The old Otis test jumpers are getting impossible to find

Started out 12 years ago at a shop in Minneapolis and we had a drawer full of those brass test jumpers for the Otis 211. Now I'm lucky if I can find one at the supply house that isn't some cheap aluminum knockoff that breaks after 3 uses. The older guys would just bend a paperclip, but after I shorted a hall call board last spring I'd rather just buy the real thing. Anyone know a shop in the Midwest that still stocks the brass ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor8218d agoMost Upvoted

Paperclips work fine if you know what you're doing.

king.kevin18d ago

Man I used to be the guy telling everyone to just use a paperclip or a piece of scrap wire. Figured it was all the same, a jumper is a jumper right? Then I had one of those cheap aluminum ones snap off inside a relay socket and I spent hours trying to fish it out with needle nose pliers. That changed my whole outlook real fast. The brass ones just hold up better and dont leave that nasty oxide residue on the terminals. Now I grab a handful anytime I see them at a local shop, even if I dont need them right then. Its the kind of thing you learn to appreciate after youve been burned once.