Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › How to make an interconnect Step by Step With Pics
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

How to make an interconnect Step by Step With Pics - Page 67

post #991 of 1002
lol...fair enough, I have read this recipe elsewhere with different variations, all using silver wire for both. one just braided three silver wires together and used that. I just don't want to waste the silver on the ground if it is not necessary.



thanks
post #992 of 1002
sorry for another post, so many questions...lol...
another question about covering the silver wire. would a PTFE Teflon heat shrink tubing work? Apparently it the heat shrink has a high recovery temperature, I am not sure what that means, but the product I am looking at is around 625 F.
post #993 of 1002
Is there a cheaper/similar alternative to Eichmann Silver Bullet? (For a silver cable) Paying $150 for plugs is a bit insane, so I'm looking for the nearest step down... (~$50)
post #994 of 1002
I want to make a braided (twisted) cable. This one appears to have three wires, so how does that work? Or do I need four?

post #995 of 1002
I'm not a real expert, but it would appear there are two copper and one silver cable in your example. From that, I concluded they are using two cables for signal and one for ground, probably because it looks nicer than a twister pair to some people.

Were I you, I would use either a twisted pair, or four-conductor (I think if you look up "litz braid" you'll get some nifty resources) cable. Starquad is also a popular choice (from reading the cable gallery posts).

for a nice visible braid, I would recommend four, but I've only made 6 or so cables and am by no means an expert.
post #996 of 1002
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prog Rock Man View Post
I want to make a braided (twisted) cable. This one appears to have three wires, so how does that work? Or do I need four
Three is enough: one wire for left, right and ground.
post #997 of 1002
Quote:
Originally Posted by apatN View Post
Three is enough: one wire for left, right and ground.
Sorry, I don't understand. I thought ICs were signal and ground only. Which is left and right?
post #998 of 1002
Ah! I am sorry for the misunderstanding.

I did not see that those were RCAs (thought they were TRS-plugs). In that case you will need two wires per cable: one for signal, one for ground.
post #999 of 1002

I'm planning on using just the four main wires inside a Starquad L-4e6s then heat shrinking over it. But my question is: Is the copper braiding and the threads and tissue paper stuff inside the whole Starquad wire necessary?

(I want to make a new cable to recable my headphones)

And since the tip and the middle of the plug (Neutrik NTP3RC) are left and right, does that apply to the left and right of where the sound comes from of the headphones too? 

 

 

post #1000 of 1002

Can someone help clarify the use of heatshrink and techflex?

 

From what I can tell, heatshrink is only applied at the ends/Y split to make the wires more tight for proper fitting - or is it applied across the entire cable?

What are the benefits of wrapping the wire in techflex/nylon? Also, are all techflex somewhat transparent (mesh)?

 

Thanks


Edited by Bureiba - 8/4/11 at 8:34am
post #1001 of 1002

Heatshrink is an insulation that you use when wires are cut and exposed, and made its way as a strain relief as you noted. It's used on a y-split for convenience. You wouldn't ordinarily use it for the entire run, as it's unnecessary, and adds to the stiffness (=bad) of the cable. It's main use for me is to protect the exit of wire from the termination or plug, so that movement doesn't cut through the wire's sheath. 

 

Techflex is primarily cosmetic, although does add to the strength of the cable if it's in a rough environment or being handles a lot. But mainly cosmetic. Techflex is mostly transparent since when it's applied, the weave opens up a bit to reveal the colour of the underlying cable. You can get higher density Techflex but it's stiffer, and you can get nylon multifilament which is soft with no see-through (but doesn't expand like Techflex does). 

 

One shortcoming of Techflex is that it's not laterally flexible (i.e. you can't twist it), so if you have a single RCA cable for example, it's not an issue as it can twist on the jack. But if you're making a cable with a directional plug on it (like an iPod dock plug) then don't use techflex. 

post #1002 of 1002

Thanks Good Times!

 

I am planning to get a pair of Grado SR80i and recable (along with some other mods), and came up with the following parts list. How does it look? Are the sizes good? I'm not sure whether I will go with techflex or nylon at this point (maybe I'll do a mix - techflex before the split and nylon after, since after the split I don't want to see the colors of the bare wires).

Canare Miniature Star Quad L-4E5C (.189" diameter)
Switchcraft 3.55mm Plug Straight
Techflex (1/8" before/after split)
Nylon Multifilament (3/16" before Y split, 1/8" after)
Heatshrink (3:1, 2:1? what size?)

New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › How to make an interconnect Step by Step With Pics