DIY Cable Gallery!!

[jc_lbc]

Very nice looking cables (and nice photos too!).

Do you mind if I ask what type of connectors they are and where to source them? I am especially interested in the mini-plug one.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by James281

Thanks, yeah i was thinking if i have some more free time i will make a couple to sale.


Them RCA are okay, I like the quality and look, but the design for installation are poor. the last pair i did i had trouble with the screw which won't go down all the way due to the thin layer that hold the screw. this second pair i don't have that problem but not having any place to solder the ground i usually solder near the wall of the connector and end up have a little solder outside i have to file it away. seem to do the trick so far. other than that i will continue to use them they're perfect for canare size cable.

[James281]

jc_lbc, i got those RCA connector on ebay.. just search for rca connector and it will come up. the mini headphone are the canare f-12.

[James281]

damn double post!

[jc_lbc]

Thanks for the reply! I was able to find some of those on eBay. I'm familiar with the Canare connectors but I mistakenly thought you had also made this cable and was wondering about that mini plug since it looks similiar to the RCA's you used. Anyone know where they may be available?

Originally Posted by James281

jc_lbc, i got those RCA connector on ebay.. just search for rca connector and it will come up. the mini headphone are the canare f-12.

[[AK]Zip]

Here is a pair of Technics DJ1200 I recabled. It came out really well and they sound pretty good. I can't say how they sounded before hand because I got them in with a damaged cable. Both left and right side were recabled. 24gauge silver plated copper wire used.







These defiantly make great portable cans.

-Alex-

[TURBO]

Originally Posted by [AK]Zip

Here is my latest 580/600/650 cable creation. I tried quite a few new things with this one and it came out great! As always the wires are soldered directly to the pins and the cable is shielded.


-Alex-

Nice recabling Alex. They look pretty nice and clean. Good job.

[James281]

more audio cable rca to rca!

[mishkakrisa]

Originally Posted by RnB180

I pinch the the flex right where the shrink meets it, and my fingers prevent the flex from deviating, the heat is then centralized only on the shrink.

with enough practice, you wont burn your fingers. It just takes experience, and kind of like an art to work with high heat levels and flex

I use an ungar 1095 low temp mode at 790Ø F for shrink over flex.

there are other ways you can tell from someone that is inexperienced with finishing and someone that isn't, while working with heat shrink, some cables will exhibit an uneven misaligned connector compared to wire exiting the barrel, If you want the cable to look as professional as possible, make sure he connector is perfectly aligned with the wire exiting it. when its crooked, its usually due to improper clamp position of the mechanical strain relief.

Heres a trick of the trade to easily remedy this problem, if your connector is crooked after applying the boot, heat the boot up enough to soften the shrink, then take hold of the connector and position it straight with the wire exiting the cable until the shrink cools. once the shrink cools the termination will stay straightened out.

another trick to fix flex that has been deformed due to heat,

heat up and soften the flex, once its heat up, use you fingers and reshape the flex back to its normal diameter, let cool and it will be back to normal.

these are the tricks of the trade that only come with experience

after a few hundred or so terminations you learn a thing or two here and there.

Also things I do to maintain the durability of the cables build, aside from the typlical continuity check and twist and bend check for intermittence,
on a finished cable you should tug on the flex, if the flex gets pulled from the connector, then you need to secure it better

I follow certain practices and some other tricks to lock the flex in place, but I can't give away all my secrets

another rule of thumb,

NEVER misalign the RA connectors, which is the first mistake a cable assembler can make, a cable with RA connectors facing in different directions is a sure definate sign that the assembler doesnt know what he's doing.

the RA connectors should always have the tips facing either > < or ^ ^

If you get an RA cable thats like < ^ or some wierd direction, that guy doesnt know what he's doing with the cable.

Well, this guy clearly didn't know what he was doing with his cable on his first IC (mini to mini) I was so worried about the soldering, had never done it before, that i didn't even think about the orientation of the ra connectors. So, is it fixable? How do I prevent this?
On a good note..it sounds great and the mini starquad is much more flexible than its big brother.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...a/PB220132.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...a/PB220131.jpg


Random question...why won't solder stick to the tip of my iron..."tinning"?
Just melt of when i press solder to it as the iron heats up. Sorry for the noob question.

Thanks for the help...you guys are really inspiring!

