Essential tool for 12V electrical

[sly_karma]

For years I've used a great test connector that is way more useful than the pointy probes that come with most multimeters. Its name is the Steve Mullen Supercord, and you need one - preferably two - if you work with automotive or marine electrical.


They're easy to make. The critical part is the JS Popper "bed of nails" alligator clip from Mueller. Multiple fine sharp points minutely pierce wire insulation so that meter testing can be done without disturbing connections or stripping insulation. Just press them firmly onto the wire and a connection will be made. This is a game changer.



These banana plugs are the Hirschman brand, expensive at nearly $5 each, but rock solid reliable and weatherproof. Plug one into the other and now your Supercord is putting a short on a circuit. You can use a second Supercord to read the short on a multimeter.



Parts are available from an electronics store or an online retailer like digikey. They have fancy flexible boots for the clips or you could do quick and dirty shrink tube like I did. Wire is 18 gauge stranded lamp cord available at any hardware store.



Happy testing and troubleshooting!

 

[ericl]

Nice - thanks for sharing.

 

[sly_karma]

Also the JS Popper clips fit perfectly onto 66 punch down block terminals - if you ever find yourself needing to work on multi line phone and older data systems. The angled tip of the clips prevents them from shorting when testing adjacent terminals.

 

[kingblazer84]

Careful with those bed of nail setups they can introduce corrosion very easily but they work awesome for diagnostic work Liquid electrical tape is a must if using one.

 

[profisher]

Yeh was going to say copper wire that salt water or salty air can penetrate will turn wires green quickly and one day whatever that circuit runs will start to intermittently fail.

 

[Wild Bill]

Good for flat rate on someone else's equipment but then electrical troubleshooting typically isn't flat rate!

 

[walleyes]

Careful with those bed of nail setups they can introduce corrosion very easily but they work awesome for diagnostic work Liquid electrical tape is a must if using one.

I was thinking the same thing,, I wouldn’t be clamping those hole pokers on any wire on my boat thank you very much lol.

 

[brutus]

I was thinking the same thing,, I wouldn’t be clamping those hole pokers on any wire on my boat thank you very much lol.

Yup those are for working on your buddy’s boat while drinking lots of wobbly pops lmao

 

[sly_karma]

Proper tinned cover wire is a must for marine anyway. These test leads are used by telecom linemen for above and below grade work. The tips are minute, literally less than the tip of a pin.

 

[profisher]

But they aren’t working around salt...salt plus water plus voltage equals green copper, or black if tin coated. I had what I presume was a fish hook pierce a wire and it caused me loose that circuit down the road. Had a ***** of a time finding it because all looked ok until I really dug around...cut the wire open and it was totally green and brittle.

 

[brutus]

But they aren’t working around salt...salt plus water plus voltage equals green copper, or black if tin coated. I had what I presume was a fish hook pierce a wire and it caused me loose that circuit down the road. Had a ***** of a time finding it because all looked ok until I really dug around...cut the wire open and it was totally green and brittle.

Anything that pokes a hole in the insulation layer of the wire in a no no in a marine application, even with marine grade wire it will turn green or black and fail