@TubeDepotTV when making a speaker cable for a 100watt amp, you mention to use 18 gauge wire, would you double it up in the same way you do in this example ( so you'd have 4 lengths of wire in total). cheers for great and educational vids! :)
@TheDustyGuitarShow - you can double up the 18AWG (ending up with 4 wire lengths). But keep in mind, you'll have to solder two 18AWG wires to each connector at each end of the this cable. Two 18AWG wires will not fit in the solder terminals of most connectors so you'll have to be "creative" in attaching these wires.
@broadcast666this - You can use all the wire you want however the more wire you use, the more difficult it will be to solder them to the connector. And a couple of 20AWG twisted pair wires is more than sufficient for 100W. Anything above this is unlikely to provide any improvement in performance.
Can you use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun? Are those clippers you used on Tube Depot's website? I'm used to seeing the alligator type clip for a heat sink and yours looked like red insulated version of a hemostat. Is this also for sale and if so where is it? Also why was the techflex on the guitar cable called clear when it was obviously white and not a see through translucent clear?
@Dell04BQ - Hair dryers, for safety reasons, do not get hot enough to shrink heat shrink tubing. The "clear" may have been referring to another color of heat shrink not seen in the video. The heat sink tool is available from TubeDepot under the "tools" selections.
Another question is what wire did you use for the black and white? I see several types of wire on the Tube Depot site PVC high temp, cloth pushback wire, then there is stranded or solid wire. I was not sure if your "braiding" of the 2 wires act the same as the inner wire being stranded from the manufacturer? Were you braiding 2 whites that were solid wires or were you braiding 2 stranded wires? Can the PVC be used to keep costs down?
@Dell04BQ - I used the 20AWG High Temp PVC stranded wire. Speaker cabling doesn't need shielding, and the twisting is merely to add flexibility to the overall cable.
@TubeDepotTV nice video i need one of those clamps looks like it makes the soldering so much easier. What solder is best for sound quality. And would twisting the black and white pair help to reject RFI a la Kimber??
@ksaunders3 - the small clamp is a heat sink and can be purchased from our website or possibly from Radio Shack. Because this cable works with very high power, low impedance audio signals, noise rejection isn't a concern. The twisting is for making the cable very flexible.
@TubeDepotTV Good instructional video, just one question though...why did you use two separate wires (4 in total) for the lead, does this make it better, if so why?
@TubeDepotTV Thanks for the info, just one more question I'm afraid...does 4 wires at 20AWG a wire enhance the sound/signal more than 2 wires at 10AWG a wire if they are of the same quality and are both OFC, I've heard talk about a magnetic field barrier with 4 wires and how it is supposed to enhance sound and wondered if that was just nonsense?
@angusgrandison - Current rating is the limiting factor for wire size. An amp delivering 300W into an 8 ohm speaker load generates about 6.12 amps (A). The current limit for a single 20AWG wire is 11A. Therefore this cable, as designed, is capable of 22A (dual 20AWG wire) which would equal about 3800W max power. OFC, skin effects, magnetic effects mean nothing for the audio frequency range that the guitar fits in.
I know that instrument cable should never be used as a speaker cable to connect an amp to a cabinet, but for my bass players sake can you mention why this is a bad and dangerous scenario? He chided me for not wanting to try my 4x12 without having a speaker cable with me and he showed me his instrument cable with pancake connectors he said he's been using between his Fender 300watt bass amp into a 2x15 cabinet for a few years now with no issues.
@Dell04BQ - The center conductor for most shielded instrument cables is old 24AWG, which is much too small for amplifier use. Just because he hasn't had any issues doesn't make it safe. Use shielded instrument cable for instrument use and speaker cable for speaker use.
@edcnz - There is no need to shield speaker cables because the signal level is very strong. Shielding is only needed for very low level signals coming from sources such as microphones and magnetic pickups.
the (very conservative) current handling ability of 24AWG is .577 amps. With an 8 ohm load, this .577 amps would equal 2.88 watts (power = current squared multiplied by resistance). With audio, because the power is intermittent and not continuous, the actual wattage could easily increase upwards of 3A. At 3A into an 8 ohm load, the maximum power would be 72W. In the big scheme of things, no one recommends using 24AWG for speaker wire. Most techs wouldn't recommend anything under 18AWG.
