[Stan2112]

Hello all, first time poster. I've been browsing the DIY cable gallery for a bit and I'll be using the ideas there to do a detachable cable mod for my Sony V6.

I'm also trying to repair my son's HyperX Cloud I headset, left channel died completely. We're going to do a rewire of everything (except the internal left -> right audio wires). The factory cable is actually two sets of individually-insulated wires, one is 2 conductors (for mic) and the other is 3 (for audio) but both sets are then wrapped in the same insulator, much like 2 channel snake cable (Mogami 2930). At the PC end, they split into separate audio and mic connections. We need to keep that split since he uses the PC sound card for mic and a USB DAC for audio (with an A/B splitter to share signal with his Edifier dekstop speakers).

My initial thought was to use two pieces of Mogami 2893 each in 550 paracord (for looks), wrapping both in Techflex for most of the length. Two issues with that - what size Techflex would we need for two 550 paracord lines, and that seems a bit bulky to feed into the headset. Is there a better way to do that? Maybe wrap both Mogamis in a single piece of larger paracord up to the split, and then 550 to the PC end? Do we just not bother with Techflex at all?

I've seen vids of just doing a detachable cable mod for the headset using a TRRS connector, but I think that would lead to shared ground issues at the PC end of things. Any thoughts?

 

[ScornDefeat]

Would it be reasonable to use hook-up wire for a headphone cable?

http://www.soniccraft.com/product_info.php/jupiter-solid-silver-cotton-28-awg-p-1614

Thinking about using this for a simple 4-wire braid for a balanced 4-pin XLR cable, with no paracord.

Thoughts?

 

[dontfeedphils]

Would it be reasonable to use hook-up wire for a headphone cable?

http://www.soniccraft.com/product_info.php/jupiter-solid-silver-cotton-28-awg-p-1614

Thinking about using this for a simple 4-wire braid for a balanced 4-pin XLR cable, with no paracord.

Thoughts?

I like a really pliable/flexible cable and all the hook up wire I've tried is way too rigid for my liking.

 

[ScornDefeat]

I like a really pliable/flexible cable and all the hook up wire I've tried is way too rigid for my liking.

You're absolutely right, didn't take that into account as much but hook-up wire certainly isn't all that pliable.

I saw silver wire, with cotton dialectric, and a good price and got ahead of myself lol

 

[Stan2112]

I'm thinking I'll just twist 3 Mogami wires together and then another pair and run both sets through the same paracord, splitting into smaller paracord at the Y as necessary. What size paracord is good for 2 or 3 pairs - is 550 too big?

 

[Degree]

I'm planning on making some RCA interconnects with quad cables (Canare l-4E5C since I have a lot of it). Is it alright to leave the other two conductors unused? Is there any good practices I should follow? Someone mentioned having one end with the shield free-floating and the other end soldered, is there any benefits to that? I thought it was good practice to solder both.

Also is there any downside to getting rid of the cable sheathing and just using the bare strands in a parcord for headphone cables? I figured that'd make the cables more lightweight, but not sure if that'd make it more prone to issues

 

[ScornDefeat]

I'm planning on making some RCA interconnects with quad cables (Canare l-4E5C since I have a lot of it). Is it alright to leave the other two conductors unused? Is there any good practices I should follow? Someone mentioned having one end with the shield free-floating and the other end soldered, is there any benefits to that? I thought it was good practice to solder both.

Also is there any downside to getting rid of the cable sheathing and just using the bare strands in a parcord for headphone cables? I figured that'd make the cables more lightweight, but not sure if that'd make it more prone to issues

1) I would advise not leaving unconnected conductors. Connect two conductors to ground (sleeve), and two to hot (tip).

2) Floating shield is fine; I also use this approach. The idea is that any EMI/RFI picked up by the shield won't be transferred to the output if its only attached at source. Detractors say that it's a bad idea because it essentially leaves the shield as an antenna and that the shield is useless if its not grounded on both ends. I have no issues with my floating shield cables, I like the idea.

3) Definitely do not leave bare strands of copper onductors in paracord. Paracord is not an insulator. You need to keep the insulting jacket on the conductors except for where they are being soldered.

