Earbuds: Replacing Plug?

P

(PeteCresswell)

Guest
Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.
--
Pete Cresswell
 
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:29:08 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid>
wrote:

Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.
Click to expand...
Yep. I strip off the wire ends as best as possible. They're usually
"tinsel" or very fine wires mixes with silk. Leave the silk in place.
Then, take a piece of fine STRANDED hookup wire, and pull off a single
strand of what I would guess would be #40 awg uninsulated wire.
Starting with about 3mm up the the insulation (for support), wrap the
wire around the tinsel until you reach the end of the tinsel. Wrap it
rather tight as you're relying on a mechanical connection instead of a
soldered connection. Then, just solder the wrapped wire to the
connector terminals. For additional mechanical strength, some RTV
(silicon rubber) works.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
 
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote in message
news:bd71g8prgdoe27t6tpa9vj4k53imlfdt35@4ax.com...
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:29:08 -0500, "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid
wrote:

Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.

Yep. I strip off the wire ends as best as possible. They're usually
"tinsel" or very fine wires mixes with silk. Leave the silk in place.
Then, take a piece of fine STRANDED hookup wire, and pull off a single
strand of what I would guess would be #40 awg uninsulated wire.
Starting with about 3mm up the the insulation (for support), wrap the
wire around the tinsel until you reach the end of the tinsel. Wrap it
rather tight as you're relying on a mechanical connection instead of a
soldered connection. Then, just solder the wrapped wire to the
connector terminals. For additional mechanical strength, some RTV
(silicon rubber) works.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Click to expand...

Concur with first part. Instead of RTV I use coloured hotmelt glue and some
PTFE strip about .5mm thick , to wrap around the molten glue , to form a
crude molding to the outer surface
 
In case its not too clear, for the tinsel join, you bend out an end 3mm or
so before twisting on the fine wire , repeat for the other end and then
bend back the ends till co-axial again
 
"(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
news:v071g8pgpco34bh7nv1va14q1964a3oi7m@4ax.com...
Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.
--
Pete Cresswell
Click to expand...

I found the biggest problem was tinning the fine wires, which are insulated
with some kind of coating.
To melt this coating you need a VERY hot soldering iron.

Once these fine wires are actually tinned properly, you can just solder them
onto the plug as normal.



Gareth.
 
It helps with the finger twisting if you melt a tiny blob of hotmelt on
each of the paired cut ends
 
On Jan 24, 5:34 am, "Gareth Magennis" <sound.serv...@btconnect.com>
wrote:
"(PeteCresswell)" <x...@y.Invalid> wrote in message

news:v071g8pgpco34bh7nv1va14q1964a3oi7m@4ax.com...

Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.
--
Pete Cresswell

I found the biggest problem was tinning the fine wires, which are insulated
with some kind of coating.
To melt this coating you need a VERY hot soldering iron.
Click to expand...
Hmm I just did this repair to some head hpones. In my case the
tinning was easy, just a regular tin/lead solder and it burned off the
insulation just fine.
(I've got a bunch of male-male 3.5 mm patch cords and so I made the
new end of the head phones into a female plug. Not exactly neat, but
it made the strain relief part easy.)

George H.
Once these fine wires are actually tinned properly, you can just solder them
onto the plug as normal.

Gareth.
Click to expand...
 
Have you considered simply replacing them with something better?

I have a pair of Logitech Ultimate Ears 600 earphones (which were a gift from
the manufacturer in exchange for an Amazon review). Other than having somewhat
microphonic cables, they are very good.
 
"(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.invalid> wrote:
Has anybody got a technique for replacing the plug on, say, a set
of iPhone ear buds?

I've tried this in the past and failed because the wires are so
fine.
Click to expand...
the last ones I dissected were made with bundles of fine wire, sort of
like litz, but unbraided. You can just burn out the fibers mixed in with
a soldering iron and fresh solder. Keep your face away from those fumes.
 
Per William Sommerwerck:
Have you considered simply replacing them with something better?
Click to expand...
I've got a set of Shure E3C's (http://tinyurl.com/4ha93q) that I
paid $125 for almost five years ago - and which I much prefer on
the basis of fidelity.

The problem earbuds are the ones that came with my Samsung Note.
Their claim to fame is a little inline dohicky that acts as
microphone, volume control, pause, and skip-to-next. Even though
I almost never use it in phone mode with the buds, they're handy
at the gym because I can keep the device in my pocket and make
adjustments with the dohicky....
--
Pete Cresswell
 
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