@TubeDepotTV Just by 18 or 16 gauge lamp cable at home depot and put the 1/4 plugs on it. What is important in speaker wire is the DC resistance!!! The lower the DC resistance the better!!! This project is a waist of time.
lol you can turn a rg-6 cable in to anything I do it daily. for 400 bucks i can turn it in to an hdmi. I run my hd compont cables in rg-6. And i can get a boxs of rca connectors for 20 bucks. Look it up buddy. your wasting your time. I f you want i can send you a video. Its also the best way to wire a subwoofer. glad i could help.
@krs56343 - I am an old RF technician, I am very familiar with RG6. And it is true you can use RG6 for this application ... however, RG6 is not the best choice for speaker cable. RG6 is not as flexible as speaker cable ... RG6 was not designed to be constantly moved and handled ... The 1/4" phone and speakon connectors used on guitar / bass amps were not designed to be connected to RG6. You can make RG6 work, but standard zip cord is less expensive with better overall performance.
lol you can turn a rg-6 cable in to anything I do it daily. for 400 bucks i can turn it in to an hdmi. I run my hd compont cables in rg-6. And i can get a boxs of rca connectors for 20 bucks. Look it up buddy. your wasting your time.
@krs56343 - no its not. man you can use rg- 6 for any thing. Want me to post a video for ya i will. mine takes about 30 seconds. how long did it take you?
@ahvaimusicom - Are you running two separate cabinets? If so, as long as the impedance of both cabinets are the same, then the power distribution between the two will also be the same. Therefore, with a 100W amp driving two equal cabinet loads, each cabinet would dissipate 50W.
@3rdShiftSucks - The acceptable wire gauge is smaller than you think. 200W of AC signal into an 8 ohm speaker draws 5A of current. 22 AWG is good for 7A, 20 AWG is good for 11A, 18 AWG is good for 16A, 16 AWG is good for 22A. Two twisted wires of 20 AWG is perfectly acceptable. This will be enough to carry around 20A which is 5 times the current a 200W amp would provide. The reason most speaker cables are thicker is for durability and because thicker cables look cooler.
6:35 awh, i didn't even have barrels on them.. Rob is such a relaxed guy. if i forget to put barrels on them, i would be like: FFFFFFFFUUUUUU!@#$%^&*$^%^&$^#
@mikak3607 - dang ... I forget the barrel(s) too. Usually it happens to me when I'm distracted or in a hurry. There is that moment, just after finishing the best solder connection ever and then realizing that the barrels were not in place ... shoot. Knowing that the only solution is remove the connector and start over. I think it is despair ...
@hotlion81 oh great panda, the wires once twisted do not need tinning ... the individual strands of the wires are already tinned. Therefore these "bare" wires can be soldered directly in place. You can tin the wires if you want, but it will not improve the connection or make it any more reliable. And the clear insulation that comes with the Switchcraft connectors is in the barrels, I never removed it.
What is your take on using a microphone cable for an instrument cable by twisting the black and white wires together for one side of the connector and the ground and copper shield together for the other. Would this provide enough shielding for the signal and would it be balanced?
@3rdShiftSucks - instrument cable is unbalanced. The "best" instrument use of a microphone cable would be to use the black wire for the ground return connection, the white wire for the signal connection and the shield connected at only one end (the amplifier end). In this way, the shield surrounds and protects the two signal wires insuring neither of the signal wires is exposed to outside noise sources.
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
Question 2 a&b:
What is your take on using a microphone cable for an instrument cable by twisting the copper shielding to the black inner wire for the outer connection and the white (by itself) for the center connector? Balanced and shielded enough for guitar?
@igehring twisting the white and the black together like that will provide additional protection against any noise bleeding into or interfering with your signal. That is also the reason why the strands in a network cable are twisted in pairs like that.
@bassabigdeal - Wow, that is loud ... If you were to play the amp wide open, then 1600W into 4 ohms would be 20 Amps of current (excellent!). According to my calculations, the current handling of a 16 AWG speaker cable = 22A; 14 AWG = 32A; 12 AWG = 41A. Any of these would work just fine. And the current would be half the above amount if you were running an 8 ohm cabinet (twice the impedance) and even less if you weren't running the amp wide open.
@ramp3 - silver braiding is usually reserved for audiophile critique ... musical instrument amplification has a much narrower frequency response requirement. I do not have any plans for building a silver braided speaker cable for musical instrument amplification.
@TubeDepotTV Why do you have *2* different wires for "Hot" and *2* Different Wires for Ground? How is this better than a single wire for Hot and Single for Ground?
@LKLKS - This is my actual work bench. Although, for the videos, it is much cleaner than when I'm working on a daily basis. Thanks for the great comment.
@doyengicp - Dual 18AWG is pretty big. the dual 22AWG or 20AWG is fine for 100W. It is great that the G&H plugs fit. I really like their right angle plugs.
@TubeDepotTV it is so big ! the cable looks nuclear proof !
no need to tell i had a hard time twisting those beasts (by hand) and fitting the G&H plugs. The heat shrink tubing was also a tight fit. its an impressive cable :)
@SparcoC4 - the construction style for this cable doesn't provided the necessary shielding as would cabling used for guitar cords. Use shielded cable for guitar cables and not shielded cables for speaker cables.
@Mightypaul - this is a great idea too and the performance will be the same. Although, you will end up with a speaker cable that looks like it was made with a recycled extension cord. But recycling is good ...
@TubeDepotTV Actually it will look just like any quality speaker cable you would buy at a music store. Especially if you use some heat shrink at the ends. The speakon cables I made for my bass amp are top notch and heavy duty. I think you could tow a truck with SOOW / SJ cord
@Mightypaul - The video shows how to make a speaker cable that performs great and looks totally original. Nearly all my shop speaker cables are made from extension cords but they don't stand out. This video is the opportunity for you to build something different, to stand out from the crowd. Towing a truck with a look-alike Guitar Center speaker cable is cool and all but ... this cable has BLING. Check out all the different colors of techflex we have ... way cool.
@Mightypaul - having a custom speaker cable is like wearing sexy underwear ... no one else knows except you, but the day (night) is better in the knowing.
Just ordered a bunch of stuff from these guys. Great Experience. They convinced me to make my own cables for studio use, which will save me a LOT of money in the long run.
Just started on them today. I absolutely LOVE the way Techflex looks on everything (especially the nice texture it gives the heat shrink), it makes it feel a lot tougher as well. And you're right, it was fun.
@manfromregina - I think that what he meant by "a bunch of stuff" was that he placed a larger order for various electronic parts. We sell electronic parts.
@manfromregina - I like the Kester brand "44". It has a good quality flux core that wets easily. The multi-core solders are able to flow into a connection even quicker.
@redneckrollercoast1 - fantastic, I'm glad you enjoyed the construction. You can use a similar technique for guitar cables, and power cords, and interconnects. The techflex looks great on all sorts of stuff. And at 14, I'm certain you will have plenty of opportunities to think up uses.
@1952Telecaster - The cable I build here, has a 1/4" connector at each end to be used between a head and cabinet. I do use a similar cable to connect between amp and raw speaker drive in a combo amp setting. Check out my 18W kit video.
Twisting the wires improves the transmission line characteristics at higher frequencies. Insofar that method is correct. But I wonder if anyone would be able to hear a difference when blindfolded.
Twisting the wires improves the transmission line characteristics at higher frequencies. Insofar that method is correct. But I wonder if anyone would be able to hear a difference when blindfolded.
@MucusFelidae - Interesting idea. The twisting in this application is used to create a more flexible cable. Transmission line theory isn't as applicable here due to the extremely low frequencies (10K - 12K) found in most guitar amps. Good thoughts though ...
well i've only soldered once, but i was given these speakers from a pool house and they don't have a jack, that's what im trying to attach at the end. maybe they sell something on in which you just plug in the wire and then screw it on tight or something similar
This is great.. never ever thought about twisting the cable.. but wouldn't it be easier to use stranded cat 6 cable instead? Cat 6 can come in 23 gauge.. it comes pretwisted and you can use 4 wires for left and 4 wires for right. If you need flexible, stranded wires are available also. It seems we would save a bit of time by only having to worry about the ends.
@SmileysRevenge100 - This cable will work just fine, however, for sending a signal over an unbalanced shielded cable such as this for runs over about 30', you are likely to have an increase in noise and a loss of signal. It would be better to use a balanced shielded cable (such as a microphone cable) and use a couple of direct boxes, one at each end to convert between unbalanced and balanced operation. This way you can run a much longer cable without signal loss or a noise increase.
I see in earlier comments you recommended using 18AWG for a 100W head. Would that still be sufficient for a cable length of 12-15 feet, or should I go with something beefier? I'm pushing a 16 ohm load, if that matters. Thanks.
@Superiocracy - the 18AWG is fine for a 100W head. If you could make it work, three strands of 20AWG for each conductor (a total of 6 wires) would be even cooler. The cable would be very flexible and very capable of handling any wattage thrown at it.
@TubeDepotTV Thanks for the response. If I were to try using 3 strands of 20 is there a trick to the twist? Does one piece go straight down the middle with the other two wrapping around it, or do all three need to wrap around each other? Maybe it's finally time to let my wife teach me how to braid.......
@Superiocracy - I usually twist together two of the wires first, and then twist in the third wire by hand. This works well for three wires. Although, the braiding does sound cool. Wonder how long it would take to do 15 feet?
@skurtix - I've found when using 60/40 tin/lead solder, I like the tip to be around 650 - 680 degrees F. This is a good temperature for heating the connection quickly without overheating the wire and/or components. For the best connections and quickest assembly times (and especially if you are soldering professionally), I recommend purchasing a temperature controlled soldering station. However, if you are only occasionally soldering, a nice $30 iron should be sufficient. Good question ...
@skurtix - The Weller WES51 is my favorite because it has an auto-off feature. This saves tips from burning up when the soldering iron is left on by accident. The Hakko 936 is also very good.
@iwannarockon2010 - thanks friend for your great words of confidence. Hopefully you get a chance to build a few of these nice cables for yourself. They work and look great.
There is no such thing as 'audiophile' cable. All that term means is someone is great at marketing :) What matters is resistance (which depends on guage and length and material - copper, aluminum..etc). Even capacitance and inductance is not a big issue unless its a VERY very long cable.
Nice DIY video.
In this video, using multiple strands makes the cable a bit easier than a single solid strand. 3' of this cable can easily pass hundreds of watts of power without any problem.
@svtcontour - couldn't have said it better. Audiophoolery is only successful at parting our money from our wallets. In the famous words of John Cougar .. "Forget all about that macho (xxxx) and learn how to play guitar."
@svtcontour you just followed me here to talk crap.....its funny how my comment was here first...lol....check out this prick and you will see for your self!..later whitte matter thrush!...lol..
@svtcontour...lol...I'm always right when things concern you.....why dont you tell your new friend how twisten cables dont work as they need to be braided to stop rf's..lol....or do you need me to point him to your comment..lol...white matter is a mofo!....lol.
@SMERGHEED speaker cables dont need a sheild you twitt. LOL. UTP RCA cables would be a bad idea because they DO need a shield. Twisted pair only rejects noise in the megahertz and higher range. Way above audio frequencies.
@svtcontour eh? they do need to be anti RF!...lol...I didnt say nowt about shielding..and you said on another page about twisting dosnt work, only repeating what you said, if you want me to point you to the page you said it on I will.....short selective memory white matter..lol....
@SMERGHEED Thats exactly what I said here. Twisting DOES NOT work for rejecting the noise that would interfere with audio frequencies. You need a full braid or foil for it to be effective. Even then, its only needed for RCA connections because we're dealing with very low signal levels vs speaker level which is high level.
@svtcontour lol......you havnt said any of the sort!..lol....and all cable need to be anti RF to stop it acting like an arial.....lol....your hard work Milhouse
@SMERGHEED - all right you two, off to your own corners ... and while you are there type this into the search field of youtube and watch the resultant video - "EEVblog #29". This explains all about boutique cables. Good laugh too ...
Video was shot beautifully and the instruction was crystal clear. Can't really ask for more.
hawaiidispenser 2 weeks ago
@hawaiidispenser - thank you, thank you very much ...
TubeDepotTV 2 weeks ago
4 guys from yahoo don't like this comment. 3:13
lol
musikdoktor 2 weeks ago
@musikdoktor - the dislikers were surely misquoted ...
TubeDepotTV 2 weeks ago
@TubeDepotTV when making a speaker cable for a 100watt amp, you mention to use 18 gauge wire, would you double it up in the same way you do in this example ( so you'd have 4 lengths of wire in total). cheers for great and educational vids! :)
TheDustyGuitarShow 3 weeks ago
@TheDustyGuitarShow - you can double up the 18AWG (ending up with 4 wire lengths). But keep in mind, you'll have to solder two 18AWG wires to each connector at each end of the this cable. Two 18AWG wires will not fit in the solder terminals of most connectors so you'll have to be "creative" in attaching these wires.
TubeDepotTV 3 weeks ago
Hey my amps are all 100 watts, if i use the 18 gauge wire, should i still use the four wire cable? Should i do three each for six? Thanks
broadcast666this 1 month ago
@broadcast666this - You can use all the wire you want however the more wire you use, the more difficult it will be to solder them to the connector. And a couple of 20AWG twisted pair wires is more than sufficient for 100W. Anything above this is unlikely to provide any improvement in performance.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
Comment removed
MUCKYMIDIMAN 1 month ago
Rob that was a cool video and I wish you were my neighbor!
radiskull1973 1 month ago
@radiskull1973 - I'm not sure how my neighbors feel about me ... my chickens keep getting into their yards. Keeps the tick population down though.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
Can you use a hair dryer instead of a heat gun? Are those clippers you used on Tube Depot's website? I'm used to seeing the alligator type clip for a heat sink and yours looked like red insulated version of a hemostat. Is this also for sale and if so where is it? Also why was the techflex on the guitar cable called clear when it was obviously white and not a see through translucent clear?
Dell04BQ 1 month ago
@Dell04BQ Sorry I meant the clear heat shrink not tech flex. Is what you are calling clear really more of a white color?
Dell04BQ 1 month ago
@Dell04BQ - Hair dryers, for safety reasons, do not get hot enough to shrink heat shrink tubing. The "clear" may have been referring to another color of heat shrink not seen in the video. The heat sink tool is available from TubeDepot under the "tools" selections.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
Another question is what wire did you use for the black and white? I see several types of wire on the Tube Depot site PVC high temp, cloth pushback wire, then there is stranded or solid wire. I was not sure if your "braiding" of the 2 wires act the same as the inner wire being stranded from the manufacturer? Were you braiding 2 whites that were solid wires or were you braiding 2 stranded wires? Can the PVC be used to keep costs down?
Dell04BQ 2 months ago
@Dell04BQ - I used the 20AWG High Temp PVC stranded wire. Speaker cabling doesn't need shielding, and the twisting is merely to add flexibility to the overall cable.
TubeDepotTV 2 months ago
@TubeDepotTV nice video i need one of those clamps looks like it makes the soldering so much easier. What solder is best for sound quality. And would twisting the black and white pair help to reject RFI a la Kimber??
ksaunders3 1 month ago
@ksaunders3 - the small clamp is a heat sink and can be purchased from our website or possibly from Radio Shack. Because this cable works with very high power, low impedance audio signals, noise rejection isn't a concern. The twisting is for making the cable very flexible.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
@TubeDepotTV Good instructional video, just one question though...why did you use two separate wires (4 in total) for the lead, does this make it better, if so why?
angusgrandison 1 month ago
@angusgrandison The 2 twisted pairs (four wires total) of 20AWG wire give the speaker cable better flexibility and current handling capability.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
@TubeDepotTV Thanks for the info, just one more question I'm afraid...does 4 wires at 20AWG a wire enhance the sound/signal more than 2 wires at 10AWG a wire if they are of the same quality and are both OFC, I've heard talk about a magnetic field barrier with 4 wires and how it is supposed to enhance sound and wondered if that was just nonsense?
angusgrandison 1 month ago
@angusgrandison - Current rating is the limiting factor for wire size. An amp delivering 300W into an 8 ohm speaker load generates about 6.12 amps (A). The current limit for a single 20AWG wire is 11A. Therefore this cable, as designed, is capable of 22A (dual 20AWG wire) which would equal about 3800W max power. OFC, skin effects, magnetic effects mean nothing for the audio frequency range that the guitar fits in.
TubeDepotTV 1 month ago
@TubeDepotTV Thanks once again for all the info and setting my mind straight, keep up the good vidz
angusgrandison 1 month ago
I know that instrument cable should never be used as a speaker cable to connect an amp to a cabinet, but for my bass players sake can you mention why this is a bad and dangerous scenario? He chided me for not wanting to try my 4x12 without having a speaker cable with me and he showed me his instrument cable with pancake connectors he said he's been using between his Fender 300watt bass amp into a 2x15 cabinet for a few years now with no issues.
Dell04BQ 2 months ago
@Dell04BQ - The center conductor for most shielded instrument cables is old 24AWG, which is much too small for amplifier use. Just because he hasn't had any issues doesn't make it safe. Use shielded instrument cable for instrument use and speaker cable for speaker use.
TubeDepotTV 2 months ago
Thanks for answering my question.
Would you be able to do a video on how to shield these cables as well?
Cheers =)
edcnz 2 months ago
@edcnz - There is no need to shield speaker cables because the signal level is very strong. Shielding is only needed for very low level signals coming from sources such as microphones and magnetic pickups.
TubeDepotTV 2 months ago
the (very conservative) current handling ability of 24AWG is .577 amps. With an 8 ohm load, this .577 amps would equal 2.88 watts (power = current squared multiplied by resistance). With audio, because the power is intermittent and not continuous, the actual wattage could easily increase upwards of 3A. At 3A into an 8 ohm load, the maximum power would be 72W. In the big scheme of things, no one recommends using 24AWG for speaker wire. Most techs wouldn't recommend anything under 18AWG.
TubeDepotTV 2 months ago
@TubeDepotTV Just by 18 or 16 gauge lamp cable at home depot and put the 1/4 plugs on it. What is important in speaker wire is the DC resistance!!! The lower the DC resistance the better!!! This project is a waist of time.
jcrobso 1 month ago
Great video.
I was just wondering how many watts would 24 AWG withstand, and how do you estimate this?
Thanks
edcnz 2 months ago
lol you can turn a rg-6 cable in to anything I do it daily. for 400 bucks i can turn it in to an hdmi. I run my hd compont cables in rg-6. And i can get a boxs of rca connectors for 20 bucks. Look it up buddy. your wasting your time. I f you want i can send you a video. Its also the best way to wire a subwoofer. glad i could help.
krs56343 3 months ago
@krs56343 - I am an old RF technician, I am very familiar with RG6. And it is true you can use RG6 for this application ... however, RG6 is not the best choice for speaker cable. RG6 is not as flexible as speaker cable ... RG6 was not designed to be constantly moved and handled ... The 1/4" phone and speakon connectors used on guitar / bass amps were not designed to be connected to RG6. You can make RG6 work, but standard zip cord is less expensive with better overall performance.
TubeDepotTV 3 months ago
@TubeDepotTV RG6 is for RF not base band audio. Just get the 16Ga lamp cord.
jcrobso 1 month ago
lol you can turn a rg-6 cable in to anything I do it daily. for 400 bucks i can turn it in to an hdmi. I run my hd compont cables in rg-6. And i can get a boxs of rca connectors for 20 bucks. Look it up buddy. your wasting your time.
krs56343 3 months ago
what a waste of time! why not just use rg-6 and a rca connector?
krs56343 3 months ago
@krs56343 - RG6 is video cable and the RCA connector is for line level signals ... thank you for playing.
TubeDepotTV 3 months ago
@krs56343 - no its not. man you can use rg- 6 for any thing. Want me to post a video for ya i will. mine takes about 30 seconds. how long did it take you?
krs56343 3 months ago
Hey Rob,
if i were to bi-cable my 100w head to my cab, would two 50w cables be safe as long as its hooked up correct?
ahvaimusicom 3 months ago
@ahvaimusicom - Are you running two separate cabinets? If so, as long as the impedance of both cabinets are the same, then the power distribution between the two will also be the same. Therefore, with a 100W amp driving two equal cabinet loads, each cabinet would dissipate 50W.
TubeDepotTV 3 months ago
Great tip with the drill! Thanks!
drmoroe 3 months ago
@drmoroe - glad we could help. In building amps, the drill trick comes in handy with all sorts of wire twisting.
TubeDepotTV 3 months ago
Agora é só vender ele por 1.000 dolares...
demullidor2011 4 months ago
@demullidor2011 ?que?
TubeDepotTV 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Great Video! I often forget to give compliments when I find good stuff on here :-}
Anyway, how do I determine what size wire I need for my amp to speaker connection?
My current amp is an 80 watt amp but I want to build a cable that will handle 100 watts. (Possible future upgrade.)
How do I determine how many 20 or 18 guage wires to twist together to equal what I need for 100 watts running over 2-4 feet?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
Great Video! I often forget to give compliments when I find good stuff on here :-}
Anyway, how do I determine what size wire I need for my amp to speaker connection?
My current amp is an 80 watt amp but I want to build a cable that will handle 100 watts. (Possible future upgrade.)
How do I determine how many 20 or 18 awg wires to twist together to equal what I need for 100 watts running over 2-4 feet?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
@3rdShiftSucks - The acceptable wire gauge is smaller than you think. 200W of AC signal into an 8 ohm speaker draws 5A of current. 22 AWG is good for 7A, 20 AWG is good for 11A, 18 AWG is good for 16A, 16 AWG is good for 22A. Two twisted wires of 20 AWG is perfectly acceptable. This will be enough to carry around 20A which is 5 times the current a 200W amp would provide. The reason most speaker cables are thicker is for durability and because thicker cables look cooler.
TubeDepotTV 4 months ago
6:35 awh, i didn't even have barrels on them.. Rob is such a relaxed guy. if i forget to put barrels on them, i would be like: FFFFFFFFUUUUUU!@#$%^&*$^%^&$^#
mikak3607 4 months ago
@mikak3607 - dang ... I forget the barrel(s) too. Usually it happens to me when I'm distracted or in a hurry. There is that moment, just after finishing the best solder connection ever and then realizing that the barrels were not in place ... shoot. Knowing that the only solution is remove the connector and start over. I think it is despair ...
TubeDepotTV 4 months ago
@TubeDepotTV
it often happens to everyone, the best thing is to write down what to do.
i love your channel by the way, it stimulates me to build my own amp, i just twisted two cables together with a electric drill :)
and i like your humor :D
mikak3607 4 months ago
@mikak3607 - keep building ... and thanks for your great comments.
TubeDepotTV 4 months ago
You have great videos :) subbed.
Howtotutorialz1 4 months ago
No tinning the strands and no insulation plastic in the switchcrafts? You make me a saaaaaad panda ;((
hotlion81 4 months ago
@hotlion81 oh great panda, the wires once twisted do not need tinning ... the individual strands of the wires are already tinned. Therefore these "bare" wires can be soldered directly in place. You can tin the wires if you want, but it will not improve the connection or make it any more reliable. And the clear insulation that comes with the Switchcraft connectors is in the barrels, I never removed it.
TubeDepotTV 4 months ago
Oops. Sory about the double post. Browser brain fart :-)
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ TubeDepotTV - OK sounds good but what do I connect the copper shield to when I connect it to the amp end of the cable?
Also
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
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@TubeDepotTV - OK that sounds good but what do I connect the shield to when I connect it to the amp end of the cable?
Also
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
Sorry, I made a mistake in my question 2b:
It should read:
What is your take on using a microphone cable for an instrument cable by twisting the black and white wires together for one side of the connector and the ground and copper shield together for the other. Would this provide enough shielding for the signal and would it be balanced?
Thanks for your help!
3rdShiftSucks 5 months ago
@3rdShiftSucks - instrument cable is unbalanced. The "best" instrument use of a microphone cable would be to use the black wire for the ground return connection, the white wire for the signal connection and the shield connected at only one end (the amplifier end). In this way, the shield surrounds and protects the two signal wires insuring neither of the signal wires is exposed to outside noise sources.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
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@TubeDepotTV OK sounds good but what do I connect the copper shield to when I connect it to the amp end of the cable?
Also
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@TubeDepotTV -OK sounds good but what do I connect the copper shield to when I connect it to the amp end of the cable?
Also
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
3rdShiftSucks 4 months ago
Question 1:
Is there a formula or chart anywhere that I can use to calculate the aggregate AWG?