 

[Degree]

1) I would advise not leaving unconnected conductors. Connect two conductors to ground (sleeve), and two to hot (tip).

2) Floating shield is fine; I also use this approach. The idea is that any EMI/RFI picked up by the shield won't be transferred to the output if its only attached at source. Detractors say that it's a bad idea because it essentially leaves the shield as an antenna and that the shield is useless if its not grounded on both ends. I have no issues with my floating shield cables, I like the idea.

3) Definitely do not leave bare strands of copper onductors in paracord. Paracord is not an insulator. You need to keep the insulting jacket on the conductors except for where they are being soldered.

Thank you so much.

Sorry I should have clarified I meant removing the main insulator, not the individual insulators of the four conductors themselves.

Also, when doing the RCA connectors - One side I solder the two conductors + shield for ground and two to hot. Other side it's two conductors (no shield) to ground/two to hot right? Just to make sure I'm doing the floating method right. The floating side I should trim off the shield?

 

[doctorjuggles]

Sorry I should have clarified I meant removing the main insulator, not the individual insulators of the four conductors themselves.

Yeah it’s absolutely fine to do this

 

[ScornDefeat]

Thank you so much.

Sorry I should have clarified I meant removing the main insulator, not the individual insulators of the four conductors themselves.

Also, when doing the RCA connectors - One side I solder the two conductors + shield for ground and two to hot. Other side it's two conductors (no shield) to ground/two to hot right? Just to make sure I'm doing the floating method right. The floating side I should trim off the shield?

Ahh, ok , when you said bare strands I thought you meant the raw copper haha. Yes, what you're proposing is absolutely fine.

Yep, you're right on all accounts, that's the way to do it. Trim excess shield on the floated side.

 

[dotashope]

Hello all, first time poster. I've been browsing the DIY cable gallery for a bit and I'll be using the ideas there to do a detachable cable mod for my Sony V6.

Hi idk if you already did the mod but I'd strongly advice you to replace the 3 wires from the cable with a Mogami or something else. I think the wires are litz. It is incredibly hard to get a clean tin on them. I'd just desolder them and replace with other easier to work wires. I struggled a lot to tin them.

 

[shrimants]

alright i'm at my wits end. I am using the double helix 4 strand cable and trying to solder it to a 2.5mm jack. The sleeving on it is WAY too delicate, and it melts away/together with other strands as I try to solder it. It got all screwy so I tried removing it and the jack itself melted apart. the tip came right out. So that part is trash. I got one more to try on but now I have no idea how i'm supposed to solder this thing together.

any tips/advice would be much appreciated.

 

[ScornDefeat]

alright i'm at my wits end. I am using the double helix 4 strand cable and trying to solder it to a 2.5mm jack. The sleeving on it is WAY too delicate, and it melts away/together with other strands as I try to solder it. It got all screwy so I tried removing it and the jack itself melted apart. the tip came right out. So that part is trash. I got one more to try on but now I have no idea how i'm supposed to solder this thing together.

any tips/advice would be much appreciated.

Do you have any photos of the work that you did? What temp do you have your iron set to?

Any typical materials, that a jack is made of, have a wayyyy higher melting point than what your iron would be at, so I'm interested to see what work was done that resulted in that level of damage.

 

[shrimants]

i tried soldering one jack at 350c and another at 400c. at 350 it took too long to get the wire/jack heated up and the solder kept just balling up on the iron. on the 400c attempt it melted fine and all but i couldnt get it to stick on because the wire's sleeving kept melting and getting shorted.

just to clarify, its not that the jack itself melted. The plastic (eidolic connector, 2.5mm) between the tip/rings is the part that melted. the metal itself is obviously just fine.

 

[dontfeedphils]

i tried soldering one jack at 350c and another at 400c. at 350 it took too long to get the wire/jack heated up and the solder kept just balling up on the iron. on the 400c attempt it melted fine and all but i couldnt get it to stick on because the wire's sleeving kept melting and getting shorted.

just to clarify, its not that the jack itself melted. The plastic (eidolic connector, 2.5mm) between the tip/rings is the part that melted. the metal itself is obviously just fine.

Really shouldn't have to go above 350c to solder, especially if you've got the right size solder tip.