Coily Cables - source of

[cedd]

Hi all

This is the day job posing this question.

I'm looking to build some headsets up, with inline push to talk buttons. I can buy the headset itself, with a straight unterminated lead. The problem is I then need to mount an intermediate enclosure about a meter down this cable (which clips to the users clothing). This box houses a PTT switch. I then need a 3m coily cable that's going to go to an 8 pin lemo.

 

 

 

What I'm really struggling on is a source of the coily cable with the spec that I require. I need;

 

2 x individually shielded pairs - 1 x mic, 1 x earphones (Left, Right and Ground). I then need 2 other wires to do PTT and also a headset identity function (we have a fixed value resistor inside the PTT housing to tell the equipment what type of headset is connected). These 2 extra wires could be another individually shielded pair or just plain old wires. I think to keep things simple though I'm looking for a 3 pair, individually shielded coily cable.

 

Canford don't have anything suitable. I've considered coiling my own using a heat gun, but the results and longevity of the coils aren't good enough.

 

Does anybody have any suggestions? I'd like to keep the overall diameter as small as possible. Certainly under 6mm.

 

Thanks all

 

Chris

 

 

 

[timsabre]

I've obtained custom curly cables from www.autac.co.uk. They seem to have some sort of magic cable curlying machine and can make just about anything for you.

[Andrew Edwards]

The last stage of coiled cable can be quite low tech. After removing the cable that has been tempered whilst wound round a rod, I've seen one end secured and the other put in a standard drill in reverse. This reverses the coil, pulling it tight in on itself.

 

Might have been 'How its made'...

[top-cat]

Slightly different angle on it but I made some up using British Army clansman radio PTTs and swapped the end connector to XLR (it's 6 pin originally so you do have to solder 2 together at both ends... the headsets could be driven left and right independently - not so much because people like to hear their voice in stereo, but so you could run 2 nets on the same headset).

 

Anyway the point is that it's a nice tough switch enclosure already sat on a coily lead. You can take the screw on connector off the cable end, and replace with an XLR, and then use the connector you've taken off to attach the headset to the screw on the enclosure.

 

http://www.armyradio.com/arsc/files/product_pictures/ptt_clansman.jpg

 

[cedd]

Thanks folks. I've contacted Autac and do far the e been really helpful. I'll be getting a quote from them over the next few days.

Interesting take on the clansman idea. I have a few of them at work (they're the only things that are fireman-proof) but they're just way too chunky and industrial for our controllers. It's very much a white shirt and tie environment. The current ptt housings are smaller than a matchbox.

[top-cat]

Interesting take on the clansman idea. I have a few of them at work (they're the only things that are fireman-proof) but they're just way too chunky and industrial for our controllers. It's very much a white shirt and tie environment. The current ptt housings are smaller than a matchbox.

 

Fair enough I used them for spot chairs because I wanted rugged and not too bothered about appearance. Different ends of the spectrum.