attaching cable to screw-on mic connector

[Dina Janzen and Jim Rossen <dlj@xxxxxx>]

Below is a message I sent to the list previously on this topic.

Jim R

- ----------
From: "James D Rossen" <dlj@xxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 01:25:56 -0500
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx , Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE:  Mic Connector Thingy question



> 
> Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 13:15:27 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Mic Connector Thingy question


Sounds like your problem is making a good connection between the screw on
connector and the guitar cord.  I prefer a permanently attached connector to
the
screw-on to phone jack adapter but initially had trouble getting the
connector on to the cord.  Below is a quick method I came upon that may be
useful to others.   I welcome additional info from others on this.

The strength of the connection depends on securely soldering the braided
shield of the cable to the spring strain relief and then fixing the spring
in the body of the connector by set screw.  To do this I make a double
thickness of shield by making a circumfirential ring  of solder about one
inch from the end of the shield.   This fixes the shield  at that point and
allows the tip of the shield to be folded back on itself without the entire
shield bunching up.  The doubled up shield is smoothed and additional solder
is applied to strengthen the shield.  The length of the doubled shield is
determined so that the shield extends just to the end of the spring strain
relief.  Soldering the shield to the spring is not so easy because both are
effective heat sinks and the solder may not easily melt and flow with
typical solder irons.  It seems helpful to build up a large lump of solder
on the tip of the folded shield before inserting into the spring.  Then heat
the tip of the spring and cable with the iron and add additional solder.
Before doing this connection, the tip wire and inner insulator needs to be
cut to length.  I keep the tip wire long until it is soldered into the bulls
eye of the body, then cut it at the connection and smooth with a file.
Tinning the end of the tip wire with solder keeps the wire strands together
so it is easy to thread.

Finally, a good way of removing excess solder from previously used
non-fragile components like the screw on connector is to melt the solder and
immediately fling the component against the table.  The impact jars the
still
molten solder from the component.

Jim