spencexxx
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2005
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Hi, I'd never picked up a soldering iron before and have noobie understanding of electricity and soldering. I bought a 30w iron and decided to try to solder a piece of Coax cable (cheap Cable TV Cable) for practice. I have some Cardas Coax for when I get good enough to make a cable.
Here's what happened: I cut a 10 inch length and while stripping off the white outer wire, realized that I could pull off the entire white plastic coating. This left the braided silver colored wire over a plastic tube containing the solid-core wire. I stripped down to that. I tinned the iron then tried to tin the copper(?) solid wire (it dripped off)....then I unwould the silver wires from the outside creating a Y .... I touched the iron to the twisted 1" of silver wires and attempted to tin them and F L A S H ! A pop and a white light that blinded me for about 5 minutes. When I could see again (without the yellow/blue tone) I see that the silver braid is burned and exploded in a patch about an inch long and about 4 inches from the twisted end. It looks like I held a lighter under it.
I would like to build a coax rca at some point, but do not want to obliviate the expensive Cardas...nor do I want to scare the hell out of myself again. I'm sure someone will read this and say "Oh, of course, you idiot! You ___________" Please help me to fill in the blanks!
Here's what happened: I cut a 10 inch length and while stripping off the white outer wire, realized that I could pull off the entire white plastic coating. This left the braided silver colored wire over a plastic tube containing the solid-core wire. I stripped down to that. I tinned the iron then tried to tin the copper(?) solid wire (it dripped off)....then I unwould the silver wires from the outside creating a Y .... I touched the iron to the twisted 1" of silver wires and attempted to tin them and F L A S H ! A pop and a white light that blinded me for about 5 minutes. When I could see again (without the yellow/blue tone) I see that the silver braid is burned and exploded in a patch about an inch long and about 4 inches from the twisted end. It looks like I held a lighter under it.
I would like to build a coax rca at some point, but do not want to obliviate the expensive Cardas...nor do I want to scare the hell out of myself again. I'm sure someone will read this and say "Oh, of course, you idiot! You ___________" Please help me to fill in the blanks!