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Click for huuuuuge…
To satisfy my desire to make something tonight, I pieced together some component video cables for a coworker. This is two sets of cables, one 18″ and the other 36″. The connectors are Neutrik NY352G’s and the cable is Belden 9259 copper shield / copper core / polyethylene foam coax. Heatshrink is random 3M stuff, and all parts were purchased from Parts Express, except the cable which is from the local Anixter location.
Off the top of my head I figure these cost about US$25 total to make plus about two hours of time. I’d put quality up there against the best commercially available component video cables.
And, it’s fun and gave me something to do.
Oh, I know the heat shrink looks like butt, but I didn’t take the time to trim the edges of it perfectly, and being adhesive-lined leaves gunk. Also, as the metal shells of the connectors heat, they keep shrinking the tubing long after I remove the heat, so some continue shrinking long after the heat gun is removed. This doesn’t matter, though, as all the solder points are dead on, and the heat shrink tubing is just there to look pretty, keep the connector together, and provide strain relief.
Yeah, I’m done babbling about cables now. Time to water the plants. Oh, that reminds me… New flower photos here and here and here. Yes, I know that the pansies are starting to look like butt. They’ve grown, but there are fewer flowers. Maybe there’ll be more flowers in a month or so. :(
have you been dead heading your pansies? also the soil looks reaaaaaly dry – i hope those were the plants you were talking about watering. i really like the color of them too.
It is dry. I watered it just after that. I’m thinking about pulling them out tomorrow, rebuilding the brick around it, and re-filling it with MUCH nicer soil.
i think they’d be a lot happier with some nice new top soil. you might want to add some mulch on top too, it will help the soil retain moisture and help keep out some of the weeds. a little miracle grow goes a long way too!
Miracle grow is used, and there is fresh top soil in there. It’s just very sloped, so it doens’t hold much water. I’m probably going to completely dig it out, re-stone around the edges, fill it lots more, etc.
I make all of my own cables too, but you knew that. I’ll be attempting my first PURE silver audio interconnects soon. Also are you using heat shrink with internal glue? If not it works much better for covering the ends and connectors. It creates a very secure and permanent seal. I get it from Partsexpress too.
I recentely started covering my cables with TechFlex expandable sleeving. When the TechFlex is sealed in with the heatshrink that inculds glue the finished product is equal to those costing upwards to a $1000 a pair.
Wow, that ought to be a fun solder job… Almost like making jewelry.
I sure am using the adhesive-lined stuff. It’s interesting, almost like they flowed a layer of hot melt glue in there. The only thing I don’t like about it is how as it shrinks it tends to leave a small bead of glue at the edges of the heat shrink. It’s clear, so it doens’t look too horrible.
I should have looked into some of that sleeving… These don’t really need it, though. And the run is really short. I was also trying to simply knock them out quickly with what I had laying around the house…
Maybe I’ll order up some sleeving next time I place a Parts Express order and start using it from here on out. The problem I have now is that there’s no longer any reason for me to make new connectors. I’ve got everything I need made for my house, and until I finish the basement, I don’t plan on recabling. :\
nice cables :)
So, the overall costs of the cables and heads weren’t too much?
Not at all… It’s cheap to make such stuff. $25 total, I believe.