What is it?

A pair of BNC-to-BNC patch cables, made into a combined cable 1 metre long. Coloured heatshrink around the plugs identifies each of the two cables. The cable is RG174, significantly thinner and more flexible than RG58; this patch is more suitable for bench work where one end or other may be moved frequently.

As these cables are custom-made there's a choice of plug types and identifying colours. You can elect to have straight or right-angled at either end, with identifying markers in red, cyan blue, yellow, black or white. In particular the yellow and cyan blue are usually a good match for oscilloscope channels 1 and 2. I'm also happy to consider further customisation - such as a triple cable, or different length. Use the "Contact Me" button to discuss your requirements.

Why did you make it?

I made this patch cable to connect my Current Probe Adapter to an oscilloscope, though it is likely to find other uses in the workshop. It's significantly more flexible than the RG58 I used to use (see the comparison photo), and having both cables bundled together keeps them nice and neat. The coloured markings also (just-about) match the channel colours on my oscilloscope.

What makes it special?

There is a variety of similar single cables available from other places, but I couldn't find any that came as a bundled pair. Since my intended use is to carry the voltage and current-sense signals from my probe to my scope, it makes sense to keep them bundled together like this. By making it myself it also lets me choose the colours of identifying markers to match other equipment I have in the lab.