DIY cable gallery and discussion

[Doodski]

Do you want a nice soldering iron or a basic entry level iron? A nice iron generally has better temperature regulation, temperature range adjustment, more comfortable to hold and can have changeable tips. A basic iron can sometimes change tips, almost always has no adjustable temperature range adjustment and some of them get warm to hold onto.
A Hakko FX888B is s very nice soldering station. It will do everything you need and more. Most likely will last for many years. It comes with a sponge so you don't need to buy one extra.

FX-888D Digital Soldering Station

STATION,SDRG,DIGITAL,ESD,FX-8801,FX-888D Hakko’s FX-888D is the updated, digital version of the popular FX-888 and includes several new features-easy to set-up and operate, new password protection, 5 preset temperature storage, and compact design takes up less workbench space. Note: Station...

hakkousa.com

It's nice to buy maybe about 5 feet or 2m of some solder wick too. It is very handy to have around in case you need to remove solder.

Having isopropyl alcohol on hand for cleanup is good too with some cue tips. 70% purity isopropyl is good enough the 100% stuff is very flammable and dangerous.

 

[Doodski]

Here are basic soldering irons in a good quality name brand.

FX-601 Soldering Iron

The Hakko FX-601 dial temperature soldering iron is ideal for soldering applications that require mobility or a long reach. The slender, ergonomic handpiece allows you to solder for long periods of time without hand fatigue.

hakkousa.com

FX‐600 Soldering Iron

IRON,SDRG,74W,500C,T18,FX-600,GLD A portable high performing 74W Soldering Iron, ideal for the hobbyist and electronics enthusiasts alike.

hakkousa.com

 

[mightycicadalord]

Best iron I've ever used is this basic weller one with led's that light the work area. I can't imagine ever spending more than that. I've done all sort of work with it, SMD, crossovers, cables, etc. There's definitely a skill to using them.

 

[wacomme]

Best iron I've ever used is this basic weller one with led's that light the work area. I can't imagine ever spending more than that. I've done all sort of work with it, SMD, crossovers, cables, etc. There's definitely a skill to using them.

Which one?

 

[mightycicadalord]

Which one?

Looks like this is the current version of it. The LED's are just kind of amazing. Really helps you see your work and your how your flow is going.

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-120V-Soldering-Iron-Halo/dp/B0962SZ17H/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Weller+Soldering&qid=1654634074&sr=8-4

 

[Helicopter]

Which one?

I have an SP40NKUS that works well. Similar to the one above, but 40w versus 30w.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Ive been soldering cables for years.
For me, a headphone cable must be as thin, soft and flexible as possible.
Beacause that i usually take one from B&W

 

[Triliza]

Looks like this is the current version of it. The LED's are just kind of amazing. Really helps you see your work and your how your flow is going.

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-120V-Soldering-Iron-Halo/dp/B0962SZ17H/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Weller+Soldering&qid=1654634074&sr=8-4

I have what is probably the previous version of this one. Not that I do a lot of soldering, but it gets the job done when needed. For an amateur it's a nice and cheap tool to have.

 

[TulseLuper]

IMO by buying the appropriate crimp tooling or brushing up on soldering skills, and finding a label maker that prints on heat shrink as well as a heat gun. The two most sonically important things about an interconnect are integrity of the connections and that it’s plugged in to the correct jacks on each end.

I recently made some cables for our 2-channel system. (The others in the picture came with my NC400 monoblocs. I added heat shrink on the connectors to color code.) Bulk cable and connectors are a mix of Canare and Liberty AV “MHR” mini coax (their “Bargain Bin” section sells the connectors and strain relief for almost nothing.).

I used the Canare cable stripper (TS100 or something like that - it’s expensive but fast to use and perfect at the job; one can get by with a less fancy tool). To crimp I used the Canare crimp tooling (made by Pressmaster in Sweden) and Rennsteig tooling for the MHR. I labeled them with a Phoenix Contact Thermofox and their heat shrink cartridges. An expensive heat gun doesn’t make a difference for this simple task. A $15 box store one with the curved heat shrink extension is basically as good as my Steinel. Additionally, I used the cable and strain reliefs to color code - orange for coax digital, CEA standard colors for L/R/subs.

View attachment 211019

I had to make a lot of interconnects when setting up an active speaker system a few years ago, so I bought the Canare stripper and crimper with specific die for the connectors I was using. It's so easy and quick... Highly recommended.

 

[wacomme]

Are there any advantages to more expensive soldering irons? That Ersa is expensive!!!!

 

[Helicopter]

Are there any advantages to more expensive soldering irons? That Ersa is expensive!!!!

Good thermostatic control means you can set it to the best temp for your solder, and it won't get super hot, burn flux, vaporize lead, and possibly damage less stuff. Of course, you still need ventilation, and it is pretty easy to control the heat transfer with a barebones one anyway. The Joules (amount of heat energy) transferred is also dependent on time, thermal mass, and conductivity, so precise temperature control, while a good thing, would be easy to overestimate too.