DIY Cable Questions and Comments Thread

[Paladin79]

  better like how?

 

  So, what the next step up for copper cable from Mogami W2799? Anything better?

The 2799 is a miniature quad; they make other Neglex cable of course. I have some 24 awg ofc I like as well or better that costs less. I do not have the specs in front of me but it has a higher strand count.

 

[Allanmarcus]

 
better like how?

 
So, what the next step up for copper cable from Mogami W2799? Anything better?

The 2799 is a miniature quad core; they make other Neglex cable of course. I have some 24 awg ofc I like as well or better that costs less. I do not have the specs in front of me but it has a higher strand count.

If you are referring to the stuff you sent me, I like it too. A bit more flexible than the mogami. Are you selling it yet?

 

[buke9]

Was looking at the wrong listing.

Meant 

[COLOR=111111]http://a.co/6gsTZ72[/COLOR]

[COLOR=111111]Just wanted to buy cheap bulk to practice.[/COLOR]

Have never heard of it so can't comment on it.

 

[Paladin79]

If you are referring to the stuff you sent me, I like it too. A bit more flexible than the mogami. Are you selling it yet?

I think I sent you Belden, this is another brand. We should be launching a new website before long and on there should be 24 awg ofc in at least two jacket colors. I doubt it matches the flexibility of smaller gauges.  It is not an easy to find 24 awg ofc unless you tear apart star quad. I listened to your suggestion on the cable boots as well (grommets). I will only have products I use and like so the decision making will be a little unilateral but I am always open to new ideas. I will have cable for high flex ic's and the parts to build them, cotton/mesh cable jacket etc. I am kicking around the idea of offering pig tails using Rean four pin mini xlrs, I love them and I like the cost savings compared to building four types of cables for one set of headphones or using adapters but I am not sure how many would warm to the idea.
 
Tom

 

[Paladin79]

Have never heard of it so can't comment on it.

That is just 22 awg hook up wire, available most anywhere by ten different companies, tinned copper, not many strands. 

 

[Dyaems]

 
RTFM

 
no need to be rude, there is no manual in the first place, my multimeter is just a generic one, and bought it at least 4 years ago. this is one of the reasons i stopped visiting this forum, because of people like you.
 
 

 
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+To+Use+A+Multimeter/25632#s64987

 
thanks, i already saw that link earlier when i was doing some searches on google.
 
 

   
Go to the lowest ohm setting, sometimes they use the omega symbol, touch the leads together and you should get a zero reading. A piece of wire should give you the same result. A lot of meters have a small speaker symbol for an audio tone, depending on the make of meter this might not be very loud though.
On some kinds of cables you have to be careful of creating a high resistance short, you measure for this on a higher ohm scale such as 100k or up but that is a discussion for another day.

 
thanks you for the information! currently reterminating the cable as of this post.

 

[JohnRS]

no need to be rude, there is no manual in the first place, my multimeter is just a generic one, and bought it at least 4 years ago. this is one of the reasons i stopped visiting this forum, because of people like you.



thanks, i already saw that link earlier when i was doing some searches on google.



thanks you for the information! currently reterminating the cable as of this post.

This is a pic of the continuity symbol. As said the audio symbol means it beeps when a circuit is made, if not you rely on the readings and to test touch the probes together.

 

[Paladin79]

I am glad you got it figured out. There are also some cable testers out there with a good loud beep for continuity, much louder than some of the meters I have encountered. This one is particularly good but might be a little pricey unless you are building quite a few cables. I mention a loud beep since with that you can make many checks without ever looking up. 
 
http://www.markertek.com/product/hos-cbt-500/hosa-cbt-500-audio-cable-tester-w-bnc
 
My people build cables daily so I can justify the expenditure; and they cost me less than the Markertek price. It has a lot of jacks for common connectors but is not much help with many of the connectors used on headphones other than a continuity test. 
 
Tom

 

[Allanmarcus]

 


RTFM

no need to be rude, there is no manual in the first place, my multimeter is just a generic one, and bought it at least 4 years ago. this is one of the reasons i stopped visiting this forum, because of people like you.

 

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+To+Use+A+Multimeter/25632#s64987

thanks, i already saw that link earlier when i was doing some searches on google.

 

Go to the lowest ohm setting, sometimes they use the omega symbol, touch the leads together and you should get a zero reading. A piece of wire should give you the same result. A lot of meters have a small speaker symbol for an audio tone, depending on the make of meter this might not be very loud though.
On some kinds of cables you have to be careful of creating a high resistance short, you measure for this on a higher ohm scale such as 100k or up but that is a discussion for another day.

thanks you for the information! currently reterminating the cable as of this post.

Sorrry, wasn't trying to be rude. Many people forget their stuff comes with manuals, either on line or printed. Also, I work in IT, and RTFM is a VERY common expression used amoung friends.

