Soldering on interconnects made from video component cables

[mmcc]

My Technics SL-1600 needs some new RCA cables, and I've read that shielded video component cables are useful for this purpose. I picked up a 25' cable from a local thrift store (packed and seems new) for $5 which is labeled "OFC Interconnect Cable By U.S.A. Music Boy Design 1FT" and then some arrows.

Some internet searching shows that these cables later became Petra, which seem to have a good rep for turntable use. So, I got lucky there.

A couple of questions...
- Do I need to worry about the direction of the arrows? I was intending to lop 6' off of either end, but I'll end up with one cable with the arrows pointing away from the turntable, and one with the arrows pointing toward it.

- What do I do with the shield? Solder it to where-ever the ground wire connects to the turntable? Leave it disconnected?

Thanks!

 

[sKiZo]

The directional arrows will only make a difference if you listen while ensconced in a bathtub full of mayonnaise.
(pass it on)

Yes, they are quality cables, but I wouldn't mind scoring some of the toot their marketing department was smoking when they came up with the hype about the arrows. I'd ignore the directional arrows. - main thing is to keep the cables as short as possible to keep the overall capacitance down for the best signal transfer and minimum loss.

In any case, solder the stranded wire with the foil sleeve to the same pad used by the original cables. Trim the foil back before soldering the strands making sure it doesn't contact the strands so it's supposed to act as a "drain" for static and EMF. Solder the stranded ground to the same ground used by the original cable as well. These wires are pretty thin, so make sure you provide good strain relief where the cables.

 

[cafe latte]

The directional arrows will only make a difference if you listen while ensconced in a bathtub full of mayonnaise.
(pass it on)

Yes, they are quality cables, but I wouldn't mind scoring some of the toot their marketing department was smoking when they came up with the hype about the arrows. I'd ignore the directional arrows. - main thing is to keep the cables as short as possible to keep the overall capacitance down for the best signal transfer and minimum loss.

In any case, solder the stranded wire with the foil sleeve to the same pad used by the original cables. Trim the foil back before soldering the strands making sure it doesn't contact the strands so it's supposed to act as a "drain" for static and EMF. Solder the stranded ground to the same ground used by the original cable as well. These wires are pretty thin, so make sure you provide good strain relief where the cables.

What type of mayo will any brand do?

 

[hugo454]

Oxygen free mayo

 

[mmcc]

The directional arrows will only make a difference if you listen while ensconced in a bathtub full of mayonnaise.
(pass it on)

Yes, they are quality cables, but I wouldn't mind scoring some of the toot their marketing department was smoking when they came up with the hype about the arrows. I'd ignore the directional arrows. - main thing is to keep the cables as short as possible to keep the overall capacitance down for the best signal transfer and minimum loss.

In any case, solder the stranded wire with the foil sleeve to the same pad used by the original cables. Trim the foil back before soldering the strands making sure it doesn't contact the strands so it's supposed to act as a "drain" for static and EMF. Solder the stranded ground to the same ground used by the original cable as well. These wires are pretty thin, so make sure you provide good strain relief where the cables.

Thanks for the advice. Would Miracle Whip work?

I suspect your instructions will make more sense once I cut into the cable. I'll try to give it a go tonight.

 

[heyraz]

I think the shield doesn't get soldered to ground on one side of a directional cable. The idea is to catch RFI in the shield and discharge it back into (I think) the source side. Not 100% if it's the source side or not (has to do with impedance) so you should research further. There's a thread somewhere on AK about making them, I saw it 2 years ago when I made custom cables for my turntable.
The thread recommended the wire (microphone wire) and possibly the impedance per foot. I used switchcraft metal RCA plugs. Not sure what gauge the wire was but I think it was twisted.

I think the engineering is sound, catch RFI and discharge it to the side that will matter the least.

This is one of those "do cable's make a difference" subjects. You'll have to do your research and decide for yourself.

Me personally...if it can't hurt and can potentially help, I say "why not?" It's cheap to do because I'm doing the work.
Even if it makes no difference, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and see for myself.

For what it's worth, my turntable interconnects are directional.

And..I effing hate mayonnaise. It's disgusting.

 

[Montycat]

Thanks for the advice. Would Miracle Whip work?

I suspect your instructions will make more sense once I cut into the cable. I'll try to give it a go tonight.

