Interconnects

mingram1234

I know this is the speaker section but what the hell. I want to consider making my own RCA cables. Need to know what type/brand/size/sheilding cable to use. Also what about the ends? Is it true that crimp-style are better than solder type?
Just need to make RCA interconnects for analog audio.
I know there's a lot of experience on here and if someone would share some info it would be greatly appreciated.
Hope I didn't offend anyone by posting this here, but this a popular section to be read most often by the more knowlegeable people.

Thanks,
Mitchell

Frank Z

A good solder joint is going to provide less resistance and is therefore a better choice for your DIY cables. The key to a good solder joint is cleanliness. Keep a damp clean sponge handy while soldering, You should clean the tip frequently. A simple swipe across the sponge will do. Prep all of the surfaces with a little bit of Isopropyl Alcohol to remove any dirt or oil. Apply a small amount of solder (60/40 rosin core) to the tip to act as a heat bridge. Apply just enough solder to creat a nice smooth fillet. Crontrary to popular "The Bigger The Glob, The Better The Job" is not true!;) You might want to apply a heat sink near the solder cup on the connector while your at it. Doing so will help prevent melting of the plastic dielectric/isolation ring that holds the pin in place. If you haven't soldered in a while, you might want to practice on some cheap Radio Shack RCA's until you get the hang of it.

After you have finished all of your soldering, clean each joint with an acid brush dipped in Isopropyl Alcohol, make sure you get all of the flux removed or it can degrade the joint over time.