DIY Cable Questions and Comments Thread

[ArmAndHammer]

  For basic use a fixed temp is fine. I ended up getting this one 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NKUS-Watt-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG7F0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422107487&sr=8-1&keywords=weller+led+40+watt
 
Because it comes with tips, has a 7 year warranty, and gets hot as crap. 900 degrees, and in just a minute or two. They also have a 750 degree version. Good reviews on amazon and home depot, and I haven't encountered any problems yet. I did accidentally melt a pin on a switch, but it was my own fault. 
 
 

Do you want or need one that gets that hot for doing cables and working on headphones? That's why I was looking at the 15w and 20w irons because they only get up into the high 300's low 400's.

 

[scizzro]

  Do you want or need one that gets that hot for doing cables and working on headphones? That's why I was looking at the 15w and 20w irons because they only get up into the high 300's low 400's.

Look at the melting temp of whatever solder you're using. Some lead-frees are around 500. So no, a 900 degree iron isn't required for making a cable. I just read a lot of reviews about dinky irons that just don't get hot enough and can't get the job done. Didn't want to fuss with it. With the really hot iron, you just have to work fast.

 

[creatip]

  Just to let you know, those sennheiser connectors come as a pack of 2 - you don't need to buy 2 of them. They also need to be covered by heatshrink, they are open and don't come with a cover plate. You'll need the heatshrink anyway when you make the y-split. 
 
I would get like 16 feet of the quad, and the last foot or so as 2 x 2 - it will be much easier that way, and you won't need to buy something to sleeve it with. Sorry for the crude drawing: 
 

 
 
You could use quad instead of the 2-conductor, but you only need 2 to each sennheiser connector. 
 
Do you have a soldering gun already? These connectors need to be soldered

 
How do you make a good looking Y split?
 
I tried with 1 tube just before the intersection, but it's a sore-eyes. So I took it off, and prepared a longer tube. Cut 2 holes on each side for the L-R wires, but when heated, it also turned out to be a sore eyes...

 

[creatip]

Guys, have you ever encountered a connector's surface that soldering tins just won't stick to? 
 
I got one yesterday. Cleaned it up, tried putting flux (the black paste thingy), and it still wouldn't stick at all. I even wasted a few cm of WBT tin, and it kept gunking on my solder tip instead of the contact surface. 
 
What should I do if I encounter something like that? Rough sandpaper?

 

[PETEREK]

Dude yes, I just got some 3.5mm connectors with carbon fiber barrels from lunashops a couple weeks ago that have this issue. I had my iron all the way up to 500 Celsius trying to get the solder to stick but it just wouldn't.

 

[creatip]

Dude yes, I just got some 3.5mm connectors with carbon fiber barrels from lunashops a couple weeks ago that have this issue. I had my iron all the way up to 500 Celsius trying to get the solder to stick but it just wouldn't.

 
Oh man, that's exactly the thing that gave me the trouble, though I didn't get mine from Luna. Mine is the L-shaped carbon fibre barrel (I'm sure it's only decal tho). One of them soldered fine, but the other one wouldn't stick at all. It's only in the ground pole/stress reliever tho, the other polarities were fine.
 
Ended up rough sandpapered it before soldering, and even then it still looked kinda brittle. 

 

[PETEREK]

Sounds like I should just toss those. They were like $10 each too. What a rip off.

 

[holco]

   
How do you make a good looking Y split?
 
I tried with 1 tube just before the intersection, but it's a sore-eyes. So I took it off, and prepared a longer tube. Cut 2 holes on each side for the L-R wires, but when heated, it also turned out to be a sore eyes...

This will be the way I am going to do it, you need some adhesive heat shrink though. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/71148/diy-cable-gallery/9645#post_8532084
 

 

[holco]

Btw, is this the correct way to connect a 4 pin XLR plug on a balanced HD 650 cable?
 

 

[PETEREK]

Btw, is this the correct way to connect a 4 pin XLR plug on a balanced HD 650 cable?

Yes!

 

[scizzro]

Yes!

Is that looking into a male xlr? Or from behind?
 
Edit: figured it out. That's looking into it from the front pins, not the back. When you go to solder , you have to reverse it. But I'm hoping the pins are numbered on the connector just to help avoid confusion

 

[PETEREK]

I wasn't paying attention to the layout, just the pin numbers. Follow those numbers and you will have it right.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Does it matter as which pin u connect to the HD650's jack for left or ground? 

 

[creatip]

Sounds like I should just toss those. They were like $10 each too. What a rip off.

 
If it's gonna be tossed anyway, try rough sandpapering. I sanded until I took off a bit of shine out of the surface, but not completely doff. Soldering tin started to stick after that. Perhaps you'd wanna go all the way till doff to get the best result.
 

  This will be the way I am going to do it, you need some adhesive heat shrink though. 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/71148/diy-cable-gallery/9645#post_8532084
 

 
Ah that explains. My tubes aren't adhesive, just standard industrial use tubes. Perhaps I'll try using glue or something for that....

 

[Shawn71]

Sounds like I should just toss those. They were like $10 each too. What a rip off.

Yep I stay away from them(just me)......they royally screwed up my senn cables and were very rude in handling customers.....so pathetic. All I said to myself -just "kiss my arse".....