[muk_mb]

Hello everyone, I found this forum today when I was looking for information about earbuds and fixing/mod'ing them. I have some 15$ skullcandy earbuds I bought to replace my ipod earbuds (they broke cause they fell out my ears at speed on my skateboard, hehe). My friend (the only person close to an audiophile I know) recommended the skullcandy's so I went for em. Now there's a short in the wire down near the audio plug and sound is only clear when you hold the cord just right.

I was wondering if it would be possible for me to easily replace the plug and ruined bit of cable or should I just chuck these and quit caring?

 

[Punnisher]

For that price I'd buy new ones, or get something better.

But if you have a plug laying around and a soldering iron, it never hurts to experiment.

The cable is likely a 3 conductor cable with each conductor coated with an enamel and woven with fiberglass. Removing this coating is extremely hard, but I know a method where you don't have to.

You simply cut the wire at an extreme angle, which exposes as much bare copper as possible. You can then heat and apply some solder to this bare area. Then just solder the conductors to their porper places on the mini-plug.

 

[muk_mb]

Well I figured it out. Had to get a friend help me to solder (which is funny since I'm a senior in EE and haven't had to solder anything ever), but we got it working just fine. I just got some stereo plug from radioshack, it seemed to work. Is there a better place to get different sorts of plugs in the future? I like having choices. Also is 3.50 USD an average price for a stereo 1/8th inch plug?

 

[MrKazador]

Parts Express:Neutrik NYS231BG 3.5mm Stereo Plug Black w/Gold Plug

 

[qusp]

you dont strip enamel wire you 'tin' it. you hold the wire in question in either a solder pot or in some solder on the tip of your iron until it burns off and tinns the wire; takes about 5-10 seconds

 

[muk_mb]

Yeah that's what I ended up doing, just melting off the ends.

 

[bhjazz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by muk_mb /img/forum/go_quote.gif Had to get a friend help me to solder (which is funny since I'm a senior in EE and haven't had to solder anything ever), but we got it working just fine.

Hilarious. That's the problem with college sometimes: too much theory and too little hands on.

Anyway, glad you got a taste of DIY. Welcome to the dark side...

 

[muk_mb]

We did plenty of circuit-building in various labs, just never built anything that needed to last for longer than a week, so we would just proto-board it up.