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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: blu666z on January 15, 2004, 04:34:13 PM

Title: Continuity Testing
Post by: blu666z on January 15, 2004, 04:34:13 PM
OK, went and bought a multimeter.  Need to test for continuity on some XLR cables.  Should I set it to 2000 Omega; or 2000KOmega and what would the reading be if it is good/bad?

-Kevin
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: twatts (pants are so over-rated...) on January 15, 2004, 04:36:27 PM
Multimeter???  I had one of my friends hold the black end, another hold the red end.  I stuck the other in a light socket.  I figured if they both fell over dead, there was a good connection...  And sure enough, I have 2 dead bodies buried in the back yard...

I love my mic cables BTW...

Terry
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: blu666z on January 15, 2004, 04:50:18 PM
They sounds fun but sadly I only have two wires.  Maybe I can just kill one friend instead.

-Kevin
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: BCostigan on January 15, 2004, 04:57:35 PM
There should be and audible symbol of some sort.  When you touch the leads together (assuming it's digital) it will beep.   You'll get the same results puting each probe on the end of a contiguous wire.
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: blu666z on January 15, 2004, 05:07:29 PM
No beeping just a digital display.

-Kevin
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: chuckcage on January 15, 2004, 05:43:08 PM
Though I do own a multimeter, most of the time I want to not only know if there's connectivity, but also whether or not I've wired the cable correctly.

I use one of these, which I think I paid ~$30 for a couple of years ago:

http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodindex.cfm?id=CT100&lang=ENG&CFID=35538&CFTOKEN=44221079

You can plug in your cable, wiggle it around, and it'll let you know if you have intermittant connectivity.  The little grid of LEDs also tells you what's wired to what, so you know you've got what you think you've got.

Chuck
Title: Re:Continuity Testing
Post by: leegeddy on January 16, 2004, 03:24:51 AM
Quote from: blu666z on January 15, 2004, 04:34:13 PM
OK, went and bought a multimeter.  Need to test for continuity on some XLR cables.  Should I set it to 2000 Omega; or 2000KOmega and what would the reading be if it is good/bad?

-Kevin

ohm setting shouldn't matter. a shorted cable (which is what you're looking for) will read Zero (or very close to it).  

try it on a metal object like a coin. your display should read Zero.  mine beeps.

marc