Wiring Question

[Docks]

My Amp uses the 3 position Euro-style detachable barrier block. Which basically means that it uses bare wires for the input.

Any ideas where I could find a RCA to bare wire? Or even a DIY RCA connector that i can connect with speaker wire? This eurostyle connection seems more like a pain than anything.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TLS Guy]

My Amp uses the 3 position Euro-style detachable barrier block. Which basically means that it uses bare wires for the input.

Any ideas where I could find a RCA to bare wire? Or even a DIY RCA connector that i can connect with speaker wire? This eurostyle connection seems more like a pain than anything.

Thanks in advance!

Is this a PA amp or an old tube amp?

You just get cables, cut one end off and strip the wires.

 

[Docks]

This is a PA amp, ive stripped a set of rca.. but the actual wire used as the + is less than 18ga... I would like something a bit thicker. It works.. but its pretty hoakie.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Nothing “European” about it – that sounds like a Phoenix connection.

What you have there is a professional amp that was designed for permanent commercial or professional installations/applications. Such installations are typically wired with bulk installation-grade wiring, and custom-terminated on site by the installers. IOW, off-the-shelf pre-terminated cables like those used in residential audio are often not used.

Phoenix connections provide a quick and inexpensive way for the installers to make the necessary audio connections. By contrast, XLR or 1/4” connectors cost a few bucks each, and soldering wiring to them is time consuming.

but the actual wire used as the + is less than 18ga... I would like something a bit thicker.

It’s probably 20 -22 ga., standard for signal wiring. Nothing heavier is needed to carry a low-level signal.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Rickster71]

What's the spacing on the barrier block?
Maybe you could crimp on forks or some type of termination that will fit between the block.

 

[TLS Guy]

This is a PA amp, ive stripped a set of rca.. but the actual wire used as the + is less than 18ga... I would like something a bit thicker. It works.. but its pretty hoakie.

Get some copper wire of the right gauge and twist the stripped ends of the wire round it and solder it. That will work best.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

If Docks can solder, it would make more sense to just use the correct installation-grade cable. It has a drain wire for the shield connection that is easily terminated to a barrier strip or Phoenix connector (compared to the braided or spiral-wrapped shield found with most home audio cabling). On the other end (presumably a feed from a pre-amp or AVR) he could solder an RCA plug .

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[soniceuphoria]

I have used these kinds of PA amps before with great results. The terminals can accept both high and low level inputs. You can just take the speaker outputs directly from your receiver and attach them directly to the input terminals on you amp. Crest Audio uses this exact style of input. There are 3 inputs but you will only need 2 of them the + & -. The 3rd is just used for balanced inputs. You can also use stripped RCA's for an input, but they might not offer enough input power to drive the amp well.
-Greg

 

[Docks]

Yeah i can solder! But this might sound crazy.. but what is "installation grade cable"? and how would i solder the 3 wire into a 2 wire rca? Any ideas of places online where i could get this stuff?? Thanks a ton!

If Docks can solder, it would make more sense to just use the correct installation-grade cable. It has a drain wire for the shield connection that is easily terminated to a barrier strip or Phoenix connector (compared to the braided or spiral-wrapped shield found with most home audio cabling). On the other end (presumably a feed from a pre-amp or AVR) he could solder an RCA plug .

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Installation grade cable, aside from being suitable for in-wall use, is used most basically in applications where no one’s ever going to be messing with it, which is the case with (for instance) the equipment racks in commercial or professional installations. As such installation-grade cable is deprived of the “prettiness” you have with say, a mic cable used on a stage or good-quality home audio cables – like a supple jacket that feels nice to the touch and high flexibility. This cable has a plastic (vinyl?) jacket and the individual conductors have minimal strands, all of which make for a somewhat stiff cable.

You can probably find install cable at a music store that sells installation supplies or Parts Express, although typically you have to buy it in bulk.

As you can see, the shield is a foil wrapping. The bare wire w/o any insulation is the so-called “drain wire,” which has continuity with the shield. That’s the wire that would be soldered to the sleeve of an RCA plug. For the RCA’s tip connection, you could tie the other two wires (the ones with white and black insulation) together, or clip one of them.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Docks]

Well here goes, Ive done some work to get them working.
Heres some links, I am REALLY REALLY open to some constructive criticism.

Ive basically converted the 2 connector rca to a 3.
Grabbed the + and - on each, ran it to the designated euro connector. Stripped the video one down, used it as a shield all along the length of the cable. Ive grouded out the - on the euro terminal and shared the ground on the connectors as seen.


Thanks!!

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Wow. I have no idea what you have going on there, especially with that shield for the video cable? The video cable’s shield is not even attached to the other two RCAs (the ones you’re going to end up sending the signal from the pre-amp to the amp), so it’s doing no good at all. You have to use the shield in the two RCAs that are going to be used, not something that’s fully independent.

Here’s what you need to do. The cable end that you’ve clipped the connectors off of, strip back the outer jacket to expose the shield. It might be a braided shield like this...

Or a spiral-wrapped shield like this...

Peal back the shield:

Then twist it together. Also, strip back the jacket on the center conductor – just enough to get under the screw of the Phoenix connector, not as much as is shown here.

That’s about it. Connect the center conductor to the Phoenix connector’s (+) terminal, the shield to the (-), and install a jumper wire between the (-) and ground terminal The finished product should look something like this - minus the heat shrink shown, although you can certainly do that if you want to “pretty things up.”.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Docks]

Hey Thanks for the help

I did use the shield for the individual rca cables as the - for each channel.

What i did with the video was rip the entire cable out, and basically used the wire as a ground between the devices to establish a common and true earth ground.

Using this ground i just jumpered it to the - on the phoenix block.

With just + and - on the phoenix block it hummed, by using this trick i cleaned up the signal ALOT and eliminated the hum because i removed any circulating currents through the ground loop.