Sennheiser cables

[fergiemac]

Picked up a T-Bone antenna distributor to tidy up cables etc, the power cables that came with it are slightly the wrong size for the Sennheiser XS receivers that I'm trying to power. Can I get the 'proper' cables anywhere ? Sennheiser support pages don't seem to list any

[sandall]

Is the problem just that the socket is a very tight fit, or is the pin in the socket too big for the plug? You can check by comparing the T-bone plugs with your Sennheiser ones. Assuming the problem is that the plugs have a 2.1mm hole & the receivers have a 2.5mm pin (it's a while since I've installed any XSW, & the handbook doesn't say) it might be easier (& a lot cheaper) to cut off the plugs & replace them with the correct-size ones.

[fergiemac]

The plugs are loose in the socket, if I pull them slightly to the side, they make contact but I'm not sure if it's the centre pin or the outer shield.

[DrV]

4 minutes ago, fergiemac said:

The plugs are loose in the socket, if I pull them slightly to the side, they make contact but I'm not sure if it's the centre pin or the outer shield.

It'll be the centre pin. The outer almost always makes contact because it's a spring but the pin and the sleeve into which it fits are (usually) solid. Do what sandall suggested and replace it.

[fergiemac]

33 minutes ago, DrV said:

It'll be the centre pin. The outer almost always makes contact because it's a spring but the pin and the sleeve into which it fits are (usually) solid. Do what sandall suggested and replace it.

Quite happy to replace them but that begs the next question, what's the size of the centre pin ? My eyes aren't good enough to make

it out using a tape

Edited January 14 by fergiemac
mistake in spelling

[DrV]

You can check the size of a hole by putting the shank of a drill into it. You don't need every size eg. If a 2mm drill fits quite easily but a 2.5mm doesn't then it'll be 2.1mm. Similarly between 1.5 and 2 will be 1.7. Having determined what size hole you have you can apply the same logic to measuring the size of the pin. The outer part you can measure with a Vernier caliper (probably my most used measuring tool) or a micrometer.

Don't have to use drills of course - cores of solid mains cable can be used but you have to calculate or measure them (Vernier again).

Edited January 15 by DrV
B----y autocorrect!

[sandall]

13 hours ago, fergiemac said:

 what's the size of the centre pin ?

Pretty sure it will be the usual Sennheiser 2.1mm. Interestingly the first review on the Thomann site mentions exactly the same problem as you, which suggests it has 2.5mm sockets.

Never thought about using drills to check PSUs Dave - thanks for the tip (no pun intended).

[fergiemac]

Thanks all, I'll try the 'drill' thing, cheers DrV.

[sunray]

It's a good tip but be aware the flutes of a drill bit are sometimes bigger than the shank, far more so on larger sizes.

Edited January 16 by sunray

[alistermorton]

34 minutes ago, sunray said:

It's a good tip but be aware the flutes of a drill bit are sometimes bigger than the shank, far more so on larger sizes.

Given he was talking about small drill sizes, I think DrV had that one covered, Ray 😉

Edited January 16 by alistermorton

[sunray]

5 hours ago, alistermorton said:

Given he was talking about small drill sizes, I think DrV had that one covered, Ray 😉

Yes very likely but it is something to be aware of and I believe worthy of comment. My expectation is that the tests described by Dave would be suitable for the job, except having worked with such connectors of wildy varying quality control it wouldn't surprise me at all if a 2.5mm bits small shank fitted in a large 2.1mm plug (socket according to Sony's original design/description).

If I'm doing anything which required accuracy I'll measure the shank size. However I once got caught out when asking someone to measure a spring for me, as a spring was not available he measured the hole it was to locate into (and I was replicating on site) a 3.5mm bit was a snug fit which turned out to be ~3.2mm (1/8"), as a result multiple holes were drilled at 3.5mm which meant the 3mm spring locating in it was a very sloppy fit and the shaped end popped out and a repeat site visit to access multiple suspended ceilings to adjust the shape of the springs.

[sandall]

Returning to the OP's question - it looks like you are going to need the drill trick after all. I had assumed that Sennheiser used the "standard" 2.1mm size, like Trantec, etc, but no. They do a NT2-UK PSU, which is 2.1mm, with a plastic "collar" at the tip (I have 4 of them, but no idea what they fit - Freeport?), but EW G1 & G2 (I don't have any G3 or G4) use a NT2-1, which is 1.7mm, with spring contacts, rather than just a tube. The original XSW uses a NT2-3, the XSW1 uses a NT12-5 & the Sennheiser ADU uses a NT1, but I can find no indication of pin sizes for these. 

I suspect the Thomann is actually 2.1mm (which would suit most makes), suggesting the XSW is 1.7mm, but the only way to be sure is checking with 1.5mm & 2.0mm drill bits. Yes Ray, I did measure my drills first (all within 0.01mm of nominal).

[Yorkie]

1 hour ago, sandall said:

I suspect the Thomann is actually 2.1mm (which would suit most makes), suggesting the XSW is 1.7mm, but the only way to be sure is checking with 1.5mm & 2.0mm drill bits. Yes Ray, I did measure my drills first (all within 0.01mm of nominal).

When was your micrometer last calibrated? 🤣

[sandall]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

When was your micrometer last calibrated? 🤣

From setting zero I reckoned it wouldn't be too far out by the time it got to 2mm🙂

Fergus, it would be useful to know what pin size (& model number) your XSW PSUs are.

Edited January 17 by sandall

[sunray]

Most of my radiomic kit it Trantec S4.4/16 range and 2 had different size connectors, it didn't take many uses before they became a pain and got moved on. One has BNC aerial sockets but that is more obvious to spot.

With those I get the impression there's an element of 'bung these in' and knowing Tranny and Senny are made at the same facilities I wonder if that happens in other ranges.