Note that it will likely be thicker and stiffer than the original cable. That can be a problem exiting the back and makes it important to anchor it inside.

 

[Nashou66]

I always understood that the reason they were directional was to connect the direction of the arrow side to the amp, because that end has the shield tied to ground to give the "collected" EMI,FRI someplace to go and not into the signal. It has nothing to do with making them sound better cause the electrons line up or that BS.

But to the OP, solder the Shield to the outer RCA wire on the amp side not the TT side.

Solved a major hum issue that way a few weeks ago.

Athanasios

 

[heyraz]

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....s-for-diy-interconnects.750362/#post-10183049
This was the tutorial I read. In this example, the OP suggests connecting the shield to the source end.

And of course, we have a difference of opinions!!!

I'm not sayin' who's right, who's wrong or if it makes a difference. Search the internet for white papers and engineered studies and decide for yourself.

 

[cafe latte]

Thanks for the advice. Would Miracle Whip work?

I suspect your instructions will make more sense once I cut into the cable. I'll try to give it a go tonight.

No miracle whip will reverse the polarity and too much oxygen in it

 

[cafe latte]

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....s-for-diy-interconnects.750362/#post-10183049
This was the tutorial I read. In this example, the OP suggests connecting the shield to the source end.

And of course, we have a difference of opinions!!!

I'm not sayin' who's right, who's wrong or if it makes a difference. Search the internet for white papers and engineered studies and decide for yourself.

It can be shielding but mostly it is the arrows on the roll which indicate how many meters is left on the roll, I think those meters left indicator arrows are how all the BS started.
Chris

 

[cafe latte]

Another solution is to remove the round aluminium plate under the arm, cut a new plate using old as a template then fit rt angled phono sockets to plate drilling as required, then wire these directly to arm wire connections, job done now you can use rca leads you like.
Chris

 

[dzkfraser]

Mayonnaise is delicious, it's Miracle Whip you need to avoid

 

[sKiZo]

Wouldn't think which way a drain shield is pointing should make any difference ... any stray garbage is already collected from the main wires and should drain to the nearest chassis, both of which should be interconnected by a stolid shield already.

Also worth noting ... a lot of us can save a lot of grief down the road just by strengthening the connection at the table. Common for the cables to get kinked tight against the chassis and breaking there. If you think you have a problem and you can change the signal by wiggling the cable up there, that's a sure sign.

And I was gonna mention I prefer Miracle Whip to mayo when wiggling my cable, but I just won't go there ... no ... I just won't ... ;-}

 

[sqlsavior]

Arrows on cables are supposed to point 'downstream', and supposed to indicate the end where the shielding is NOT attached to the ground. Some cable manufacturers add meaningless arrows, just because many 'hi-fi' cables have arrows, too. Gotta keep up with the Joneses!

 

[mmcc]

And I was gonna mention I prefer Miracle Whip to mayo when wiggling my cable, but I just won't go there ... no ... I just won't ... ;-}

Here I've been wiggling it without benefit of condiments all this time...

I lopped 4' off of both ends of the cable and here's what I found.

- From outside in, there's the black rubbery outer jacket, woven copper shield, foil shield, white polypropylene inner insulator, solid copper signal wire.
- Shield is shorted to signal ground on both ends
- My capacitance meter is playing hard to find, so I can't check that

Visual aid attached.

I was surprised about the solid core wire, but found this thread about the Petra cables. Mine seem to be identical.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/rca-interconnects-on-pioneer-pl-570.167908/

I suppose I'll solder them on as in that thread - and figure out a decent strain relief scheme.

 

[ripblade]

Video cable is often 75ohm cable, so the center conductor is/should be solid as that is part of the spec. It is also coax, so I don't understand the directionality implied on the jacket, since both ends need to be grounded to complete the circuit.

FYI, I made my own TT interconnects using a twisted-pair pseudo-balanced config with the shield bonded to ground at the TT end. Tried the shield bonded at the pre at first but it hummed. So, yes, the shield should be bonded at the source (low impedance) end.

 

[mmcc]

Well, I got the new cables soldered on - no mayo, miracle whip, pickle relish, etc. needed. They work! I won't pretend I can hear a specific difference, but they don't require wiggling, and I feel good knowing I have a decent quality cable on there.

Now I have 17' left of cable I can use to make up some more. The cable on my Dual 1229 has decent connectors, but the cable itself is very questionable - it might be lamp wire for all I know.