"Christmas Tree" terminal blocks

This is driving me crazy... About a year ago, I found a dealer online who was selling these for cheap, but now I can find no record of it and I don't remember the dealer's name. I've Googled it every way I can think of.

I don't think Christmas tree blocks are being made anymore, but someone must be selling off old stock somewhere.

(Most of you aren't going to know what I'm talking about unless you've been inside the racks of a very old studio or broadcast facility).

Audio Accessories make patchbays wired to Xmass-tree blocks.
Somebody there may be able to help

Ruairi Kilcullen

I think I have what your looking for...

how many do you need?

[quote author="Scenaria"]I think I have what your looking for...[/quote]

Cool. How many terminals? Got a pic?

how many do you need?

Click to expand...

Mostly depends on number of terminals and price

10 terminals plus a tab on the top..

im assuming these are what your looking for...

a cylinder thats about an inch and half long... with terminals sticking out around it..?

The only picture I could find online of Xmas tree blocks is here:
http://www.patchbays.com/WP_options.htm#xmas

The ones we have in our studio are 30 rows of 6 terminals each, rows numbered 1-30, terminals lettered A-F. The terminals are round pins, and can be connected to either by soldering or with old Thomas & Betts "Connecto-Block" crimp-on terminals.

ahhh

ok...

that is not what I have :?

> a cylinder thats about an inch and half long... with terminals sticking out around it..?

No, and Dave's pic isn't a good view of the tree-block.

It is a block of Bakelite with a hundred brass strips through it:


(edit) Ah, they have a better picture:


Each brass strip has two ends you solder wires to. In a console, all inside connections are factory wired to one side. Then in the studio, all in/out lines are soldered to the other side. In Dave's picture, the patchbay is factory soldered to a tree-block that you mount to the back of the rack, then solder lines to the other side to go off to the console, studio, telco lines, etc etc.

The block (or the terminal-ends) is tapered to make it easier to get at the bottom rows.

You can get an awful lot of solder-connections in a compact space.

It also avoids the expense, space, unreliability of connectors in equipment that won't be disconnected for 20 years, yet allows changes as fast as an iron will heat.

Frankly if I never see another tree-block, that's cool; but if that's the right gizmo for the job, then nothing else will do.

The ones I used were not solid, but a stack of notched Bakelite strips with the brass strips set in, and the whole stack bolted together. The brasses were tinned and notched for better soldering.

Dave says he has round terminals that accept CRIMP-ON. He won't get good old-time flavor that way.

Tag Blocks - "Christmas Tree" terminal blocks.

Canford sells new ones:
43-975 25 Tags 3 Rows
43-979 25 Tags 6 Rows
43-978 26 Tags 6 Rows

the german name is "Lötigel" ... :green:

That's cool, but I'm in the USA :wink:

or mail to

[email protected]

they may have some for a better price if you drop my name

regards
volker

edit: they are in germany ...

Thanks, Volker. I found them on the Canford page.


It says

This is the last stock Canford can obtain for this item.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess these are pretty much obsolete these days, but I like them.

Man, I really wish I could remember the vendor who had them about a year ago. The prices were very low and it was a US vendor. I would not pay those prices that Canford advertise; with shipping and duty, it would end up being rather expensive.

[quote author="NewYorkDave"]Yeah, I guess these are pretty much obsolete these days, but I like them.[/quote]

Well, today you take the KRONE system - I like the old LÖTIGEL much more, and the connections are just better.

Dave-

How about this:

http://www.surplussales.com/Communications/Comms-2.html

about halfway down the page, under '120 Pin Terminal Block'.

Good luck,
Zach

Do you prefer them to telephone punch blocks or the ADC punch blocks?

Are you looking to keep the studio wired the same way everywhere? I like that too.

Excellent, Zach. Thanks!

I'm surprised I didn't turn that up in my Google search. I tried just about every permutation of "Christmas Tree", "Xmas tree", "terminal", "block" and "solder."

Now, the rest of yuz, don't buy out their stock till I've had a chance to buy some for myself, OK? :wink:

(Yes, I'm being facetious. I'm probably the only guy in the world who's looking for Christmas tree blocks right now).

Paul, I would rather use the ADC QCP blocks if I were building a large facility, since they save a lot of time and give solid connections if used properly. But for a small studio, where you can afford to take your time, what could be better than a soldered connection? :grin:

Interestingly, ADC still makes a terminal block that's similar in concept to the Christmas tree, although this one appears to be intended for wire-wrap.

If it doesn't work out for you Dave, we've got boxes full of these things hanging around.

Cool, Tommy. Please PM me with details, if you would. Thanks.

dave-

I have a christmas tree I took off my console, send me your address and I'll send it to you on monday.

dave