Soldering Lacquer Coated Earphonephone Wires

N

Nelson

Guest
God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breakingŠ usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?

--
Nelson
 
"Nelson" wrote in message
news:0001HW.CE479AA403EA93BFB02919BF@news.astraweb.com...

God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing
and breaking, usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.
Click to expand...

It's long been my opinion that the "strain relief" -- because it works over
too short a length of the cable -- is often what causes the break.
 
Hi, see other archived comments regarding tinsel wire. At least some, if not
most of the coatings on the conductors will melt away at soldering
temperatures.

Try to not have any flex/movement at the soldering points, otherwise, the
fine conductors will break soon (heat shrink tubing, hot glue etc).

Heat shrink tubing extending out of a new plug body will likely be an
improvement as far as strain relief, over the original cable plug.

--
Cheers,
WB
..............


"Nelson" <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:0001HW.CE479AA403EA93BFB02919BF@news.astraweb.com...
God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breakingŠ usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?

--
Nelson
Click to expand...
 
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 14:32:27 -0400, Wild_Bill wrote
(in article <1FqUt.43428$sp1.29124@en-nntp-15.dc1.easynews.com>):

Hi, see other archived comments regarding tinsel wire. At least some, if not
most of the coatings on the conductors will melt away at soldering
temperatures.

Try to not have any flex/movement at the soldering points, otherwise, the
fine conductors will break soon (heat shrink tubing, hot glue etc).

Heat shrink tubing extending out of a new plug body will likely be an
improvement as far as strain relief, over the original cable plug.

--
Cheers,
WB
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm thinking I'll add an old ball point pen spring beneath the
tubing for strain relief.

--
Nelson

.............


"Nelson" <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:0001HW.CE479AA403EA93BFB02919BF@news.astraweb.com...
God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breakingŠ usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?

--
Nelson
Click to expand...
 
On 08/31/2013 11:32 AM, Wild_Bill wrote:
Hi, see other archived comments regarding tinsel wire. At least some, if
not most of the coatings on the conductors will melt away at soldering
temperatures.

Try to not have any flex/movement at the soldering points, otherwise,
the fine conductors will break soon (heat shrink tubing, hot glue etc).

Heat shrink tubing extending out of a new plug body will likely be an
improvement as far as strain relief, over the original cable plug.
Click to expand...

Use a solder pot.
 
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:05:40 -0400, Nelson <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote:

God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breakingŠ usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?
Click to expand...
The plugs on my earbuds always fail at the strain relief as you have
experienced. I did find a good solution though. Radio Shack sells gold
plated plugs with a strain relief. I know you can buy these same plugs
cheaper online but then there's shipping and waiting. Anyway, the
strain relief inside diameter is way larger than the diameter of my
ear buds cable and this has proved to be best. The way I repair the
cables follows. After cutting off the existing plug I put the cable
through the strain relief and outer shell of the replacement plug,
then strip away about 1/4 inch of the outer cable cover. Then I grab
the fine wires that are exposed and gently pull back on the cable
cover, thereby exposing more and more of the fine wires. I have found
that the cable cover on all the ear buds I have bought are not bound
tightly to the wires. Anyway, after exposing about 2 inches of wire I
tie the cable into a knot near the end of the cover to keep the cover
from creeping back over the wires. Having the wire exposed this way
makes them much easier to handle. After this is done I separate the
three different colored wire bundles. Next, the wire bundles are each
twisted so that the fine wires won't unravel when soldered. Now I melt
enough solder on the tip of the soldering iron so that a blob of
solder is hanging down from the tip when held horizontally. The
twisted ends of the wire bundles are now passed individually into and
out of the solder blob a few times until I can see that the wire is
tinned. You will need less that 1/8 inch tinned. You will probably
need to remove the solder blob and renew it for each wire bundle. The
bundles are color coded red, green, and copper. The copper is the
common and should be soldered to the longest solder tab on the plug. I
don't remember which color is right or left and which solder tab is
right or left. You will need to figure that out if you care. I'm sure
Google will work for that. Anyway, after soldering the wires to the
plug untie the knot in the cable and coax the cover back over the
wires. Then tie a knot in the cable such that the knot ends up being
right up against the longest solder tab on the plug. Make the knot
pretty tight so that the plug cover will slide over it. There will be
some resistance. Finally, screw the cover onto the plug. The inside
end of the strain relief is flared and the knot will be forced into
it. This will prevent the cable from pulling out and will also prevent
the cable from pulling on the solder joints. And the cable being loose
in the strain relief prevents the cable from breaking where it exits
the strain relief.
Hope this helps.
Eric
 
