SUMMARY: Mini-DIN Audio Input Connector for a SparcStation-1

[Mike Jipping]

Thanks to all who responded!

There are basically three non-Sun routes for the Mini-DIN plug.  

(1) Buy/Steal the mini-DIN from a cable company (WORKABLE):

This is the route I took, since I knew someone at a cable supply company
locally.  [And since my request took so LOOONG to work through Sun-Spots.]
I asked for a sample mini-DIN.  With most large-volume companies, samples
are plentiful; mine came with a coffee cup!  I still had to be the audio
jacks from Radio Shack.

BEWARE: on a "virgin" mini-DIN, the pins are close to microscopic, which
means soldering takes five hands and is next to impossible.

This scheme works.  Looks like a kludge, but it works! COST: $1.67 for the
jacks from RS.

(2) Get a plug made for a Macintosh serial port (BETTER):

The Sun audio plug is the same as a Mac serial port plug.  Get a cable,
and cut off one end.  Solder up the wires.  Better yet, go Mac to
Laserwriter -- male to male -- and cut in half.  You got two plugs. 

This scheme sure saves the soldering on the mini-DIN and looks nicer.
COST: local Apple store say such a cable is $16 to $20.  Mail I received
claimed $5, but I couldn't verify it.  At $20, it's worth it!  Don't
forget the audio jacks.

(3) Order the plug/cable from MISCO, Inc. (BEST? SAME?)

This is the same as above; you can specifically order a male-to-male.
Mail address is:
    MISCO 
    One MISCO Plaza 
    Holmdel, NJ  07733             (800) 876-4726.  

A 5-foot cable (# YN0269M/M) is $16.50.  Again, there's an audio jack
cost.

There it is.  Thanks to all who responded and will respond.  In
particular, thanks to Mike Wagner <wagner at cadillac.siemens.com>, Brian
Kantor <brian at ucsd.edu>, and Bill Carpenter <wjc at hoswjc.ATT.COM>.

      Mike Jipping                        Internet: jipping at cs.hope.edu
      Hope College                          BITNET: JIPPING at HOPE
      Department of Computer Science         Voice: Hey!