My first Breakaway cable (Remote Audio inspired with extras)

[Mark Orusa]

The thing you can't do by wiring the pins to the wires first is keep the jacket strip length short:

 

 

By having the jacket under the chuck you increase the reliability of the connection by having improved strain relief. The chuck grabs the jacket, not the wires. Notice I also added some extra insulation in the form of heat shrink or small miscellaneous cable jacket material. I've also used teflon tubing insulation which doesn't melt or shrink back: http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=60&cat=Teflon+Tubing+Insulation

 

If you solder the wires to the pins when they are 1/2" to 5/8" long there isn't enough length to put the pins into the insert - unless you did them all at once, which is very hard. If you put one in, then the next one won't bend enough to get in.

 

Mark O.

[Peter Wong]

I too make my own cables, but mine do not look that good!

I'm not worthy.

Nice work

Peter

[Jack Norflus]

I align just the tips of the pins in each hole. Then I triple check that each one is in the correct place. Then I'm able to push all 8 pins in at once till they lock in place.

[jason porter]

+1

I align just the tips of the pins in each hole. Then I triple check that each one is in the correct place. Then I'm able to push all 8 pins in at once till they lock in place.

[RScottATL]

When doing mine, I did pins onto the OSC8/MC8 first and then pushed it all in at once. I found an awl tool helps A LOT for helping to push each little pin in a little bit without using too much force. It is a very delicate process. The colored bushings look fabulous, part BSP. The colored rings are another nice touch, part XXR (only works for XX series Neutrik, they have a different part for X series). The CR part is a clear ring that you can put a label under.

 

I believe the white guide marking that Neutrik puts on the 8-pin housing interior can be used to line up the pins. I think it circles around 1-7 and ends with 8 in the center. You could use something like a silver Sharpie pen to mark 1 on the exterior, if you need a reference. I use the notching guides and arrow markings on the exterior of the cable to orient myself, with pin 4 IIRC being 180 degrees away from the arrow on the push-pull.

 

A lesson I learned from ordering parts for these is not to order the OSC-8 Male and OSC-8 Female from Markertek. You get both Female housings, with one male and one female of the interior parts. The housings don't mate! The OSC-8 Female and MC-8 Male are the right parts to order. Newbie mistake, not helped by the fact that there are no photos on the site to reference both male and female parts.

[Toy Robot]

...

 

A lesson I learned from ordering parts for these is not to order the OSC-8 Male and OSC-8 Female from Markertek. You get both Female housings, with one male and one female of the interior parts. The housings don't mate! The OSC-8 Female and MC-8 Male are the right parts to order. Newbie mistake, not helped by the fact that there are no photos on the site to reference both male and female parts.

 

Thanks for this. This is huge for me as I was just about to place another order.

[Mark Orusa]

I usually buy my Neutricon connectors from Trew Audio. The prices are good and I get the right parts. Plus, they have spare parts in case you lose one piece.

 

Mark O.

[Jack Norflus]

Markertek also sells individual parts for the nutricon - though you need to call and speak directly to sales because their web site can be funkey with some things.

[boodschap]

Nice job!

Until now I've always used a Hirose multipin, but it pisses me off every time I need to unscrew the connector very fast (especially when it's cold). So I'd like to replace them with neutricon-8.

As I don't use these connectors at the moment: is there a 'standard' to solder 2 channels and a stereo return? So I might use my cables with someone else's?

And where do I get those cable 'socks' - to protect the single core?

[Jack Norflus]

And where do I get those cable 'socks' - to protect the single core?

To you mean this?

http://www.techflex.com/

[Jack Norflus]

As I don't use these connectors at the moment: is there a 'standard' to solder 2 channels and a stereo return?

No

[boodschap]

To you mean this?

http://www.techflex.com/

Thank you!

[Elusive Sounds]

+1. Some real craftsmanship in this thread. Been thinking of doing this myself for my 552.