Making my own cables?? [Archive] - Audioholics Home Theater Forums

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davidmachadotpc

07-29-2003, 07:18 PM

I am "transforming" my old living room to a "multi-media room", with Home Theater set up on one side and a home recording studio on the other. The room is 24' long. I installed 2" PVC pipe under the floor (between floor joists in basement) from one side to the other side to run speaker cables and line level audio cables. I decided I would make my own cables. I used 12 AWG with banana plugs for speaker cables. This was easy and straightforward. For the audio cables, I went to our local DIY, called "You Do It Electronics", (sometimes known as "You Blew It Electronics"). It was recommended that I use Belden 8762 for the wire, Switchcraft 1/4" plugs (280PKG) and Neutrik RCA plugs (NYS352G). I bought 200' of wire and about a dozen each of the connectors. I also bought a decent soldering iron. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I have almost no experience soldering or making cables except for an occasional emergency repair on a mic cable. Can someone offer some help, or have a diagram with a good description of this process? What wire goes where? Where does the drain wire connect? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Dave
davidmachado@comcast.net

mustang_steve

08-01-2003, 05:33 AM

I have no experience with the belden wires, So I can't offer any advice on them.

With coaxial cabling, the center conductor is the positive lead.

With twisted pair wiring, i'd say just choose one to be positive.

the 1/4 inch plug should have a tip contact and a larger 'shaft' contact, the tip should be your positive.  most 1/4" plugs are made to work with coax type cable as well, so it's almost as easy as the rca plugs if not easier. Stereo 1/4" jacks are more difficult, I always get messed up on those.

For soldering, heat up both parts with the iron and let the solder flow into them.  Soldering is more than just gluing, it's a metallurgical bond between the wire and your plugs. You might want to get a hobby vise to make this task easier or if you have a friend who has one, borrow it.  A solder joint should take no more than a few seconds.  If you have a broken walkman or other electronic object, you can always practice removing a component and reinstalling it until you get good at it.  That's how I learned to do it.

Here are a few links on soldering for you:
http://www.geocities.com/ammarini/soldar1.htm
http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm

Eric

08-01-2003, 10:04 PM

A small suggestion before you begin. Go to radio shack and pick up a "solder tip cleaner/ tinner". This stuff is a must as dirt in a joint is a bad thing. You poke the tip of the hot iron in this stuff and twist the iron When you pull the tip out it's tinned perfectly.

Here's a link (they have it the store as well):

Tip Cleaner/Tinner (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F009%5F007%5F002&product%5Fid=64%2D020)