[sdiy] patch cables?

[Simon]

>  >I have this love / hate relationship with Neutrik 1/4" phone plugs.
>
>In my case it's all love :)

I sleep with my Neutrik connectors.


>I have a strict policy that all new cables must have Neutrik ends.

I do the same, Neutrik connectors (1/4" jack, xlr, rca, bantam, 
long-frame) and Canare cable.

I haven't seen any other plugs that come near the quality of the 
Neurik connector design.


>  >However, I hate to solder them.  They made such a great plug, easy to
>  >install, and then made them very difficult to solder.

After a few hundred you will get a good system going.


>  >When you solder it to the inside, you are very close to the tip connection
>>>and have no real easy method to insert any insulating tape to prevent any
>>>inadvertent bridges.  Am I just missing the point on these otherwise
>>>wonderful plugs, or are they really a total PITA to solder as I see them.

If you prep the cable well then I don't think you need to insulate 
the shield, it isn't going to move around inside the plug.


>There should be no
>inadvertent bridges if the wires are stripped cleanly, and cut to the right
>length.  You don't want any slack -- that's one of the advantages of having
>superior strain relief.

If you buy the connectors by the box, they come with a diagram 
showing where to strip and cut the different layers of the cable to 
fit the various plugs. Maybe ask your supplier for the diagram or 
look on the Neutrik website. Follow this and they fit well.


>In my experience, most shorts are caused by the
>improper stripping of stranded wire, leaving some of the strands too short
>and free to move around.  Pre-tinning might also help.

It's all about prep.

Strip and cut the layers to the correct length. I unpick the braided 
shield with a small jewellers screwdriver and then twist it into a 
neat single wire, then cut it to the correct length as per the 
diagram.

Pre-tin the wires. Tin the wires well, right up to the jackets, with 
wires twisted into a neat point.

Pre-tin the solder points on the plug. Fill up the tip cup with 
solder, make sure there is enough heat for a good solder connection. 
Put a decent sized blob of solder for the shield connection on one 
side of the shield connection part.

Then solder the pre-tinned wire into the pre-tinned plug, so that you 
don't need as much heat on the cable as you would if not pre-tinning 
both.


I have a short length of wood, 4x2, that has female 1/4" jack and 
male/female xlr panel mount sockets in the sides of it. I have a 1/4" 
socket on the top and on the side of this piece of wood, to hold the 
plugs while I'm soldering. I put the plug in the top socket when 
filling up the tip cup, and on the front when putting on the shield 
blob of solder. And the same when joining the cable to the plug, in 
the top for the tip making sure the shield wire lines up with the 
solder blob on the plug, then move the plug to the front socket for 
the shield. There are also a couple of alligator clips mounted to the 
wood to hold cables and other sized parts, and I have drawn markers 
onto the wood to measure the cable end and wires to the correct 
lengths. I use a blunt box-cutter blade to strip the wire, pressing 
the wire lightly onto the wood, while turning the wire. I find this 
gives a much cleaner cut than any wire-strippers that I have tried.


>If that still sounds like a PITA, not once have I ever had a Neutrik end go
>bad.  I cannot say that about Switchcraft.  Imho, they are more than worth
>the extra cost.

Yep, only problems I have had are due to not having enough heat for 
the solder to make a proper connection, ending up with a dry joint, 
and because people making cables previously hadn't tinned all the way 
up to the jackets so that there are fraying broken wires.



Simon
Canberra
AUSTRALIA