On 09/01/2013 11:13 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Sat, 31 Aug 2013 13:05:40 -0400, Nelson <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote:

God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breakingŠ usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?
The plugs on my earbuds always fail at the strain relief as you have
experienced. I did find a good solution though. Radio Shack sells gold
plated plugs with a strain relief. I know you can buy these same plugs
cheaper online but then there's shipping and waiting. Anyway, the
strain relief inside diameter is way larger than the diameter of my
ear buds cable and this has proved to be best. The way I repair the
cables follows. After cutting off the existing plug I put the cable
through the strain relief and outer shell of the replacement plug,
then strip away about 1/4 inch of the outer cable cover. Then I grab
the fine wires that are exposed and gently pull back on the cable
cover, thereby exposing more and more of the fine wires. I have found
that the cable cover on all the ear buds I have bought are not bound
tightly to the wires. Anyway, after exposing about 2 inches of wire I
tie the cable into a knot near the end of the cover to keep the cover
from creeping back over the wires. Having the wire exposed this way
makes them much easier to handle. After this is done I separate the
three different colored wire bundles. Next, the wire bundles are each
twisted so that the fine wires won't unravel when soldered. Now I melt
enough solder on the tip of the soldering iron so that a blob of
solder is hanging down from the tip when held horizontally. The
twisted ends of the wire bundles are now passed individually into and
out of the solder blob a few times until I can see that the wire is
tinned. You will need less that 1/8 inch tinned. You will probably
need to remove the solder blob and renew it for each wire bundle. The
bundles are color coded red, green, and copper. The copper is the
common and should be soldered to the longest solder tab on the plug. I
don't remember which color is right or left and which solder tab is
right or left. You will need to figure that out if you care. I'm sure
Google will work for that. Anyway, after soldering the wires to the
plug untie the knot in the cable and coax the cover back over the
wires. Then tie a knot in the cable such that the knot ends up being
right up against the longest solder tab on the plug. Make the knot
pretty tight so that the plug cover will slide over it. There will be
some resistance. Finally, screw the cover onto the plug. The inside
end of the strain relief is flared and the knot will be forced into
it. This will prevent the cable from pulling out and will also prevent
the cable from pulling on the solder joints. And the cable being loose
in the strain relief prevents the cable from breaking where it exits
the strain relief.
Hope this helps.
Eric
Click to expand...

The wire is called "gimp" according to the old Audio Cyclopedia. A Zippo
lighter does wonders for removing the non metallic parts. Butane may be
too hot.
 
Nelson <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote:
God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breaking? usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?
Click to expand...

I've fixed these before. Did yours have the weird battery modules?

just burn the shellac off the wires with a blob of fresh solder. I can't
imagine that's not how they make the things in the first place. Use thin
needle nose pliers as heatsinks so the cable doesn't burn up and
"retract".

I used braided tubing to build up the diameter of the thin cord to that of
the strain relief in a new 1/8 stereo plug, and a couple layers of heat
shrink. My repair is 100 times better than the bogus factory plug.
 
In article <0001HW.CE479AA403EA93BFB02919BF@news.astraweb.com>,
Nelson <nelson@nowhere.com> wrote:
God, I hate earphone wires! You would think after all this time
someone would be able to figure out how to keep them from fatiguing and
breaking usually right at the molded rubber jack housing.

So I have an expensive Sennheiser noise canceling set where the wires
have broken at the jack. Each "wire" is actually a bundle of very fine
wires twisted around each other and a string-like fiber reinforcement
strand. The fine wires appear to be lacquer-coated, like you would find
in a transformer winding.

I am planning to trim back from the breaks and solder the three wires
to a Radio Shack jack. I am wondering how to strip the lacquer or
whatever the insulating coating is from the individual strands without
breaking them or shorting them out.

Anyone have any experience or advice?
Click to expand...

In most of the headphones I've messed with, the wire in insulated
with solder-strippable enamel insulation. All you need is a HOT
soldering iron. Avoid the smoke.

Mark Zenier mzenier@eskimo.com
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)
 
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