DIY DC power cables

[mourip]

Thanks for all of the solder soldering tips! 

I probably bought that 1 pound spool of Wonder Solder from Michael Percy 20 years ago. I have used it for countless projects but will give the Dayton a try now.

 

Also I bought some of those screw terminal DC male adapters to make a cable to connect my Tortuga Audio LDR preamp to my LPS. Hopefully they give a tight fit.

[Cornan]

44 minutes ago, R1200CL said:

 

Isn't this you local shop ?

http://www.clasohlson.com/se/Bordsskruvstycke-med-kulled-Stanley/40-7835

 

And then add this one as well. Magnify 2,25

http://www.clasohlson.com/se/Förstoringslampa-LED/36-1116

 

And......

https://www.elfadistrelec.no/no/verktoy-maleteknikk/lodding/loddematerialer/loddetrad/c/cat-29216?filter_Category3=Loddematerialer&filter_Category4=Loddetråd&filter_Buyable=1&pageSize=100&q=*

 

Elfa Distrelelec is more or less one of my favourite local shops. Great electrical gears! ? Clas Ohlson is more place to find reading glasses, shrinking tubes, cable hiders and that sort of stuff.?

[Cornan]

2 hours ago, Daudio said:

 

The vises are heavier and stronger then those cheap-o 3rd Hands and should work better for you there. To address the 'greasy reading glasses' problem, I'd suggest the Opti-Visor Binocular Magnifier

 

They provide selectable magnification, decent eye protection, easy to use and adjust, and work over your existing prescription glasses. Not real cheap, but you can find some knock-offs at better prices, if you don't need the quality optics and construction. I recommend them for all fine work, and older eyes 

 

 

P.S. I have been using WBT Silver Solder for audio projects since the early '80s. Got a small spool from Welborne Labs, back when they were a reputable outfit

Still have enough left to handle my foreseeable connection needs. The small extra cost is easily amortized over the decades of improved connections I've made

 

 

 

If you scrobble up this thread you can see that I already bookmarked a binocular magnifyer almost identical to yours! ? I wish I had the eyes of a teenager, but unfortunately both clean swiped reading glasses and binocular magnifyer is needed if I want to solder those new style Oyiade. 

 

I personally use Cardas silver solder with great results (when I succeed)! ?

 

[Michael-Elijah Audio]

2 hours ago, tboooe said:

Just ordered some GX16-2 connectors to make some star quad cables from my HD Plex linear power supply to my NAA PC and wireless bridge.  I am going star quad crazy!

 

Hi  tboooe,

I don't know what diameter wire you will be using with the GX16 plugs - but just thought you'd like to know you may be in for a bit of filing

The 4wire speaker cable I used is OD 7.5mm and I had to use a small round file to remove the little flat bridges at the rear of the GX plugs - otherwise the cable was too large to fit

Michael

[pl_svn]

... are you going to offer DC cables too, Michael?

[MikeyFresh]

17 minutes ago, Cornan said:

 

If you scrobble up this thread you can see that I already bookmarked a binocular magnifyer almost identical to yours! ? I wish I had the eyes of a teenager, but unfortunately both clean swiped reading glasses and binocular magnifyer is needed if I want to solder those new style Oyiade. 

 

I personally use Cardas silver solder with great results (when I succeed)! ?

 

 

I need a magnifier! I once had 20/15 vision, a VERY long time ago. Now even my reading glasses barely cut it anymore.

 

With everything seemingly under control at the office, and Friday being a 76° day in NY after nearly 2 weeks of rain and clouds, I took a half day and among other chores such as yard work to clear time on the weekend, I will build my DIY cable.

 

I pulled out the kit and decided to try the Oyaide SS-47 solder along with a brand new tip on my Hakko 936.

 

I know the Cardas and WBT solder are outstanding, and I also know the Mundorf is kind of a PIA by direct comparison, lets see how the SS-47 does in an all-Japanese build with Canare 4S6 and Oyaide DC-2.1 plugs, RoHS compliant.

[tboooe]

13 minutes ago, Michael-Elijah Audio said:

 

Hi  tboooe,

I don't know what diameter wire you will be using with the GX16 plugs - but just thought you'd like to know you may be in for a bit of filing

The 4wire speaker cable I used is OD 7.5mm and I had to use a small round file to remove the little flat bridges at the rear of the GX plugs - otherwise the cable was too large to fit

Michael

Thank you Michael!  I am going to use the Canare 4S6 star quad cable.  I think the diameter is around 6mm but I am fine with filing away the flat spots.  Hacking things up is more my specialty, not soldering!

[Cornan]

7 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

 

I need a magnifier! I once had 20/15 vision, a VERY long time ago. Now even my reading glasses barely cut it anymore.

 

With everything seemingly under control at the office, and Friday being a 76° day in NY after nearly 2 weeks of rain and clouds, I took a half day and among other chores such as yard work to clear time on the weekend, I will build my DIY cable.

 

I pulled out the kit and decided to try the Oyaide SS-47 solder along with a brand new tip on my Hakko 936.

 

 

 

I know the Cardas and WBT solder are outstanding, and I also know the Mundorf is kind of a PIA by direct comparison, lets see how the SS-47 does in an all-Japanese build with Canare 4S6 and Oyaide DC-2.1 plugs, RoHS compliant.

 

Please keep us posted about the Oyiade SS-47! ?

I can tell you that all the things that I posted in my links earlier are for people like you and me. Youngsters do not have to care much since they have a clear eye sight and a steady hand! ? I surely was missing a steady holding hands, my own both hands, a good light and a magnifyer a lot in my first DC cable trials! ?

 

[Michael-Elijah Audio]

44 minutes ago, pl_svn said:

... are you going to offer DC cables too, Michael?

Not planning to,  - just offering what little advice I can.........

 

[zerung]

Interesting and economical plug

 

[Middy]

2 of them and to fancy looking carbon fibre ones coming my way. Holding superdad up at gun point seems the only way to get the practical older Oyaide  ones. 

Shave down the Canare pvc sleeving or drill out the shroud to fit 6mm.

Hopefully the shroud will be Aluminium not brass. Easier to drill in 1mm increments... tough figuring out to hold it without damaging or crushing...

May be drill a hole a little smaller between 2 blocks of wood and put them in my vice.....

 

Only other way is remove the Canare outer PVC and use thinner heat shrink?

 

thinking out load again sorry...

[pl_svn]

29 minutes ago, Middy said:

Holding superdad up at gun point seems the only way to get the practical older Oyaide  ones.

 

always thought the ones I bought on eBay a few months ago were the "smaller new style" but found instead (comparing side by side to one of Alex' DC cables, those still hand made by the man himself , that came with my JS-2) they're the old, larger, ones

 

got em from this vendor:

http://www.ebay.it/itm/Oyaide-DC-2-5G-24K-Gold-Plated-DC-Power-Connector-plug-high-qyality-Japan-/142211465808?hash=item211c76c250:g:T5wAAOSw44BYUJmY

[R1200CL]

Small update from the Chinese manufacturer. 

 

Not surprisingly he has a challenge as well with plugs. 

I've asked him to use the cheap once in worst case. 

Or have his own tailor made. 

 

Or just get this one:

http://www.elecaudio.com/en/hi-fi-connectors/285-elecaudio-dc-21g-jack-dc-connector-5521mm-gold-plated.html

 

Unless @Superdad allow him to purchase the Oyaide old version 2,1 mm ?

Which make me wonder, isn't you using the 2,5 mm ?

 

I suppose I should have an updated status over the weekend some time. 

 

I've asked for Y-split as well.

(And 2,5 mm on very low priority). 

[Daudio]

2 hours ago, Cornan said:

I surely was missing a steady holding hands, my own both hands, a good light and a magnifyer a lot in my first DC cable trials! ?

 

I advise setting up your connection so that you are not holding anything that gets hot !

That way you: don't burn your fingers; the joints are mechanically sound, you won't move the joint while it's cooling and crystallize the grain structure; you have both hands free for iron and solder (or to steady the iron).

This may take a combination of cleaning, wrapping, crimping, 3rd Hand clamps, vises, weights, shims, tensioning the wires a bit, whatever... Use your creativity and whats at hand.

Well that, and the time to set up up properly. But after that, the soldering itself is simple, quick, and usually results in a fine solder joint, so well worth the effort IMO.

 

Soldering is a skill, yes, but one that's readily learned and practiced, using the right tools and procedures. Just like most things

 

 

[MikeyFresh]

After the tedium of cutting the lawn, trimming bushes, and then taking a shower, I've managed to construct, test, and install a DC cable made from Canare 4S6, Oyaide DC-2.1 plugs, and Oyaide SS-47 solder.

 

A quick note on that solder, while I did think perhaps it was a little bit easier to work wth than the Mundorf Supreme lead-free solder, that ain't exactly sayin' much. The SS-47 was also a PIA and maybe the only real improvement was due to the brand new tip I used. Raging hot iron and all other tricks of the trade, and maybe I'm just plain spoiled by the ease and workability of WBT-0800 or Cardas Quad Eutectic, or maybe lead-free solder just sucks.

 

The solder joints:

 

Tests ok (hopefully it stays that way with my slightly shaky confidence in having used lead-free solder):

 

The finished product ready for installation between the UpTone LPS-1 and Sonore microRendu:

 

I made this one the same length as the one UpTone includes in the package with the LPS-1, but I have more connectors and will make another that is much shorter to see if I can discern any difference between the two sonically. Right now the one I just made is powered up and burning-in (if there is any such thing with this type of cable).

[MikeyFresh]

1 hour ago, Daudio said:

 

I advise setting up your connection so that you are not holding anything that gets hot !

That way you: don't burn your fingers; the joints are mechanically sound, you won't move the joint while it's cooling and crystallize the grain structure; you have both hands free for iron and solder (or to steady the iron).

This may take a combination of cleaning, wrapping, crimping, 3rd Hand clamps, vises, weights, shims, tensioning the wires a bit, whatever... Use your creativity and whats at hand.

Well that, and the time to set up up properly. But after that, the soldering itself is simple, quick, and usually results in a fine solder joint, so well worth the effort IMO.

 

Soldering is a skill, yes, but one that's readily learned and practiced, using the right tools and procedures. Just like most things

 

 

 

+1 on the above, I drove myself crazy until acquiring the following "cheats":

 

GRS BenchMate:

PanaVise 381:

DIY was suddenly much easier with the right tools, and they've since gotten good use over the years.

 

[austinpop]

7 hours ago, mozes said:

Congrats there you go now. Officially joined the DIY gang

 

7 hours ago, gstew said:

+1. Way to go Rajiv!

 

Greg in Mississippi

 

You guys...

 

BTW - just stopped by Altex (local electronics superstore) and picked up some heat shrink tubing, and some silicone self adhesive insulation tape. @Michael-Elijah Audio recommended using a paper strip to insulate between the two pairs of cable like so:

 

But I found it real unwieldy to keep the paper rolled up without some kind of adhesive. So would silicone self adhesive insulation tape be OK?

 

[Middy]

 

Cellotape would be fine... electrical insulation works great. You can fold the first inch in half like the paper to slip it in between easy and then wrap around the rest... Shrink sleeve if you still want too..

I just dont want to create a monster........

 

Late nights pooring over Ebay looking at strange pieces of plastic and getting small chinese packages and hiding them in a draw in the garage from the wife.

Always having 7 projects started while still looking for more....... Then still buying a ready made one anyway....

 

Buying tools most people dont know the name for and only using it once...

 

Be afraid Austinpop be very afraid..?

 

 

[Michael-Elijah Audio]

austin - yes, that tape will be fine - heatshrink is probably the easiest and least problematic - I just like to give alternatives to let you know it's alright to think outside the box - except when it comes to out and out Safety issues.

[austinpop]

5 minutes ago, Middy said:

 

Cellotape would be fine... electrical insulation works great. You can fold the first inch in half like the paper to slip it in between easy and then wrap around the rest... Shrink sleeve if you still want too..

I just dont want to create a monster........

 

Late nights pooring over Ebay looking at strange pieces of plastic and getting small chinese packages and hiding them in a draw in the garage from the wife.

Always having 7 projects started while still looking for more....... Then still buying a ready made one anyway....

 

Buying tools most people dont know the name for and only using it once...

 

Be afraid Austinpop be very afraid..?

 

 

 

Thanks, but I managed to resist buying a soldering iron, a heat gun, and falling down the slippery slope!

 

I figured I'd try a hair dryer with the shrink sleeve.

[Middy]

Probably not hot enough but a lighter is fine but be careful and be fast with it...

It can shrink fast and can scorch easy...

have fun mate..

Dave

[austinpop]

2 hours ago, MikeyFresh said:

The finished product ready for installation between the UpTone LPS-1 and Sonore microRendu:

 

 

Drool! 

[tboooe]

3 hours ago, MikeyFresh said:

 

 

The solder joints:

 

 

I assume those are the original, larger Oyaide 2.1mm plugs?

[Daudio]

2 minutes ago, tboooe said:

I assume...

 

Gentlemen, can we please not Quote an entire big post ?  We have seen it already, and don't need to have to scroll over it again to get to new content.

 

Just select a small section of the post text that is representative of what you are replying about. A small box will pop up labeled "Quote this", click it and the Reply editor will appear with your highlighted text in a "So and so said..." block. Enter your reply below it...

 

I think we have enough problems scrolling through masses of posts and thread list, don't you ?

 

Thanks,

[tboooe]

My deepest apologies.  Sorry to ruin your weekend.  I posted that from my phone so was not paying attention.  Offending post edited.