Tutorial: How to make a Zen V:M LOD (with pictures)

[wgr73]

This is how I made my Zen Vision:M LOD.

Parts used: Canare Starquad cable, Qables LOD, Canare F-12 Connector, soldering iron, solder, flux(not needed but recommended), hot glue gun, glue/epoxy, 10k resistor (radioshack has them), scissors, and a wire stripper.

Step 1: Take apart the connector and pull the guts out to expose the pins. See the picture below for pin layout.



Step 2: This LOD requires pins 17(ground), 24(Left channel), 25(ground), and 26(right channel). Remove all other pins for an easier install. NOTE: Make sure you have the right pins before you remove them! Keep the pins you take out, you can use them later if you happen to break one. You can re-install them with needle nose pliers.




Step 3: Now take the 10k ohm resistor, cut and bend it into the position shown below.



Step 4: Solder the resistor to pin 17 and 25.



Step 5: Now, grab the cable that you have decided to use for the signals. I used Canare 4-wire microphone cable. With this, you should remove the shielding and the cotton around the wires before you tin them. NOTE: To make sure you use the right cables, ohm them out, or mark both ends.



Step 6: Roll the 2 ground wires together. Strip and tin all the wires.



Step 7: Solder the ground wires to the resistor.



Step 8: Now solder the other 2 wires respectively to pins 24 and 26…Don’t forget to remember which wires you used for 24, and 26. This will be important later!



Step 9: Strip and tin the other end of the cable as you did in step 5. NOTE: Before you solder this end, make sure you have the connector shield, and ‘screw-on’ end on the wire. You don’t want to have to unsolder the connector.

Step 10: Solder the 2 blue wires to the ground on the connector you have choose.



Step 11: Solder the signal wires respectively to the right and left channels of your connector. NOTE: At this point if you didn’t mark the wires so that you know which is which, you can ohm both ends out (use the pins on the LOD).



Step 12: Check to make sure the LOD works! Be careful when you plug it into the zvm/amp to check it. It’s still fragile!



Step 13: Now hot glue the pins and cables at the LOD end. (This makes sure that the pins don’t flex into each other during normal use).



Step 14: Now place this end in the LOD housing.



Step 15: Glue/epoxy the top to the bottom. Wait for the glue to dry, and enjoy!!!!




I hope this helps those of you who choose to make an LOD for the ZVM!! Let me know if I forgot/messed-up something. Thanks again

-Winfield

[ChickenGod]

Excellent!

[heatmizer]

Nice guide !!

[fordgtlover]

Nice job.

[wgr73]

Thanks guys!

[mADmAN]

errrr....y is there a resistor at the ground? y wansnt the ground soldered directly to the pins? what effect does the resistor give?

[barqy]

^ allows ZVM to recognize it.

ground doesn't matter where it's connected to, won't change the sound

[fatman711]

can these be bought specifically for the ZVM?

[wgr73]

Originally Posted by fatman711

can these be bought specifically for the ZVM?

If your talking about the complete LOD, yes. I sell/make them, and qables makes them. I'm not sure if ALO still does though. There are also other head-fiers that do a great job making these (Bones55, barqy, soloz...)

[qpoiz]

Excellent close-ups!

I actually made an LOD two days before you made this tutorial and this would definitely have saved some time.