d.breeze Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 As we're talking soldering - which is producing plenty of really decent tips - has anyone found a better way to solder plugs to headphone cable of the tinsel type - where the conductors are not insulated from each other by a plastic jacket - but by a coating of varnish like insulation. I've come to hate these over the years, and they test my patience. My current, most successful technique is simple to scrape off the green and black surface coating, by doing one side, then turning over and doing the other side - then tinning with quick, hard pressure to heat the wire quickly and get a solder coat on as rapidly as possible. This seems to prevent the heat burning the coating off further up the cable. I'm producing about 1 high res joint per 10 good ones, and I've done loads in the last week or two - swapping 3.5mm moulded on ones for 1/4" ones. There must be a better way of doing these! I'd be tempted to make up some small->big jack converters with like 5cm of proper, easy to solder cable ;) then you could use them for an array of applications not just on head phones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 ... has anyone found a better way to solder plugs to headphone cable of the tinsel type - Sounds about the same as some thin mic head cable - I'm very leary of some of these, considering the regularity that the mic plug is the first place to go fault-finding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 They came with 3.5-1/4" adaptors, as most do nowadays, but the client specifically wanted real proper strong plugs, as the adaptors even if glued and heat shrunk, are so long that a tug on the cable snaps them off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceecrb1 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I scratch the vinyle/ insulation off with fine sand paper. I lay the sand paper on the table and press hte wire down under a finger and pull it back.. doesnt take much at all. smoothens off your fingerprints but far less cursing and swearing involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 So it's just me that holds the plug in my right hand, the cable between my little finger and palm of my left hand and the soldering iron also in my left hand then, blutac, I ask you. I have to agree that the Neutrik "proper" jacks are awkward to say the least, but I've only had issues with it being fiddly rather than heat dissipation issues. The budget Neutrik jacks are better for this but not as robust. That said, I don't think I've had any issues. Liquid flux in a syringe is where it's at. I don't even KNOW the power of the irons I have as I put my stickers on them so they don't get stolen. I THINK the one sat next to me is an 18w. What I DO know is that every single one I have in regular service has a silicone cable and that if I'm ever forced to use one without I get grumpier than a grumpy thing. I also know that I had some of that lead free solder once. That was a comedy moment in itself. I don't have any now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 So it's just me that holds the plug in my right hand, the cable between my little finger and palm of my left hand and the soldering iron also in my left hand then,dont forget the solder held between your teeth,lead poisoning pah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 So it's just me that holds the plug in my right hand, the cable between my little finger and palm of my left hand and the soldering iron also in my left hand then,dont forget the solder held between your teeth,lead poisoning pah Not with RoHS solder, probably tin poisoning or soemat, if you have to use it the silver loaded stuff is worth the extra. Like to see Rob solder a sub min D holding it in his hand.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Rohs solder? dont have any of that junk around here,full fat 60/40 with a rosin core. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirkenstein Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Liquid flux in a syringe is where it's at. Or this: Chemtronics Flux pen. RS part number 508-6374, Farnell 9599568 or similar. Not cheap but dead easy to use. Always flux and pre-tin the shield contact for the expensive (NP*X series) Neutrik jack connectors. I've found that it's quite easy to make good-looking cold joints that are not properly bonded. These will work fine for a while but will pop loose under mechanical stress when the half-cylindrical contact surface is flexed. Never needed anything bigger tha a 15W iron to work these, although I'll admit it's actually easier/faster with a 35W iron. And yes, crud-free soldering tips really do help. Multicore make a product called 'TTC' which is a little metal pot of tip cleaning re-tinning mixture. Works a treat and generally avoids the need to sand your tips down every now and then. Apparently comically poisonous though in its pre-RoHS guise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Beech Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I keep meaning to buy one of them there pen things to give it ago. In reality I clamp the cable with one of those third hand devices, but I do hold the connector in my right hand, unless it's being a particular pain in which case I end up with it in a pair of pliers, in my right hand. I've always found moving the connector to the fixed cable easier than trying to move the flexible cable to the connector. Of course, everyone does it differently and on testing, the cable gives way before the solder joint so I can't be too far wrong. XLR / Jack stuff, I really don't need the iron on for more than a second per pin, often less. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyP1955 Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I've not had trouble soldering any Neutrik connectors - not even Speakon and PowerCon. I believe that Litz wire (strands individually insulated with enamel) are stripped with solvent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupboard Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 I've never had cause to solder Speakon, the cable just goes in to little screw terminals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 There's a reason why you won't find anybody in the electronics side if the aviation industry using lead free solder! It's useless and tends to fracture under stress/vibration far easier than the proper stuff. Let's just say we've got a cupboard full of the old stuff just in case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimWebber Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I'd like to share a top tip that I learnt early on while I had a Saturday job working in a Hi-Fi repair shop (Remember those?) When soldering plugs and sockets, as has been alluded to, one needs at least three hands. Rather then using a vice, a far more portable variant is a large-ish pair of pliers with a good strong elastic band wrapped round the handles.... HTH Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramdram Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 If you have the time, and patience of course, have a look here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=soldering+neutrik+jack+plugs&search_sort=relevance&search_category=0&page= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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