[The Monkey]

mishkakrisa, you're not alone, I've done exactly that with the RA plugs. It's a very easy mistake to make. I think the only way to fix it is to desolder the connection on one of the plugs, reorient and resolder.

As for tinning, it sounds like you're doing it right: the solder should just melt and a thin layer will stick to the tip of the iron and that's it. Tinning the iron means you're just melting a thin layer of solder onto the tip. Or are you finding that the solder is actually dripping off the tip?

[mishkakrisa]

thanks (the)monkey. Hmm guess I'll do the desolder-resolder thanks for the advice! What a pain ...it's gonna have to wait until I get back from a trip in a few weeks....Glad it sounds good, in the meantime!

Yeah, it doesn't actually stick to the solder tip...just drips off. I can see what I'm guessing is the flux go on the tip....looks wet...but no solder sticks...weird. Could it be the kind of solder I use? My iron is a 25w antex. Anyway, thanks for help...sorry for going a bit off topic.

All the best,
Mish

[RnB180]

Originally Posted by mishkakrisa

Well, this guy clearly didn't know what he was doing with his cable on his first IC (mini to mini) I was so worried about the soldering, had never done it before, that i didn't even think about the orientation of the ra connectors. So, is it fixable? How do I prevent this?
On a good note..it sounds great and the mini starquad is much more flexible than its big brother.

Hi,

I noticed you quoted me, were you referring to me?

btw, no need to desolder, just use a pair of clippers and gently lift the clamps. be careful, as you may damage the connector if done improperly. once unclamped, just twist the connector to align with the other and reclamp.

regarding tinning, I use a hakko 599b tip cleaner and Cardas eutectic solder with flux.

are you using rosin core solder? if so no flux is needed, I never use flux/paste on the tip, too messy. Also make sure your iron is hot enough before tinning.

I think my weller tip was like that. They use ceramic tips or something along that line, it prevents the solder from sticking to the tip instead of the joint. I didnt like how the joints looked with the weller solder station, so I got the hakko 936, and never looked back.


BTW IMHO 25 what iron is too low of a temperature. Youll get a lot of blobbly cold joints with the iron, unless you hold it there for a very long time. Even then its very difficult to get a fully wet concave joint.

[mishkakrisa]

Originally Posted by RnB180

Hi,

I noticed you quoted me, were you referring to me?

btw, no need to desolder, just use a pair of clippers and gently lift the clamps. be careful, as you may damage the connector if done improperly. once unclamped, just twist the connector to align with the other and reclamp.

regarding tinning, I use a hakko 599b tip cleaner and Cardas eutectic solder with flux.

are you using rosin core solder? if so no flux is needed, I never use flux/paste on the tip, too messy. Also make sure your iron is hot enough before tinning.

I think my weller tip was like that. They use ceramic tips or something along that line, it prevents the solder from sticking to the tip instead of the joint. I didnt like how the joints looked with the weller solder station, so I got the hakko 936, and never looked back.


BTW IMHO 25 what iron is too low of a temperature. Youll get a lot of blobbly cold joints with the iron, unless you hold it there for a very long time. Even then its very difficult to get a fully wet concave joint.

RnB180,
I was referring to something you said... as it had relevance to something stupid I had done. Was just for the purpose of asking how to solve such a problem...Hope I didn't cause offence in some way.

Anyway I'll give you're tecnique a try...thanks!

By clippers, do you mean needle nose pliers to lift up the clamps?

I need to get some more milage out of this iron before i get another...yes, it takes ages to heat stuff up....one day a hakko 936 may be mine too.
Thanks for the help!
All the best, Mish

[RnB180]

Ive gone through about 5 soldering irons,

the hakko is the only one that lasted me longer then a month.

I use clippers, but needle nose pliers cant slip under the clamps. Just make sure you dont cut the clamps

[mishkakrisa]

Thanks for the help and advice RnB180!

[n_maher]

Well, I finally got around to building a few more cables, still haven't gotten as much done as I'd like (Senn replacement cable) but these are a good start.

Pimp Daddy Cable - purple canare L-4E6S - 3/16" black techflex - Ebay Locking Gold RCAs


Stealth Cable - grey L-4E6S - 1/4" chrome techflex - Nuetrik ProFi RCAs


Orange Crush - orange L-4E6S - 3/16" black techflex - Canare F-09 RCAs

There are actually two sets of these being built as they're a Christmas present for my friend Ian.

And expect a few more pictures in the near future as I'm sure I'll come up with ways to use these: