The DIY cable tutorial thread with picts. (56k warning)

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Mister X

Supreme [H]ardness
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In todays exersise I are gonna explain how to build your own RCA to RCA psdueo balanced (unbalanced) patch cable pairs.
Sound like fun?
The tools required for this exercise are:
An Exacto knife.
Wire cutters
A Soldering iron.
Solder.
And a hand crimper.

Other helpful tools include a:
Mini awl.
Needle nose pliers.
A Sharpie marker.
And some scissors.

Let's get busy and order some parts. :D

One thing I should note here is the flexo is entrely optional.
It is there to add redundant stress relief and to look cool, other then that it is not needed.

From www.markertek.com select the following items:

Cable (you choose the color):
Canare L-4E6S Star Quad 4-Conductor Microphone Cable
Connectors (you need at least four):
Canare F-10 RCA plugs.
100" of Flexo:
Techflex covering. (#PET2-C-BK)

I made a fake order for 12 connectors, 25' of blue cable, and 100' of flexo.
the total came to $54 before shipping.

Other optional miscellaneous items not linked included:
4" of Red 3/4" 3 to 1 heatshrink
4" of Black 3/4" 3 to 1 heatshrink.

Drawbacks to ordering from Markertek.
They don't have suitable cheap RCA plugs.
They either have expensive ones or crap.
They also do not sell flexo in lenghts of less then 100'
And their shipping is kinda expensive.

For those that wish to shop at www.partSEXpress.com you may select these items instead:
Cable:
DAYTON PRO MICROPHONE/SIGNAL CABLE 1'
Connectors (you need at least four):
NEUTRIK NYS352G RCA PLUG GOLD
25' of Flexo (choose the color):
TECHFLEX 1/8" EXPANDABLE SLEEVING 25' BLACK
Heatshrink:
Black:
3M 1/2" BLACK TUBING 4'
Red:
3M 1/2" RED TUBING 4'

The downside to ordering from PartSEXpress is their stuff is expensive, they gouge you on shipping, and the cable they stock is not the best for this application.
Otherwise their support absolutely kicks some serious butt and they ship the same day you order stuff.

I made a fake order for 12 connectors, 25' of cable, heatshrink, and 25' of flexo
(enough to make, three, three foot cable pairs)
The total came to $34.28 before shipping.

To be continued....
 
So tell me, for male RCA connectors, would you go Canare or Cardas?
 
Lookin' good, Doc. Even if I were completely incompitent, I bet I could figure this out with a miniumum of 3rd degree burns....somtimes it's helpful to clamp the RCA down while you're getting the wires in place....sometimes it's also nice to tin the twisted pairs before hand so they don't decide to come apart before they're in place...

-Z
 
xonik said:
So tell me, for male RCA connectors, would you go Canare or Cardas?
Click to expand...
Looks like my question has slipped in during the tutorial. :eek:
 
Zemo said:
somtimes it's helpful to clamp the RCA down while you're getting the wires in place....sometimes it's also nice to tin the twisted pairs before hand so they don't decide to come apart before they're in place...
-Z
Click to expand...

Yea, both of those "steps" are required when using the Canare plugs.
I will add those picts later cause a good "how to" is hard to find for those suckers.
When working with the cheap Neutriks I found it's better not to tin the wires.
I can squeeze them into place with the pliers easier when they are not tinned.
I also like to fold the excess exposed portion of the "hot wire" over when I stick in into the plug (it creates a better mechanical connection that way instead of floating in a bed of solder) and you can't do that when you tin them.


Cardas plugs when the cable warrants them.....
Using $7 (each) plugs with cable that cost's 38 cents a foot = overkill IMHO
 
I kinda like the Homegrown plugs to....
The only problem is they rip you on shipping
 
Nice tutorial MisterX, I'll be sure to bookmark this for when I get busy in DIY next summer:) Zemo better watch out...
 
Cardas plugs when the cable warrants them.....
Using $7 (each) plugs with cable that cost's 38 cents a foot = stewpid IMHO
Click to expand...

Woooooooo edit that stewpid part.
I just got a oem price list from Cardas and the 5$ (each) price makes the GRMO's a viable option here. :D
 
Cable # 2
The build process remains the same except we replace the RCA jacks on one end of the cable with some
NEUTRIK NYS224G 1/4" MONO PHONE PLUGS from PartSEXpress.
Add some black flexo with red tracers and you get a nice unbalanced cable for your 1212M (or other sound card that has 1/4" connectors). :)


Note: This time I also used the Dayton Microphone Cable. ;)

Pics removed from the server....
 
Nice guide Mister X

Quick question for ya, what size/type of solder do you recommend for this type of application?
 
Thanks.
Gar from Sharkys? ;)


I use .032" Cardas quad eutectic solder.
But just about anything will work as long as it has a rosin core.
 
Mister X said:
Thanks.
Gar from Sharkys? ;)
Click to expand...

The one and only ;)

and thx for the response, the thickness was my main concern for the solder..I think in most of my projects I end up using too thick of solder and thus it becomes messy.
 
Welcome to the [H]ardforum.

I find that is one of the biggest mistakes people make ... the smaller the better as far as solder is concerned.
 
I've got some REALLY thin Kester stuff.... .022 I think. It's fun. But the Cardas quad eutectic flows a little better, so yeah.

-Z
 
Yup that is the idea..... the cardas solder is a little more easier for n00bs (like you :D) to work with
 
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