Cheap Leads

[Woodinblack]

We have had several gigs in a row and in the breakdown things have just got thrown in the bags, so everything was a bit disorganised.

I thought I would sort the cables out and test them with the great behringer cable tester. A couple failed, a few were intermittent. Including on XLR cable I haven't used for a while, but remember it failed connecting stuff at a gig on a truck, and I forgot about it. Apparently shorted and intermittent.

Took it apart to see what could be done:

 

I guess I will check the other Snake cables I got from Thomann! (the soldering on the back pin was worse)

[obbm]

The problem with a lot of XLR cable is that whoever makes them tends to cut all three conductors to the same length so any undue strain can snap either of the main signal wires.  The secret is to make the signal wires about 2.5cm longer than the screen and fold them back into the shell.  This way any strain is taken only by the screen which if properly soldered into pin 1 is much much stronger.  I always sleeve the signal terminals with silicon rubber sleeves or heatshrink.

[Woodinblack]

Think I will just cut it off and start again!

[rmorris]

On 11/18/2017 at 15:20, Woodinblack said:

Think I will just cut it off and start again!

+1

Just cut it off; re prep the cable following OBBD recommendations, Clean up the XLR - I recommend using 'solder wick' ; tin up cable and connector and off you go :-)

 

[Woodinblack]

Yep, I redid it and it was gigging that night. Unfortunately I have 3 other of those leads so I need a weekend with nothing else to do to do the same with them!

[Vinny]

On 18/11/2017 at 14:02, obbm said:

The problem with a lot of XLR cable is that whoever makes them tends to cut all three conductors to the same length so any undue strain can snap either of the main signal wires.  The secret is to make the signal wires about 2.5cm longer than the screen and fold them back into the shell.  This way any strain is taken only by the screen which if properly soldered into pin 1 is much much stronger.  I always sleeve the signal terminals with silicon rubber sleeves or heatshrink.

This is without a doubt the single most useful thing I have ever read upon this thing called 'the internet'. 

Have yourself a biscuit, sir.  A choccy one. In foil.