neutrik FX solder q

[Coaster]

ive done a number of right angle FX jacks and got it figured out, but i picked up a few straight ones recently. i soldered 2 on today and was a little unhappy with how they turned out so i redid them - heres what happened...

 

i've done literally thousands of A3 switchcraft jacks and usually strip offf about 5/8" of main cable insulation (and about 1/8" of inner wire insulation) so naturally i did this with the wires for the FX jacks. i dont think this is right for the FX, i think the 3 inside leads need to be shorter than that. on the A3 about 5/8" seems to be about right, leaves enough room to maneuver the wires into the cups and allows the main cable to be gripped by the clamps on the jack body.

 

when i did this with the FX and assembled them the 5/8" long wires collapsed and twisted around in a bunch - not good. i worried about the bare wire touching the other cups so i pulled them apart and did some visual guesswork - by my eye (without measuring) it seems if i leave about between 1/4" and 3/8" of wires sticking out of the cable this is enough so they wont twist or jumble when assembled and the bare wire (pin 1) cant flop over and touch the other cups.

 

am i going about this the right way for the FX? short wires? my only other ideas were to just cut the bare wire short and leave the insulated wires longer, or shrink tube the sheild - neither which i really want to do on a large scale.

 

i like the FX series, except the pin block seems a little weak compared to the A3 pinblock. i usually hold the pinblock in a small vise when i solder them and the FX pinblock visibly squeezed before i got it tight enough to not move. i dont have this issue with the A3's.

 

i know a lot of folks dont like the A3's but i havent had any issue with any of mine. i bought some FX because i have a couple microphones that the A3's dont fit in very well and the FX fit in perfect (problem is with the mics, not the A3's)

 

anyone have any advice for soldering the FX series? i didnt have any issue with the right angle ones but they are a little different than the straight ones.

[agedhorse]

I use 7/16"-1/2" on the overall jacket and 1/8 on the wires. On the F, the shield/drain needs to be 1/8" longer so I shorten the signal conductors by that amount.

 

This leaves plenty of insulation for the strain relief chuck to grip. Do not crush or twist the wires when assembling.

 

I really prefer the Neutrik to the Switchcraft, much better strain relief system.

[Coaster]

 

I really prefer the Neutrik to the Switchcraft, much better strain relief system.

 

 

agreed.

 

why do you need 1/8" more on the shield wire? i did notice that the shield slipped in the cup farther than the signal wires but i am not sure of this.

[agedhorse]

 

why do you need 1/8" more on the shield wire? i did notice that the shield slipped in the cup farther than the signal wires but i am not sure of this.

 

 

Because pin 1 on the female is forward of pin 2 & 3 for make first break last operation, and the shield cup is pushed forward compared withthe other two. look at a female back and you will see. This is not true on the male, it's the female tha's responsible for this. It's true on Switchcraft too.

[Coaster]

ah. i see that.

[B. Adams]

I'm trying to figure out what you're doing wrong, it's just not making sense to me. Are the connectors NC3FX?

 

How does the cable twist inside the connector as you're assembling it? The strain relief should keep it in place as it's tightened. If the cable is large and the boot is grabbing it as you tighten it, just hold the cable as you tighten it and you should be fine.

 

Also, how are you squeezing it so much with your vise? I've never needed to clamp down on a connector so much that it compressed it.

 

I've soldered with a Pana-vise, it's not my preference, but I use them when I have to. Female connectors stay in there just fine no matter which way I put them in, male connectors I clamp down on 2 pins. I hold the cable with one of those helping hands things. I've never experienced the issues you're having with your connectors. I typically strip to about 1/2" and 1/8".

[Coaster]

 

I'm trying to figure out what you're doing wrong, it's just not making sense to me. Are the connectors NC3FX? How does the cable twist inside the connector as you're assembling it? The strain relief should keep it in place as it's tightened. If the cable is large and the boot is grabbing it as you tighten it, just hold the cable as you tighten it and you should be fine. Also, how are you squeezing it so much with your vise? I've never needed to clamp down on a connector so much that it compressed it. I've soldered with a Pana-vise, it's not my preference, but I use them when I have to. Female connectors stay in there just fine no matter which way I put them in, male connectors I clamp down on 2 pins. I hold the cable with one of those helping hands things. I've never experienced the issues you're having with your connectors. I typically strip to about 1/2" and 1/8".

 

 

 

they FX are not the current ones, they are last generation; unsure of actual number. pulled them out of a bin of several hundred, no packaging.

 

the wires were twisting/bunching up between the chuck and the pinblock. it was "ok" but i was not happy with it so i shortened the wires.

 

the vise is a small vise, i put the block in the vise and tighten in enough to not allow the block to move. at this level of tightness the block began to ovalize a little but did spring back when removed from vise. i dont have this issue with the switchcraft.

[BillESC]

I use a Pana Vise and for the males simply insert it into a female body which is clamped in the vise. When doing a production run of cables you only have to deal with the vise twice, clamping onto the female and unclamping it.