 

[Paladin79]

Knowing what little I do about Allanmarcus from posts I have read, he certainly goes out of his way to help people and I have no doubt his intent was not mean.
 
For those of you who may not have a meter, I posted a simple circuit on here a while back showing a battery, a couple pieces of wire and a small bulb you can use to test continuity. It was much easier to do back when there was a Radio Shack in most US cities but times change. Companies like Parts Express still sell kits and a lot of needed electronic supplies for those of you who do not have several decades of parts stashed in your garage.

 

[Arty McGhee]

  Knowing what little I do about Allanmarcus from posts I have read, he certainly goes out of his way to help people and I have no doubt his intent was not mean.
 
For those of you who may not have a meter, I posted a simple circuit on here a while back showing a battery, a couple pieces of wire and a small bulb you can use to test continuity. It was much easier to do back when there was a Radio Shack in most US cities but times change. Companies like Parts Express still sell kits and a lot of needed electronic supplies for those of you who do not have several decades of parts stashed in your garage.

my $5 harbor freight meter is my constant companion while cable building
i constantly check for correct connections and short etc.
 
i dunno how old people are, but i'm over 50
we used to tinker with batteries and wire and lightbulbs
and used to make that flashlight/continuity tester
we learned to solder in shop i high school
 
i fear the internet and videogames has made us dumb (damn kids get off my lawn)
 
i feel its important for us to pass this knowledge on to the next generation (and be nice to people)
 
sorry for the rant 
 
 would love some info on that wire you were talking about

 

[Paladin79]

I will try to get the specs Monday and post them. I have already used up the 25 foot sample I received but I have already committed to several thousand feet. I would be fooling myself if I claimed I could hear a difference between a group of 24 awg ofc wires ceteris paribus (all other things being equal.) I have had some twenty somethings with excellent hearing compare the wire to others I presented to them including some OCC copper and I was pleased with the results. I used balanced binaural audio (Chesky recordings) through my home setup and the two young ladies with what I believe to be the best hearing asked me how in the "heck" (supply your own four letter word here) they were supposed to listen to factory earbuds on their smart phones anymore? All wires were in four wire braid configuration and there were no markings on the wires but I encased them in paracord anyway. The wire is not expensive and if you PM me your address Arty I would send you a sample gratis when the shipment arrives. I am not a sponsor yet but I do not believe it is against the rules here to help out a fellow cable builder. If we start selling wire, I would never say more than here are the specs i know of, form your own opinion otherwise. If you like OCC better, by all means buy it or litz wire I would hope to offer those as well. I like choices.
 
 
The cable in question is 24 awg bare copper, 40x40 stranding, ofc, foam polypropylene insulation and it will most likely well for less than Mogami 26 awg and save a lot of labor removing it from star quad cable.

 
Tom

 

[sharktopus]

If I wanted to get some such cable, where could it be found?  Or is the answer just grab some star quad cable and tear it down?  The cable I've got right now is really inflexible and microphonic, so I'm looking at making my own.  Also, if I've been following y'all correctly, it sounds like the rean connectors would be a good balance between price and quality.

 

[Paladin79]

Rean (Neutrik) and Amphenol are very good connectors. I like and use both brands and have not experienced any failures over a ten year period. I cannot hear a sonic difference between brands so I mostly go by quality of construction.

I will send you some wire no charge to try out when it arrives. It is not readily available in small batches otherwise. Some things have MOQ's (minimum order requirements) or companies will not set up and run production. PM me a name and address and I will send some no charge in a week or less. If you want to take time to give your impression that would be appreciated but not mandatory. Most Star quad I know of uses good wire but for a year I have wanted to locate individual ofc wire of high quality. A diyer can use their own time to cut star quad apart. If I do that in a production situation I just tripled my labor cost. Even at home I can construct a cable pigtail in 15 minutes or less, it goes against my nature to take an hour if I am anxious to hear new music or compare amps but that is just me.

Tom

 

[sharktopus]

Rean (Neutrik) and Amphenol are very good connectors. I like and use both brands and have not experienced any failures over a ten year period. I cannot hear a sonic difference between brands so I mostly go by quality of construction.

I will send you some wire no charge to try out when it arrives. It is not readily available in small batches otherwise. Some things have MOQ's (minimum order requirements) or companies will not set up and run production. PM me a name and address and I will send some no charge in a week or less. If you want to take time to give your impression that would be appreciated but not mandatory. Most Star quad I know of uses good wire but for a year I have wanted to locate individual ofc wire of high quality. A diyer can use their own time to cut star quad apart. If I do that in a production situation I just tripled my labor cost. Even at home I can construct a cable pigtail in 15 minutes or less, it goes against my nature to take an hour if I am anxious to hear new music or compare amps but that is just me.

Tom

Thanks for the info and quick reply!