DIY interconnects (1 Viewer)

[Keith M.]

Im thinking of making my own interconnects.

Ive read bits and pieces around the net about Canere brand cable and connectors...

Was wondering if there is a site with detailed instructions on the materials/tools needed and step by step guide on construction??

I do know I want flexible cable available in different colors and crimp on connectors no soldering...

And connectors on par with either bullet or WBT rca connectors...


Please help...

 

[TimForman]

I've used Canare cable and RCA connectors. They're quite nice. I've also used Gepco VSD2001 cable which performs as well and can be had a little cheaper. Parts Express carries a variety of connectors, Dayton, WBT, etc..I built some following the instructions in this link however, I found the Canare crimper and die overpriced and a simple Radio Shack crimper able to do the job fine. At this time I'm awaiting a shipment from PE on a crimper, die, and rotary cable stripper so I'll have to see how that goes.

 

[Greg_R]

Yes! The site Tim points to is the reference. However, things have changed since it's last update. You can get by with cheaper crimpers and cable strippers (although it will take a few more steps). If you go with Canare RCAs then you will need the Canare crimp die. I would recommend going with one brand of connector and size cable (RG6, RG59, etc.). Otherwise you will have to buy multiple crimp dies ($$$). Canare RCAs are excellent. As mentioned above, WBTs are available on PartsExpress.com.

 

[TimForman]

If you go with Canare RCAs then you will need the Canare crimp die.

I watched a friend of mine struggle with the Canare die because the diameter of the cable he was using was a bit smaller than the die so the connector wouldn't crimp securely. Just something you may want to keep in mind.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

I made some nice interconnects using nothing more than an exacto blade and a soldering iron. (Plus some needle nose pliers to crimp connector around wire sleeve)

I simply bought a 100ft spool of that relatively new "pro" signal cable from parts express. I thought I was getting blue but I got black colored. It has copper strands center conductor and copper twist shielding. It feels durable and flexible, and the jacket is about 1/4" O.D. For $20, it was a good deal along with Neutrik nickel/gold basic soldering connectors for $1.10ea.

I bought a bunch of connectors and was able to make a 6ft stereo pair of interconnects for like $8. It's simply a matter of cutting 1/4" of the outer jacket away, and then like an 1/8" of the inner jacket away and soldering the ends to the connector.

I can't tell any sonic differences from any commercial (relatively low end) ICs I currently have which are radioshack gold series, Acoustic research standard line, and Dayton.

If you want to go higher quality, I'd consider the popular Belden coaxial wire with the Dayton locking solder connectors. Again, even these high quality materials you won't need any special tools other than a blade and solder.

 

[TimForman]

Geez, it might help if I get my product numbers right. I've fixed it now. One reason I like to recommend the Gepco VSD2001 cable is that it uses a solid core conductor and is still reasonably flexible, although the overall diameter is less than the Belden cable which is why I also suggest going with a generic crimper. 30 cents per foot from MarkerTek.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I just finished up some interconnects using Canare LV-5CFB, V3-5CFB, and V5-5CFB cable and RCAP-5CFB connectors. I also thought the Canare tools were overpriced, so I decided to try an alternate route. I went with a Paladin crimper, die, and strip tool. They worked great, althought the strip tool was less than perfect (still got the job done). Here's a link to my post detailing my results w/ the Paladin tools:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=160103

 

[Keith M.]

Thanks for all the great replys/information...

Unfortunately, I need some rca, some s-video, some component, and some optical, it turns out cheaper to buy pre-made interconnects by Dayton from Parts Express, than making my own. Thats not even including the tools I would need...

In the past, I had only used high end Monster cable, until one day I had an M series cable break, so i temporarily replaced it with the free cable that came w/ component...no difference!!!!!

So now Im not sure what to do...Are the Dayton interconnects decent for the money? Build quality? Insulated properly? Good Termination?

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

I've read that the dayton cables are built well. They look alot like the Radio Shack fusion line to me. DIY cables are a great value for what you get, but cables in general are not big performance-to-dolar yielders in my book. I built my own cables because it was fun, something to do, i got some kewl new tools, and i'm confindent that no matter what anyone says, my cables are in now way hindering my system's performance. Plus it's fun to give my friends who've overpayed for monster a hard time about me having broadcast quality cables and them having hype wrapped in coax

Bottom line... DIY cables aren't as cheap as they seem, especially when you consider tooling, but if you're into DIY it's worth it.

 

[Justin Ward]

Not trying to hijack your thread but a question:
Are there any good dealers for these components in Canada? If not would it still be worth my time and money to order from the US?

 

[Wes Nance]

Hi,

Didn't I read that Vince Maskeeper (sp?) is doing another run of cables? He does great work, and the cost is basically the same as just buying the materials plus a little bit, but you don't have to buy tools. He uses the Canare stuff, but can sub Belden for some runs if you want.



That might be the answer for you. . .

Cable info

Wes

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Keith,

You might also check out this site for directions on how to make some inexpensive, high-quality audio connectors with absolutely no special tools needed. Coming from a pro-audio background where I used to make custom cabling all the time, these look very impressive to me – top-quality cable and connectors.

Like Chris I made my own with soldered connections. A no-brainer, since I already had all the necesssary soldering equipment and hand tools. I used these excellent and beefy Dayton Super RCA connectors from Parts Express (Enter "super rca" in the search engine):



You can get them in red, black and yellow and they accept large-gauge cable – even as large as RG-6 coaxial, so you could use them to make component video cables (although you’d have to use heatshrink or something to color code them).

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt