[sdiy] preferred shielded cable, connectors

[Colin Hinz]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004, Paul Higgins wrote:

> I was just curious what types of shielded cable you prefer for various
> projects.  I keep a couple kinds around: RG-174 for front panel work,
> and some thick pro audio stuff (1 + shield / 2 + shield) for guitar and
> balanced audio uses, respectively.  I even have some of that really
> terrible Radio Shack stuff (shudder) that's thinner than RG-174.  It's
> lousy cable, but has gotten me out of a few binds when I'm in a tight
> space.  I have to say, however, that I've never been completely happy
> with the shielded cable that is easily found; the only exception might
> be the RG-174, which is basically OK.  What kinds of shielded cable do
> you all like to use, and where do you buy yours?

Ages and ages ago, I got a supply of (slightly used and offcuts)
Belden 9396 microphone cable which is a dream to work with -- really
flexible, kinkless, a "cinch" to strip, soldering doesn't cause the
insulation to instantly melt -- though the drawback is that the
capacitance is rather high (75 pF per foot). It's not exactly cheap
stuff, at least in normal circumstances. But if you've got it, it's
great for in-the-enclosure wiring.

Outside of the enclosure, many years ago I was disappointed with the
quality of affordable cords, so I bought a big spool of Belden 8410 and
a bag of Switchcraft 1/4" plugs -- and as I needed them, I made up a
whole slew of my own cords. Unlike some of the commercial cords I've
bought over the years, my home-made ones have never let me down.

> I have the same question about connectors (1/4" plugs, jacks, etc.).
> Most of the ones I can get locally are pretty lame.  Does Digi-Key,
> Mouser, etc. have better stuff?

You can't go wrong with Switchcraft, though I bet there are cheaper
alternatives that are just as good. Panel-mount jacks I generally buy
from the surplus or cheap-Asian-import suppliers, as the quality isn't
as critical as it is for the plugs.

- Colin Hinz
  Toronto, Canada