"Dummy" 1/4" and XLR phone plugs?

[Notes_Norton]

Seriously.

 

I'm rewiring my gig rack (pic below).

 

I have a strip in front where I plug everything in, and then run jumpers to the back of the sound modules, mixer, and whatever else.

 

It's been well over a decade. For 13 years I had a weekly gig over a salt water lagoon. When that venue got sold, we moved to one right on the beach. They liked us so much, they asked us to play 3 days a week instead of one. It's outdoors, but under a canvas roof. Wind and salt spray takes its toll when you are on the beach. (pic below)

 

The result is all the DeOxit in the world is not enough to keep the jacks in that jumper strip clean. They have just been plugged and unplugged thousands of times since they were installed.

 

So I'm re-wiring and replacing the jacks. When I'm done, there will be one 1/4" phone jack and one XLR jack that will seldom be used, probably never in that beachside gig.

 

I would like to protect them from salt air intrusion by plugging something into them, to keep them sealed. I thought about just plugging in un-wired jacks, but I wonder if the open ends where the wire belongs might pick up some hum or worse, end that to the mixer, which will amplify it.

 

I remember, back in my Cable TV Field Engineering gig, we had what we called "Terminators" at the end of the cable runs. They fit into the standard cable coupling and had a resistive load. Since this is the input, I don't think I need a resistive load, but I still would like something to plug the hole in the jack to keep the salt air out.

 

I wonder if someone makes a 'dummy' jack that does nothing but plug the hole?

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks.

Notes ♫

 

Pics - the rack and the location where we gig 3 days a week.

 

[KuruPrionz]

Since plugs will not actually seal the jacks, I'd be inclined to photograph the connections (and if possible, mark them), leave the holes empty - do not install the jacks - and cover them over completely from the outside with Gorilla tape or something similar. 

 

I say that because it appears you've got your system laid out for a good long while and it will likely stay that way. 

I see no harm in using "dummy plugs" without wiring but you will want to seal off the ends where the cords would normally be. That will leave you with the option to use the jacks as "spares, just for one thing. As I'm sure you've noticed, it is also important to give your pots and switches on the board a vigorous workout often. 

Salt air can eat anything eventually. 

[ToddP]

Neutrik makes SCDM covers. 

SCDM

 

[Notes_Norton]

Thanks!

[JimboKeys]

I use these Neutrik NDJ dummy plugs to fill unused 1/4 jacks - primarily to help me not plug a cable into some place it's not supposed to be (i finally came up with this idea after numerous occasions of plugging a keyboard damper pedal into the headphone jack, or something like that, and wondering what was wrong with the pedal 😵).

 

-- Jimbo

[Notes_Norton]

10 hours ago, JimboKeys said:

I use these Neutrik NDJ dummy plugs to fill unused 1/4 jacks - primarily to help me not plug a cable into some place it's not supposed to be (i finally came up with this idea after numerous occasions of plugging a keyboard damper pedal into the headphone jack, or something like that, and wondering what was wrong with the pedal 😵).

 

-- Jimbo

Thanks, Jimbo. That's exactly what I'm looking for! I found dummy plugs for 1/4" phone jacks there.

 

I looked at PartsExpress myself, but must have used the wrong search terms.

 

I have two seldom used inputs on my input panel strip. One is a 1/4" phone jack, the other an XLR. Sometimes on a party gig, someone wants to use a mic or plug something else in. I also have a spare, inexpensive Shure mic, so the speaker won't spread germs to our singing mics. I'm not a germaphobe, but in the rare case that we could pick up something from a mic, it wouldn't be fair to the next client if we aren't singing at our greatest potential.

 

Notes ♫

[Notes_Norton]

Well it's re-wired. All new XLR and Phone jacks on the front panel, and wired with new jumpers to the synths, FX units, and the mixer. That way if a jack wears out from constant use, I simply replace it on the panel and don't have to take a mixer, synth or FX unit apart.

 

It's probably been a decade or more since I did this. And with 3 days a week on an open-air oceanside venue, it's an ounce of prevention. As soon as the dummy plugs arrive, I'll insert them into the two usually unused ports.

 

Here's a picture taken with my phone.

 

Notes ♫