral palsy we built a large number of resistor/capacitor/other component substitution boxes for experimentation many years ago using the banana plug jumper wires.  To make the plugs we used 1/4 inch allen head bolts with a hole drilled down the center of the head to accept the banana plugs.  

So, what I would do here is to pick up some 3/8" steel rod (copper might be even better, and easier to work with).  Cut into pieces about 1.25-1.5 inches long.  On a drill press drill a small hole for the ZW side, and on the other side drill a hole whatever the correct size is for the banana plugs.  Tap the smaller hole to match the thread of the ZW post, then when all is said ad done, cover the thing in heat shrink tubing to prevent any shorts if something touches.  

This requires tools not all may have access to, and even with the tools, seems more work then it is worth, but it would do exactly what was asked in the original question.  

Edit:  Make sure you are using high speed steel drill bits if you do this.  many of the bits in starter sets and the like are soft steel intended for drilling wood or thin metal and will snap when drilling thick steel.  Eye protection is also a must.

JohnGaltLine,

  George that is a little more work than I did with the newer RS Plugs, with them all you do is unscrew the one male part and re-thread the stackable female end with the correct tap for the ZW & KW, the protective shrink wrap fits right back over the altered re-tapped female.

These RS Banana plugs work well with a nice tight fit, and are not overly long in length.

PCRR/Dave

PineCreekRR,

Those look real nice.  Like I said, the way I posted is fairly involved.  I was/am unsure what is available and easy to modify.  If Ken, the original poster, is still looking for a solution, what you have looks to be it... if one can find a franchise radio shack, and they have the parts.  

here is what your looking for  these can be purchased from Granger catalog. click on the link below

http://www.grainger.com/catego...atalog/N-ba3Z1z0r4py

!

 Alan

both these styles you will find on the web pages if you look threw the web sight pages!

Best of luck hope this works for you!

Alan

Alan, that was my suggestion previously, but he doesn't want to take the stock ZW posts off.  Personally, I find this to be the ideal solution, they would be more robust by far.  I like these the best, they give you both types of connections.  Obviously, you wouldn't be using the spacer, just the basic posts.

Hi

Here is my two cents, I know the thread stated placing banana plug on the existing ZW studs but that might not be possible. I have used the following from allelectronics.com and I think it will clear the space where the stud are mounted on the ZW and have clearance from the coil. You might need a flat washer for the connect to the spade.

http://www.allelectronics.com/...ding-post-red/1.html

http://www.allelectronics.com/...ng-post-black/1.html

Just take the soldering tab off on both of them and connect it direct to the spade connector and it should work and give you the clearance you need. 

if you install these will the rear most stud clear the coil in the case

pinecreek what is the tap you use to rethread the pieces to mount on the studs

Not a problem, the Dremel cutoff wheel solves that issue neatly.  You just lop off the excess.

Thank you everybody for your creative ideas.  I haven't come to a conclusion as yet.

Many thanks again !

KRK

Bobby,

   Can't tell ya the Tap size I am 400 miles way from the Churchill home where the Tap is located.  Just match your tap with the ZW posts!

PCRR/Dave

Guns,

   The reason for engineering the Female Banana plugs in the manner I did for the ZW & KW transformers, is to assure that the ZW & KW transformers could be easily returned to their original configuration, if the next owner wanted to use the transformers in their as purchased original state.  The short Banana plugs were much stronger, no doubt about it.  I have had no problems with the later engineering however, the RS Plugs once tapped correctly are pretty strong, as you advised, they do take up a little more space however.

PCRR/Dave

I'm pretty sure the thread is 6-32.  (the ones on a 1044 in front of me are).  if you have access to numbered size drill bits, use a #35 to make the hole, if not, 7/64" is close enough.  (6/10,000 of an inch off).  

JGL,

   That sounds about right for the Tap size, in reality if you use those particular RS Banana Plugs, all you need to due, once you remove (unscrew) the male end, is use the Tap to rethread to the correct size, no other drilling is required.  I did shorten the colored shrink covering just slightly, and recovered the female Banana Plug once installed on the transformer.

PCRR/Dave