1/8" = 3.5mm?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"nash123" wrote ...
>I need to buy a stereo to 2 RCA y cable, my Gateway requires a 1/8"
> jack, but all I can find is cables with 3.5mm jack. When you do the
> conversion, 1/8" is 3.2mm. Are these compatible?

Yes "3/5mm" is the same as "1/8 inch" when specifying
mini phone connectors. This is one of the many things in
life that don't hold up to close scrutiny.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:34:18 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
<rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

>"nash123" wrote ...
>>I need to buy a stereo to 2 RCA y cable, my Gateway requires a 1/8"
>> jack, but all I can find is cables with 3.5mm jack. When you do the
>> conversion, 1/8" is 3.2mm. Are these compatible?
>
>Yes "3/5mm" is the same as "1/8 inch" when specifying
>mini phone connectors. This is one of the many things in
>life that don't hold up to close scrutiny.

The difference is an issue when sound cards are involved, the
connectors are true 3.5mm. A genuine 3.5mm plug will provide a snug
fit where a 1/8" plug is a little sloppy. The larger computer stores
are probably the best bet for this type of adaptor.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 21:09:20 -0700, mescalero <mescalero@space.kit>
wrote:

>On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:34:18 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
><rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:
>
>>"nash123" wrote ...
>>>I need to buy a stereo to 2 RCA y cable, my Gateway requires a 1/8"
>>> jack, but all I can find is cables with 3.5mm jack. When you do the
>>> conversion, 1/8" is 3.2mm. Are these compatible?
>>
>>Yes "3/5mm" is the same as "1/8 inch" when specifying
>>mini phone connectors. This is one of the many things in
>>life that don't hold up to close scrutiny.
>
>The difference is an issue when sound cards are involved, the
>connectors are true 3.5mm. A genuine 3.5mm plug will provide a snug
>fit where a 1/8" plug is a little sloppy. The larger computer stores
>are probably the best bet for this type of adaptor.


And it looks like I may have gotten the intent of nash123's question
turned around. If you're looking for 1/8" inch adaptor rather than
3.5mm, Radio Shack has them.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"mescalero" wrote ...
> And it looks like I may have gotten the intent of nash123's
> question turned around. If you're looking for 1/8" inch
> adaptor rather than 3.5mm, Radio Shack has them.

Huh? All the references I saw refered to 3.5mm and 1/8"
as the same thing. For example, here are some direct quotes
from www.radioshack.com ...

273-1709 1/8" (3.5mm) mini plug.
274-858 Stereo 3-conductor 1/8" (3.5mm). Coil strain relief.
33-1160 1/8" (3.5 mm) gold-plated right-angle plug
19-315 3.5mm (1/8") plug

When it comes to mini-phone connectors 1/8" and 3.5mm
are the same thing. They are completely interchangable.
There are no "adaptors" between them because adaptors
are not required.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

In article <10vu1p999js9sa9@corp.supernews.com>,
"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley7@xprt.net> wrote:

> "mescalero" wrote ...
> > And it looks like I may have gotten the intent of nash123's
> > question turned around. If you're looking for 1/8" inch
> > adaptor rather than 3.5mm, Radio Shack has them.
>
> Huh? All the references I saw refered to 3.5mm and 1/8"
> as the same thing. For example, here are some direct quotes
> from www.radioshack.com ...
>
> 273-1709 1/8" (3.5mm) mini plug.
> 274-858 Stereo 3-conductor 1/8" (3.5mm). Coil strain relief.
> 33-1160 1/8" (3.5 mm) gold-plated right-angle plug
> 19-315 3.5mm (1/8") plug
>
> When it comes to mini-phone connectors 1/8" and 3.5mm
> are the same thing. They are completely interchangable.
> There are no "adaptors" between them because adaptors
> are not required.

1/8 inch = 3.175 mm

They're usually interchangeable but not always. Some 1/8" plugs will
make an intermittent connection to the shield of some 3.5mm jacks. Some
3.5mm plugs will bind in some 1/8" jacks.

A true 1/8" plug can be made to fit a true 3.5mm jack better by crushing
the shield ring into a slight oval.

Rat Shack used to distinguish between 1/8" and 3.5mm but that stopped
happening after one of the regular reductions in their parts inventory.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

"Kevin McMurtrie" wrote ...
> 1/8 inch = 3.175 mm

"1/8 inch" is the imperial/english name, and "3.5mm" is the
metric name for the SAME connector.

Both "1/8 inch" and "3.5mm" are NOMINAL "measurements"

"nominal" means...
1 : of, relating to, or being a noun or a word or expression
taking a noun construction
2 a : of, relating to, or constituting a name b : bearing the name
of a person
3 a : existing or being something in name or form only <nominal
head of his party> b : of, being, or relating to a designated or
theoretical size that may vary from the actual : approximate
c : trifling, insignificant
(Merriam-Webster online dictionary) www.m-w.com

1/4-inch phone plugs are not EXACTLY 1/4" or else you could
never plug anything together. The male plug is slightly less than
1/4-inch and the female is slightly larger so that there is some
amount of "clearance" to allow use in the real world.

> They're usually interchangeable but not always. Some 1/8"
> plugs will make an intermittent connection to the shield of
> some 3.5mm jacks. Some 3.5mm plugs will bind in some
> 1/8" jacks.
>
> A true 1/8" plug can be made to fit a true 3.5mm jack better by
> crushing the shield ring into a slight oval.

I have been using them for decades and have never encountered
this effect. I guess I'm just extraordinarly lucky. Now if we are
talking about cheap junk connectors from "factories" that have
no quality control, that I can believe.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 22:44:33 -0800, Kevin McMurtrie
<mcmurtri@dslextreme.com> wrote:

>A true 1/8" plug can be made to fit a true 3.5mm jack better by crushing
>the shield ring into a slight oval.

What shield ring would that be? Are you thinking of rca connectors?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Laurence Payne wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 22:44:33 -0800, Kevin McMurtrie
> <mcmurtri@dslextreme.com> wrote:
>
>> A true 1/8" plug can be made to fit a true 3.5mm jack better by
>> crushing the shield ring into a slight oval.
>
> What shield ring would that be? Are you thinking of rca connectors?

I believe he means the body of the plug; the shield (ring) portion of the
plug, as opposed to the tip.

jak

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 18:51:55 -0600, "jakdedert" <jdedert@bellsouth.net>
wrote:

>>> A true 1/8" plug can be made to fit a true 3.5mm jack better by
>>> crushing the shield ring into a slight oval.
>>
>> What shield ring would that be? Are you thinking of rca connectors?
>
>I believe he means the body of the plug; the shield (ring) portion of the
>plug, as opposed to the tip.

I'm sure someone so expert in the niceties of connectors would know
that a 2-connector jack plug has tip and sleeve, a 3-connector one
tip, ring and sleeve. The ring, when present, is hardly susceptible
to squashing. If you tried, you'd get a sharp edge that would
probably catch in the socket.