3 Pin Connectors

[grampska]

I was wondering if anyone knows what these types of connectors are called. The smaller ones. I'm familiar with XLRs.

I need 4 cables but can't find any pre-made ones or even what those stinking connectors are called so I can DIY.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[sibelman]

Those look like mini-DIN connectors. One source: https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/t/tensility-intl/din-and-mini-din

Auber Instruments also sells these. Raw or pre-made, I think.

 

[BBBF]

aviation connector

 

[doug293cz]

aviation connector

Aviation certified connectors usually have threaded or detent locking mechanisms to prevent the mating ends from separating due to vibration during the service life. I don't see anything like that in the photo above.

Brew on

 

[whoaru99]

Dunno if they're same as the one pictured, but the ones I got from Auber look similar and do have ball locking.

Zooming in on the pictured connector it looks like there might be a groove around the OD of the plug for ball locks.

The brand and model is pretty visible too.

 

[sibelman]

I'm 95% sure it's as I indicated a month ago. OP hasn't been heard from so has likely either been successful or lost interest.

 

[whoaru99]

Guess I should have quoted. I wasn't actually replying to the OP, rather to the point/question about it being a locking connector.

 

[sibelman]

The Auber-supplied connectors I use all have a locking feature: the sleeve must be pulled back to release the connection. Dunno whether these are used in aircraft though.

 

[Broken Crow]

Prior to my brain-injury, I was always pissed-off at many manufacturers flagrant abuse of Standards, and these specific jacks are one such item; The core is a proper mini-DIN, but the shell is not. (aviation connectors typically had larger diameter pins as well as a screw-down shell) Some companies, such as Bolex and some early wireless microphone companies made use of these near-proprietary 'hybrids' and ignorantly marketed them as either 'mini-din' or 'aviation' despite being neither. They originally came from Germany and Mexico, but once China started making them they popped on a zillion products by companies that expected consumers to rely on them and thier own repair shops not giving a damn about standards. If you type the numbers off the shell; "Minsoo XS12JK-3P" you can find some matches, most notably on aliexpress, but most are for male versions, so you may want to append 'female' to your search if you wish to continue using this abomination.
My strongly personal recommendation it that you find both a new plug and receptacle, either genuine mini-din or aviation with the appropriate pin-outs and replace both sides with something standard and readily available.

 

[sibelman]

I had no idea there was a serious issue with non-standard mini-DIN-like products. Both the female-female pre-built cables I've gotten from Auber have the Minsoo-branded product. Can't see branding on the males (also from Auber). Looking closer at OP's photo, it seems there's a Minsoo on one end and a mini-XLR on the other.

I'm all for standards, and support @Broken Crow in the outrage against pseudo-standard devices that can cause serious problems. But if the Minsoo is working for OP, then more of same should do the trick.

Mini-XLR may not be subject to the same standards problems, and OP says that end is not a worry.

Auber makes pre-built cables apparently just like the one shown in the OP, and also sells components and raw cables. They've always been very good to deal with.

 

[Broken Crow]

I had no idea there was a serious issue with non-standard mini-DIN-like products. Both the female-female pre-built cables I've gotten from Auber have the Minsoo-branded product. Can't see branding on the males (also from Auber). Looking closer at OP's photo, it seems there's a Minsoo on one end and a mini-XLR on the other.

I'm all for standards, and support @Broken Crow in the outrage against pseudo-standard devices that can cause serious problems. But if the Minsoo is working for OP, then more of same should do the trick.

Mini-XLR may not be subject to the same standards problems, and OP says that end is not a worry.

Auber makes pre-built cables apparently just like the one shown in the OP, and also sells components and raw cables. They've always been very good to deal with.

...I admit to a bit of knee-jerk outrage that people who don't regularly do repairs of any and everything might have difficulty relating to... prior to injury I was a voting member of (among others) WIPO and IEEE.
If the gear requires future repairs, possibly by another owner, this problem will just arise again. Seriously: Replace both the recptacle and plug with proper standardized parts if you care about long-term viability.
If you wanna look up the specs yourself, if memory serves correctly, the Wiley's reference series should have them.

 

[whoaru99]

I think they're fine for the intended purpose.

If one wants to pay big bucks for Amphenol et al mil-spec plug and socket pairs that's cool too, but not everyone does.

I use Amphenol at work for some projects where they have to be robust in the hands of folks that don't use a lot of due care about knocking stuff around.

 

[BBBF]

Aviation certified connectors usually have threaded or detent locking mechanisms to prevent the mating ends from separating due to vibration during the service life. I don't see anything like that in the photo above.

Brew on

You are 100% correct, but in a search on eBay or AliExpress for aviation connectors and these will come up.