Surgery on RCA's?

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sedate

Silver - Posts: 1,173

Joined: July 03, 2004

Location: Colorado, United States

Posted: June 09, 2005 at 11:27 PM / IP Logged

Heh guys:

So I ripped out my trunk tonight to reinstall a new box.. anywho, when I pulled my RCA's through my amp rack as I was removing it, the confounded thing popped the one of the RCA's off of the wire. Now, this RCA cable happens to be JL Audio's 25-ft Premium 4-channel RCA cable... the "XA-BLUAIC4-25".. the stupid thing cost like $170.

So anyone can imagine the words that came out of my mouth.

Anywho, so it looks like the two wires inside the wire would be +/-, assuming the red is positive, wouldn't the + go to the inside of the RCA and the - the get soldered to the outside of the connector somewhere?... its how my Stinger RCA's are built.. Would it be stupid to try to solder the RCA's back together? I think I could pop the end of the inside of the RCA off and solder the thing back together.. then screw it back together? Can anyone follow that?

What you guys think? Anyone tried something like this before?

"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview

Kawoogie

Member - Posts: 8

Joined: February 14, 2005

Location: Canada

Posted: June 09, 2005 at 11:38 PM / IP Logged

Hello,

Sucks about the RCA, but yes, you can just solder the positive to the center of the connector and the negative to the outside then just screw it back together. I have done this before, and it works really well. RCA cables arn't too picky. Just make sure there are no strands shorted between the center and the outside ring.

Lee

haemphyst

Platinum - Posts: 5,054

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Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 12:29 AM / IP Logged

Check continuity with a meter. wherever the wires are soldered on the not broken end, they should be soldered in the same place on the broken end. USUALLY, the outer braid is soldered to the rung/shield, and all of the center conductors are connected to the pin... Check it first, man!

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

sedate

Silver - Posts: 1,173

Joined: July 03, 2004

Location: Colorado, United States

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 7:30 AM / IP Logged

hamfist:

I don't have a multi-meter or continuity tester or anything.. I've wanted a multi-meter forever. What would checking for 'continuity' do? Doesn't that mean look for a complete circuit?

Man this 'premium' JL RCA looks cheap as hell... its not braided at all.. just old looking worn wire popped out from the RCA... only a single red and a single black wire.

"wherever the wires are soldered on the not broken end, they should be soldered in the same place on the broken end."

You mean solder them back together where they broke apart?

"I'm finished!" - Daniel Plainview

haemphyst

Platinum - Posts: 5,054

Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 9:05 AM / IP Logged

If you take your VOM ( Here's a little cheapie you can get at Radio Shack) and test from the pin on the good end to both of the wires on the broken end. If you get a buzz while touching both ends of the broken end, you would solder them both the pin on the broken end. If you only get a buzz (from the meter) while touching the pin and say the red wire, but NOT the white wire, ONLY the red wire goes to the pin. Now check from the ring on the good end to the remaining wires on the broken end. If there is a buzz from the meter when connected between the white wire and the ring, that one would go to the ring on the broken end. You will also check the braid, which is the layer of braided wire underneath the outside insulation. This, I am willing to bet, is the only thing that will be connected between the ring (shield) on either end...

(Wait, are you using the clear, or the blue? If the clear, ther is no outer braid, but I couldn't tell you in the case of the blue...)

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Francious70

Silver - Posts: 629

Joined: July 26, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 1:30 PM / IP Logged

Hahaha, hamfist, that's great. Surgery on RCA's? -- posted image.

Paul

Kawoogie

Member - Posts: 8

Joined: February 14, 2005

Location: Canada

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 3:15 PM / IP Logged

If all you have to do is check for continuity, not resistance or anything, a cheap quick solution is to use a small light bulb and a battery. For an extra safety, I always check to make sure I haven't accidently shorted the cable. Make sure there is no continuity between the centre of the RCA and the outside collar. I am pretty sure your deck wouldn't like to see a short on its output.

haemphyst, correct me if I am wrong, but if you switch the wires between the centre pin, and the outside collar, it would just appear out of phase? It wouldn't harm any components?

Lee

haemphyst

Platinum - Posts: 5,054

Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: June 10, 2005 at 4:37 PM / IP Logged

It won't harm anything, but no, you won't get any signal... If you reverse the leads, the amp input would be shorted to ground, athe HU end, so no signal available there, and the decks output signal would also be shorted to ground as well, at the amplifier's end, so no signal there, either.

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

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Surgery on RCA's?

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