Which BNC dust caps - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 02:40:40 pm
content: I'm looking for suggestions for BNC dust caps. I could buy any of the dozens offered on eBay or AE. Or just give in and pay £4 each for Pomona 3839s.Anyone? Bueller?

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 03:40:25 pm
content: £4 each seems somewhat usurious...As long as they are dimensionally accurate enough, I'd expect ebay/amazon/aliexpress etc ones to be perfectly adequate. I should probably stop being a socket slob and buy some myself...

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 03:53:39 pm
content: I bought a bunch of plastic BNC dust caps from E-bay and they work just fine. I think that I bought about 200 for $12. That was about 3 or 4 years ago but I doubt that the price has changed very much.

author: NaxFM
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 04:57:12 pm
content: If you have a 3d printer you can even print them for basically free.If aesthetic doesn't concern you, they are all equivalent.After all, they are just dust cap

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 05:03:45 pm
content: Some of the metal ones are shorting, though why that would be useful, idk.Heading off to look through thingiverse...

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2022, 06:51:32 pm
content: I suppose 50 or 75Ω terminations would be another option. - They're pretty cheap on AE.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2022, 12:24:09 am
content: I have used terminations but to tell the truth I like the plastic caps better. They're easier to get off and on and I don't have to worry about losing them and they don't stick out as far and get caught on things.

author: dc2light
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 22, 2022, 12:21:31 pm
content: I also like the plastic ones. Here's the one I like best from Canare. They are from the "audiophile" world. They stay in place and look great too!https://www.performanceaudio.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=canare+capsThey also have them at Markertek but a bit more expensive.https://www.markertek.com/product/bcj-dc/canare-bcj-dc-bnc-dust-cap

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2022, 04:23:28 pm
content: I found a few decent looking ones on thingiverse, I'll report back after I've printed a few.

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 02:50:55 pm
content: I bought some cheap plastic caps on eBay and some low cost 50Ω terminations on AE.The cheap plastic caps didn't fit. I'm using the terminations for now but will get some 3D printed caps eventually.

author: pope
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 03:14:50 pm
content: Quote from: Andrew_Debbie on February 14, 2022, 02:50:55 pmExcuse my ignorance but what is "AE" ?

author: jjoonathan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 03:21:31 pm
content: AliExpressI've had bad experiences with 3D printed caps: crude fits on FDM and scraping + dust on SLA.I've had good experiences with these silicone covers on Amazon, $12 for 20, next day delivered (ymmv):https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Silicone-Anti-Dust-Stopper-Female/dp/B07P95Q15P

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 03:38:55 pm
content: Those look perfect. Unfortunately they don't ship to the UK and there isn't an identical listing on Amazon UK.I'll do an image search and look on AliExpress... I should be able to find someone selling them here. Otherwise I'll add them to the list for my next trip to the US.I'm an expat living in the UK. Before the pandemic we'd go to the US at least once a year.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 04:24:37 pm
content: Here is the catalog from "Caplugs", straightforward plastic caps for all sizes. They are readily available from industrial and electronic suppliers.https://beta.caplugs.com/Distributors:https://www.caplugs.com/distributors

author: ales22
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 04:40:55 pm
content: There's one option in TME:https://www.tme.eu/cz/details/fix-vcp10020-bk/zaslepky-a-cepicky/fix-fasten/

author: PushUp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 04:58:06 pm
content: I haven't done it yet, but I like this easy fix shown by afug-info.de:...the nice touch with the pliers is down to the last detail! Clean, cheap and simply perfect:Source:http://afug-info.de/Tipps-Tricks/BNC-Buchsenschutz/ht*****tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnUV6e7bVcQCheers!

author: jjoonathan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 06:42:13 pm
content: These BNCs are guaranteed syphilis free.

