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Topic: RCA Cables |
Matt Steindl
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 8:23 am |
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I am re-cabling my studio, and I need to drill through the hardwood floors to run several cable routes under my house.
Here is my prob. I dont want to drill holes through my nice floors that are big enough to fit the RCA plugs through. I was hoping to make holes small enough just for the cables, then put the plugs on the end once the wires are rum. EG custom length cables.
My question is, can you spice an RCA cable w/ a wire stripper and electrical tape like you do w/ speaker wire, or do I need to do it a different way? Most of the cable runs will be less that 10-15 feet. Signal degradation? How would you do it?
Have to warn you that my soldering skills are pretty bad!
Thanks in advance!
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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul
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Bill Crook
From:
Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 8:39 am
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The idea of spliceing signal cables is a NO-NO !!!
As a fast emergency fix for a problem,it will work,but after a while(weeks,a few months,even depending how bad the humidity is),your gonna to be replaceing stuff.
Do it right the first time,eventho it may cost a tad more money.
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 8:45 am
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| Yes you can do it. But any shielded cable with braided wire around an insulated core (ie what you will be using) is a real pain to strip, solder and insulate. But it's done all the time. I'm already covering my ears so I don't have to hear your oaths and utterances as you try to snake all that thru your tiny holes in the floor & walls. I were you, I'd do some nice sized holes, make life easier, and put all that saved effort into nice carpentry patches or cover plates. |
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Matt Steindl
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 9:12 am
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"depending how bad the humidity is"
Dude, I live in New Orleans!
Thanks guys! Thats what I figured, but I hate putting big holes in my 123 year old floor boards. DOH!!! But in all actuality, holes are much nicer looking than cables running across my floor for people to trip over.
Does anyone mfgr. crimp to fit RCA heads? Probably just a dream!
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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul
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Wayne Carver
From:
Martinez, Georgia, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 10:37 am
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| I'm with you, I would drill the small holes. Try to get a measurement off something so that you don't drill a useless hole into a floor joist. Use shielded cable. You should be able to buy RCA jacks somewhere to solder on. If not make good soldered connections wire to wire with a piece of heat shrink around it to keep out humidity. As long as you don't have any splices under your house it should be fine. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 11:43 am
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Matt - I hate the idea of drilling any size holes in those floors. Is there no way of building some sort of conduit around the perimeter of the room? Or perhaps a built-up floor, like data processing centers use? In manufacturing environments, I've seen cables run along the ceiling and dropped down to the appropriate locations.
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Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande
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Matt Steindl
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 12:23 pm
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Lee, the conduit idea is great, but My studio is a walkthrough room w/ pocked doors, so theres no way w/ out tripping over the conduit.
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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul, Korg Triton
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2003 2:38 pm
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| How about going into the walls and using outlet boxes? That's what my brother is doing in his house for speaker wires, CAT-5 and satellite cables, etc. |
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Matt Steindl
From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2003 8:27 am
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I think you guys are right. I am going to try to figure a way to put an outlet on the wall, and run the cables through the sills on the side of the house.
I used to hang out at Daniel Lanios' Kingsway studio(Awesome!), and he had these little jacks in every room of he mansion, so if you wanted to lay down a track while sitting on the toilet, or in the laundry room, it was no problem. Any idea what kind of jacks these were. and where I might find em?
Thanks for all the great input into my dilema.
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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul
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seldomfed
From:
Colorado
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Posted 10 Feb 2003 3:50 pm
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If you run some wires, you may want to consider running two-conductor shielded cable. Then you can do RCA, 1/4", RTS (stereo) or if needed an XLR without pulling more wires.
I use West Penn 20 or 22 guage two conductor twisted pair wire - avail. at the local elec. supply places (not radio shack)
or online. http://www.westpenn-cdt.com/broadcast.html
You could even snake them thru your A/C ducts if you get teflon plenum cable. No holes then!
Get some RCA jacks and solder them up. Learn to solder! - it's easy and cheaper than buying your own cables all the time. They'll teach you at 'the shack' I'll bet. Or an electronics supply place.
If you go to the trouble to pull cable - Pull a couple extra cables!! - you may need them someday for future connections.
have fun!
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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.seldomfed.com
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Larry Clark
From:
Herndon, VA.
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Posted 11 Feb 2003 5:00 am
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| Matt,If you could remove the base molding along your floor you might find you have an area of unexposed flooring behind it that you could drill through. You could then run the cable through the plaster just above the molding and through the hole. Nail the molding back up and there would be no visible holes in your flooring and a relativly small hole in the wall(I'm assuming it's plaster or drywall)that could be spackled and painted should you need to change something,move etc. Just a thought |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 11 Feb 2003 10:36 am
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| Belden 9451 is a standard two-conductor audio cable for runs. Small but durable. |
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Darvin Willhoite
From:
Roxton, Tx. USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2003 12:36 pm
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Something else you may need to be concerned about it varmits. I had to replace and audio snake in the attid of a church once because squirrels chewed into it in several different places. Rats and mice will do this also.
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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2003 4:02 pm
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Matt,
There is a company that makes a rubber strip that is angled, that you can put any kind of wire into, and run it across your floor..It's made in different lengths..It's made so that if it's stepped on, the wire inside is not, and is protected...It will save your floors, and the expense of running wires in, over, around, or under your home...I'll try to find the link for you.... |
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MALCOLM KIRBY
From:
Crofton, KY USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2003 7:18 pm
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Cable for small holes: George L's .155
Cable ends: George L's solderless RCA plugs.
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