DIY Cables - You Can Do It
ozzy21236
Posts: 100
*I posted this in another forum and I hope it may inspire someone here to try . * I know nothing about electronics. I'd like to learn some basics but I don't learn well from only reading.
Since 2003 , I've sloooowwwwwly upgraded to what I have in my sig. I'm sure what I have may have been someone elses first system and could never dream of stepping that far back in fidelity.That is not the point of this thread . My system sounds good to me and really thats all that matters.
Until today , I have handled a soldering iron exactly one time in my life (I'm 41). I want to learn to recap a piece of equipment someday.
Having read so many threads over the years by techs and hobbyists , last christmas I asked for a soldering iron and my wife bought me a Weller WLC 100. I tried to tin some speaker wires when I got it ,promptly melted the wire insulation and put that Weller back in the box and there it has resided since .
FF to last week . Been reading DIY IC threads again. Searched cable making tutorials , watched youtube soldering videos , asked a few questions and arrived at a cost effective and self satisfying solution to the tangled spaghetti that lives behind my equipment rack.
I said , I can do this .I ordered some Canare L-2T2S twisted pair microphone cable. I read a thread from 6 moons audio about the Walmart patio cord speaker cables . In that article , it was mentioned that Ken Shindo uses Switchcraft 3502a rca phono plugs on his Shindo Silver IC's and I Googled "Shindo Silver Interconnect". Wow. Big money. Good enough for him is good enough for me. I ordered 24 rcas/ $1.66@.Still waiting on my heatshrink tubing I ordered to identify easily the left and right channels.
While waiting for the heatshrink , I have all the other stuff here so I decide I'm going to make a pair now just because.
I get all the stuff out, and in the end , what I've read is , or should be , a 5-10 minute per cable job takes me an hour and 15 mins to do a pair. LMAO. Of course that had alot to do with overcoming self doubt and not to mention not putting the screw part of one of the connectors on the cable before soldering the 2nd jack . Now , I could have gone to monoprice.com and bought all the cable I needed for less than I paid for the materials I purchased to make my own . That much is true . What wasn't for sale at monoprice or Ken Shindo's site or anywhere else for that matter , was the sense of accomplishment that comes with overcoming a fear or self doubt or whatever it is that keeps us from doing something we would like to try.
My cables are probably not the most revealing money can buy or the prettiest as I didn't opt for techflex or anything that didn't contribute to what my goal was. That goal was to clean up that mess of wires and pull that soldering iron back out of that box. I'll put some pics up when my heatshrink comes in and I finish them all.
If anyone else has felt these same feelings as I have and would like to try making your own cables , I say do it!! I did. So can you.
Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you observe , be safe .
Russ
Since 2003 , I've sloooowwwwwly upgraded to what I have in my sig. I'm sure what I have may have been someone elses first system and could never dream of stepping that far back in fidelity.That is not the point of this thread . My system sounds good to me and really thats all that matters.
Until today , I have handled a soldering iron exactly one time in my life (I'm 41). I want to learn to recap a piece of equipment someday.
Having read so many threads over the years by techs and hobbyists , last christmas I asked for a soldering iron and my wife bought me a Weller WLC 100. I tried to tin some speaker wires when I got it ,promptly melted the wire insulation and put that Weller back in the box and there it has resided since .
FF to last week . Been reading DIY IC threads again. Searched cable making tutorials , watched youtube soldering videos , asked a few questions and arrived at a cost effective and self satisfying solution to the tangled spaghetti that lives behind my equipment rack.
I said , I can do this .I ordered some Canare L-2T2S twisted pair microphone cable. I read a thread from 6 moons audio about the Walmart patio cord speaker cables . In that article , it was mentioned that Ken Shindo uses Switchcraft 3502a rca phono plugs on his Shindo Silver IC's and I Googled "Shindo Silver Interconnect". Wow. Big money. Good enough for him is good enough for me. I ordered 24 rcas/ $1.66@.Still waiting on my heatshrink tubing I ordered to identify easily the left and right channels.
While waiting for the heatshrink , I have all the other stuff here so I decide I'm going to make a pair now just because.
I get all the stuff out, and in the end , what I've read is , or should be , a 5-10 minute per cable job takes me an hour and 15 mins to do a pair. LMAO. Of course that had alot to do with overcoming self doubt and not to mention not putting the screw part of one of the connectors on the cable before soldering the 2nd jack . Now , I could have gone to monoprice.com and bought all the cable I needed for less than I paid for the materials I purchased to make my own . That much is true . What wasn't for sale at monoprice or Ken Shindo's site or anywhere else for that matter , was the sense of accomplishment that comes with overcoming a fear or self doubt or whatever it is that keeps us from doing something we would like to try.
My cables are probably not the most revealing money can buy or the prettiest as I didn't opt for techflex or anything that didn't contribute to what my goal was. That goal was to clean up that mess of wires and pull that soldering iron back out of that box. I'll put some pics up when my heatshrink comes in and I finish them all.
If anyone else has felt these same feelings as I have and would like to try making your own cables , I say do it!! I did. So can you.
Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you observe , be safe .
Russ
Technics SL1210mkll / AT125LC / Cambridge Audio 640P / Yamaha TX-950 / Onkyo TA-2600 / Yamaha C-80 pre/Adcom GFA 545 / Polk Audio Monitor 12 Series 2
Post edited by ozzy21236 on
Comments
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More power to you. What do they say, nothing ventured nothing gained!
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Atta Boy Russ!! You can't hit the target if you don't shoot. Good luck and post some pics of your efforts.
Lightman Russ (yes, another Russ on the forum):D -
DIY is great fun. Just assembled a Belden 83803 12/3 AWG power cord the other day. Higher quality parts go into your product at a lower price than bought new from a vendor. Sometimes used cords/cables can be had at around the same price as DIY assembled.[
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Well , its come to my attention that I misinterperated the article that mentioned the Ken Shindo Silver Interconnects . He does use Switchcraft rca's but he uses the 3502 aau nickel with gold plated ends. I wanted to clarify this in case I cause any confusion.
RussTechnics SL1210mkll / AT125LC / Cambridge Audio 640P / Yamaha TX-950 / Onkyo TA-2600 / Yamaha C-80 pre/Adcom GFA 545 / Polk Audio Monitor 12 Series 2 -
Nice job and making your own cables is very dollar wise and satisfying! PM me anytime you have questions and I'll set you straight. Good luck.
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Thank you zingo . I really am appreciative of the camaraderie find at CP.
RussTechnics SL1210mkll / AT125LC / Cambridge Audio 640P / Yamaha TX-950 / Onkyo TA-2600 / Yamaha C-80 pre/Adcom GFA 545 / Polk Audio Monitor 12 Series 2