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 07:03:40 pm
content: Quote from: ales22 on February 14, 2022, 04:40:55 pmDue to Brexit, TME have suspended selling to private customers in the UK

author: _Wim_
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 07:46:08 pm
content: I use these in all kind of sizes for SMA, BNC, N-type:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32835534894.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.27424c4dl2CcB7

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 07:52:06 pm
content: Can anyone confirm Caplugs AS138-14A (yellow), AS138-14B (electrostatic dissipative, black) or AS138-14C (conductive, black) are the correct size for BNC?The ebay listing in the US doesn't show the number in the picture.Mouser have the B version at least,ifit's correct.David

author: pope
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 08:18:50 pm
content: Quote from: PushUp on February 14, 2022, 04:58:06 pmThat's very neat! Anyone knows what's the correct English name for that transparent plastic tube?

author: PushUp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 14, 2022, 08:38:52 pm
content: durchsichtiger Schrumpfschlauch = transparent heat shrinkable tubinghttps://www.amazon.com/heat-shrink-tubing-clear/s?k=heat+shrink+tubing+clear

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 02:41:59 am
content: It's usually just called "heat shrink tubing" in the US but the clear stuff isn't common. Black is the most common color, followed by red, white, etc.

author: AVGresponding
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 05:38:46 am
content: Polyolefin heatshrink tuning. It's available in a multitude of colours and sizes on ebay for pennies, unless you want the less common stuff like 3:1 or greater shrink ratio (2:1 is "standard"), glue coated internal diameter etc.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 10:56:52 am
content: Quote from: jjoonathan on February 14, 2022, 03:21:31 pmThose look quite nice.UXCell is also an ebay seller (under several names such as solaluna88), so searching "silicone bnc" on ebay brings up similar listings. Strangely 20 pcs doesn't cost much more than 5 pcs.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 11:13:13 am
content: These are the style of cheap plastic BNC dust caps I bought a while back on ebay:https://www.ebay.com/itm/113895736455I got them from a different seller, and the original listing is now gone but it was from a seller called rfsupplier who also has metal BNC dust caps. Those can be found on ebay easily "bnc dust caps", and are available with or without the center pin. I prefer without the pin to avoid any connector (mechanical tolerance) or equipment (shorted output) damage. Of course, you could just use cheap 50 ohm terminators.

author: pope
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 11:57:32 am
content: Quote from: Stray Electron on February 15, 2022, 02:41:59 amI have all sort of heat-shrinks but I had the impression that those transparent ones shown on the photos are much thicker. I'm currently using heat-shrink to cover the BNCs but the problem is that they are usually quite thin so it's a bit of a PITA to insert/ extract them from the BNCs. Thus, I'm looking for something thicker.

author: PushUp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 01:41:32 pm
content: Here is my first attempt, which does not look very nice, but it has the best stability:The white one works, but you can easily compress it, whereas the black one is flexible enough, but cannot be compressed at all!From above, to show the difference in thickness in contrast to the cheap white one:I think I bought the good one from conrad:Cheers!

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 04:57:34 pm
content: Quote from: factory on February 14, 2022, 07:52:06 pmThe yellow plastic caps supplied with my military version of an -hp- counter are not Caplug brand, but measure 0.42 inch ID, with an interior depth of 0.625 inches.Then cover a BNC panel jack nicely. The markings are:Niagara, E-2, MS90376-8Y, NAS-820-8

author: graybeard
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 05:19:10 pm
content: There are two types I use. I use the much harder "caplugs" type in places where I need to protect against unintended impacts like my 7904A on a cart. Everywhere else I use the soft plastic type because they seal against the connector and protect against oxidation.The capplugs type for BNC connectors is EP-8, see the last photo

author: 1audio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 05:37:19 pm
content: I must second the Canare recommendation. Its the only one that provides for the bayonet pins and they work well. They are also a provider to the pro video world. There connectors are also all very high quality.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2022, 07:02:43 pm
content: Quote from: TimFox on February 15, 2022, 04:57:34 pmQuote from: graybeard on February 15, 2022, 05:19:10 pmThanks for checking, looks like NAS-820-8 is on both types and Mouser haveCaplugs EP-8for a very reasonable price;https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Caplugs/EP-8?qs=2WXlatMagcEf5NoNHgW2Ng%3D%3DSEP-08 dissipativeversion is about twice the price, there are so many products on the Caplugs website I was struggling to find them yesterday.David

author: Andrew_Debbie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2022, 03:39:28 pm
content: Bookmarked. Will add to my next Mouser order.