Fixing a broken cable?

[SunofNothing]

Hey guys my mogami gold cable broke. I found this video.

[YOUTUBE]nDRu18-DoDQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

but i still have some questions-

can i reuse my jack if i remove the solder or is it better for a whole new one? Where can i get some flux? What solder type/weight is best?

 

Just thought i'd see if you chaps have anything to add.

 

Anything i should know or look out for not in the video?

FYI-the cable snapped off when it connects in teh second spot (right angle) in my case.

[isaac42]

Yes, you can reuse the plug. A jack is the thing that the plug plugs into.

 

The best solder is eutectic solder, solder that is made of 63% tin and 37% lead. However, 60/40 is acceptable. Use rosin core. In general, thinner is better (it melts more easily), but there's no need to get particularly fine solder for a job like this.

 

In Europe, I understand that lead is not allowed. If you're in Europe, I don't know what you should use.

[Belva]

You gave us the exact malfunction which helps. I see no problem reusing the existing end. The thin rosin core solder available @ Radio Shack is good. And, if you don't have any tools yet, Da Shack's irons are now good quality Weller brand. Flux isn't really necessary IMO unless you have really old parts with potential corrosion issues. But it can make life easier for a beginner. The 3 most important things in soldering: tin the tip or your iron, tin your iron's tip and make sure the tip of your soldering iron is tinned. Why do I stress this so much?:facepalm: Rat Shack also sells a small container of tip tinner & cleaner that works really well. I use it every time. It also lets me know when the iron is hot enough.

Also practice by splicing 2 different wire gauges together (scrap) until you're comfortable with the process. It's a bit of a PITA, but once you can do that,

you can solder just about anything.

[mike42]

Seems like a decent tutorial, but there are a couple of potential problem areas that may be worth thinking about.

 

One, You'll never get good joints with his technique of "carrying" solder to the joint on the iron, unless you pre-flux everything like he did. Most of the flux in the solder will burn off on the iron before you get to the joint. With flux "cored" solder the usual technique is to hold the iron and the solder on the joint simultaneously.

 

Two, depending on the type of insulation on the center condutor there's always a chance of melting the shield conductor through the insulation to where it actually shorts against the center conductor. I would probably cut my leads shorter than his were to begin with, so it won't require as much heat to tin them.

[daddymack]

Since RoHS, leaded solder is not available in the EU. There are plenty of usuable solders out there, but they have varying issues, mainly heat to flow and flux compatibility. Activated fluxes may be difficult to attain in the EU as well due to the acid content.

 

Most of the new solder alloys are high temp, so you will need to get the iron over 250C/480F to get most of them to flow adequately. Because of this higher temperature, the 'solder to wire to iron simultaneous' method which has been the preferred method, may damage components, so the less time the iron is in contact with components (like the connector which will have plastic insulators which will not take that sort of heat for vey long).

I have been dealing with this for a while...and it has changed the process a bit.

Most of the cheap soldering irons will not generate ~500F accurately or consistently. Make sure yours will get hot enough, or you will wind up with cold joints that will either break quickly or have crappy contact...or both.

 

Clean the tip with a wet sponge after each solder joint, re-wet the tip, clean it and re-wet again...this will get you the best flow off the tip. Pre-tin the wires as well as the connector contact area if possible.

 

also, because of the increased heat, get some hemostats, Kelly clamps or alligator clips to hold the wires, and a small standing vise...your hands will thank you.

 

And remember to make sure the sleeve insulator is on before you solder...I can't tell you how many times I have done that

[wartoxin]

 

Flux isn't really necessary IMO unless you have really old parts with potential corrosion issues. But it can make life easier for a beginner. The 3 most important things in soldering: tin the tip or your iron, tin your iron's tip and make sure the tip of your soldering iron is tinned. Why do I stress this so much? Rat Shack also sells a small container of tip tinner & cleaner that works really well. I use it every time. It also lets me know when the iron is hot enough. Also practice by splicing 2 different wire gauges together (scrap) until you're comfortable with the process. It's a bit of a PITA, but once you can do that, you can solder just about anything.

 

 

I agree radio shack stuff is not bad for the price. As for the flux, isn't that always inside the solder wire to begin with?

I think the main challenge is getting the right heat iron/tip since too little heat makes a weak bond or no bond, and too hot can be way overkill melting any plastic or whatever nearby.

[SunofNothing]

Thanks for the hints guys. I tried to fix an old livewire cable for practice, but broke the jack problem shooting. The mogami, however was breeze. i just slid the jack on and off and removed the solder and redid the connection. Took me like two minutes. Good skill to have.

 

[Belva]

Took me like two minutes. Good skill to have.

Very true. We used to have problems about every 3 or 4 gigs. But, as Murphy's Law clearly states, it only happens when you're not prepared. We started carying a backup cable for almost everything. Once I set up a basic repair kit the problems completely went away.

I only do the odd pick up gig nowadays, but I always bring at least one xtra cable and my trusty repair kit.

Just a cheap iron, solder, desoldering bulb, some shrink tube and a multi purpose wire stripper/cutter.

[Philfixit]

When I was in the USN, I went through soldering school. We were taught to alwaysuse flux, and always remove the excess flux when completed. Flux is corrosive if left in place for a length of time - even rosin flux. A little isopropyl alcohol and a small brush work well for clean up.

The flux core in solder isn't there for the cleaning of the parts being soldered so much as to enable the solder to melt and flow more easily.

A damp sponge or folded paper towel work pretty well for tip cleaning.

Another thing is to obtain a good mechanical connection before soldering, if possible. Put the (tinned already) wire thru the hole in the jack and wrap it back around itself, then solder. May seem redundant but it does make a difference. Makes it harder to take apart if you have to, however.

A lengthy $0.02

[Belva]

I agree with the mechanical solder joint. If for no other reason than to just keep it in place while you solder. If it's a connection you won't be undoing any time soon it saves a lot of grief.