[spinali]

I studied the two "how-to" guides here, which contain some nice pictures, but I guess I'm electronically challenged.

I'm making a simple mini-to-mini interconnect with Switchcraft plugs and Canare cable. Everything's ready for soldering.

On the inside of the plug I see three structures. "A" corresponds to a longer metal tab underneath "B", the small, notched metal structure. "C" corresponds to the metal underneath.

http://www.imglockup.com/serve/45/interconnect.gif[img][/url]

Moreover, I have four wires. Two are white, and two are green. I'll strip them when I know what to do.

Which wires get soldered to which metal part?

Thanks for enduring this bone-head post, and for your help!

 

[Porksoda]

The large metal area on the bottom is ground. The two other posts are your left and right channels. Two wires should go to ground, typically the two green ones. One white one goes to each channel. Which white one goes to which channel doesn't matter, as long as you are consistent on both ends. That is, the same wire should be connected to the slotted connector on both ends. If you have a multimeter, or something to test which wire is which at the opposite ends of the cable, this should be easy. Otherwise, I will open up the floor for futher advice on the subject.

One other thing: Don't strip too much sleeving off. If there is a lot of bare wire, the chances of two of them contacting and shorting out the plug are much higher.

Another thing: If this is one of the Canare cables with the metal shielding in it, make sure you trim ALL of the shielding off inside the plug. That stuff has a tendency to short out stuff if it touches any of the pins in the plug housing.

 

[spinali]

Thanks for the very good advice about the Canare cable; those little wires really do need aggressive snippage. I'll also take care with stripping.

In short, it seems that the two green "ground" wires get soldered to the big wide bottom section "C" that runs the whole inside length of the plug. And the two remaining white wires get soldered to "A" (the big metal post) and "B" (the little metal post that's dead center) respectively, for left and right channels.

Thanks!

 

[Porksoda]

Yep! right on the money. Make sure once you have it soldered that you bend down the cable clamp, the two tabs at the rear of the connector, with some pliers. They hold the cable in place and take the stress off of the solder joints ensuring a long, happy life for your cable

Again, make sure that the same wire is connected to the same post on both ends, or your stereo will be reversed.

 

[spinali]

Okay, I'm ready to solder.

I don't have a multimeter. How can I tell whether the wire on one end of my cable corresponds to the correct one on the other. It seems I have a 50% chance of getting it right.

Is there any easy way of matching wires on my Canare cable, with things I might have at home?

Thanks!

 

[nitsujH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinali Okay, I'm ready to solder. I don't have a multimeter. How can I tell whether the wire on one end of my cable corresponds to the correct one on the other. It seems I have a 50% chance of getting it right. Is there any easy way of matching wires on my Canare cable, with things I might have at home? Thanks!

The only thing I can think of is solder the ground's on both plugs, then solder both the white(?) to different posts. Plug both ends of the cable into your stereo. Pan the stereo all the way to the left channel(or right if you prefer). Take one of the white wires and touch it to one of the pins, if you have a signal, then this is your left wire(or right, depending if you panned to left or right). Mark this wire some how and solder it to corresponding pin.
If you put the end that still has open wires on it coming from the source (ie: into the cd player, and the other end to the amp) you can listen and make sure that the music is coming from the left speaker, if it's coming out of the right, just switch pin's in the plug.

As far as I know this should work. But I'm new to all of this myself, so hopfuly this won't short out anything, or break anything. I wouldn't think it would, but then again, how would I know?

 

[Porksoda]

Ummm... short of rigging something up out of 4th grade science, not really.

I am SURE there is a better method than what I am about to describe, but I am spoiled in that I have a lab at my disposal with all kinds of good toys, so I've never had to consider this.

Get a battery and a flashlight light bulb, and do the old science class trick where you touch one terminal of the light to one terminal of the battery, and use a wire to connect the other terminal of the battery to the other terminal of the bulb. Use a wire from the cable to make the second connection, and if you have two corresponding ends of a wire, the bulb should light.

That is the only method without a multimeter that comes to mind

EDIT: or the old guess and check method

 

[Jam_Master_J]

If I don't have a multimeter, I mock up a series circuit involving a 9volt battery and my tongue.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jam_Master_J If I don't have a multimeter, I mock up a series circuit involving a 9volt battery and my tongue.

Lol, that's what I immediately thought of when I read Spinali's question. There seems to be no shortage of cheap multimeters out there, so before you write them off as an unnecessary expense you should see whats floating around on Ebay.