For example:
If I need a total AWG of 8, 10, 12, etc. How many 20, 18, 12, etc strands do I need to twist together to equal my goal?
Question 2 a&b:
What is your take on using a microphone cable for an instrument cable by twisting the copper shielding to the black inner wire for the outer connection and the white (by itself) for the center connector? Balanced and shielded enough for guitar?
3rdShiftSucks 5 months ago
please, what s the idea behind twisting the wires ? Only flexibility and appearance ? Thanks
igehring 5 months ago
@igehring - flexibility and appearance. It is much better "bling" when they are twisted.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
@igehring twisting the white and the black together like that will provide additional protection against any noise bleeding into or interfering with your signal. That is also the reason why the strands in a network cable are twisted in pairs like that.
hotlion81 4 months ago
LOL, my amp is 1600wrms and i run 8 gauge
bassabigdeal 5 months ago
@bassabigdeal - Wow, that is loud ... If you were to play the amp wide open, then 1600W into 4 ohms would be 20 Amps of current (excellent!). According to my calculations, the current handling of a 16 AWG speaker cable = 22A; 14 AWG = 32A; 12 AWG = 41A. Any of these would work just fine. And the current would be half the above amount if you were running an 8 ohm cabinet (twice the impedance) and even less if you weren't running the amp wide open.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
@TubeDepotTV all gains down buddy
bassabigdeal 5 months ago
@bassabigdeal - I imagine with the amp at full volume, small animals would explode ... sweet.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
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@TubeDepotTV thanks mayyn! subscribe if you like my vids, ive subbed to you :)
bassabigdeal 5 months ago
Great video tutorial! Next level braiding technics!
Had any kind of braiding experience with silver wires?
ramp3 5 months ago
@ramp3 - silver braiding is usually reserved for audiophile critique ... musical instrument amplification has a much narrower frequency response requirement. I do not have any plans for building a silver braided speaker cable for musical instrument amplification.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
@TubeDepotTV Right. Given the connector, I tought this was a phono/preamp interconnect. My mistake.
ramp3 5 months ago
@TubeDepotTV Why do you have *2* different wires for "Hot" and *2* Different Wires for Ground? How is this better than a single wire for Hot and Single for Ground?
MrMutron 5 months ago
That's a great video, I like the idea of twisting the cables using the drill!
mongboards 5 months ago
@mongboards - The drill twisting is a neat idea. I came up with that after twisting wires by hand at first. The drill is much better.
TubeDepotTV 5 months ago
I what to place all my cables with these homemade ones just so I can say I made them!! and they look cool not like most generic crappy ones!!
haz939 6 months ago
@haz939 - That would be cool. You would always be able to identify which cables were yours.
TubeDepotTV 6 months ago
What a perfect DIY. I love this workshop so much.
LKLKS 6 months ago
@LKLKS - This is my actual work bench. Although, for the videos, it is much cleaner than when I'm working on a daily basis. Thanks for the great comment.
TubeDepotTV 6 months ago
thank you too.. you have nice skills . regards
Shurbovi 6 months ago
@Shurbovi - Thank you for your kind words.
TubeDepotTV 6 months ago
nice job
Shurbovi 6 months ago
@Shurbovi - thank you, thank you very much.
TubeDepotTV 6 months ago
is goggle time :D .... hahahahahaha
gd34n 7 months ago
@gd34n - oh yes ... all the fun begins when the goggles go on.
TubeDepotTV 7 months ago 5
I just built one with 18 AWG for my 100W Engl head, thats one HUGE cable !
I couldnt une my neutrik jacks as the cable was too big, had to use G&H plugs that looks like your Switchcraft.
doyengicp 7 months ago
@doyengicp - Dual 18AWG is pretty big. the dual 22AWG or 20AWG is fine for 100W. It is great that the G&H plugs fit. I really like their right angle plugs.
TubeDepotTV 7 months ago
@TubeDepotTV it is so big ! the cable looks nuclear proof !
no need to tell i had a hard time twisting those beasts (by hand) and fitting the G&H plugs. The heat shrink tubing was also a tight fit. its an impressive cable :)
doyengicp 7 months ago
Can you use this as guitar cable?
SparcoC4 7 months ago
@SparcoC4 - the construction style for this cable doesn't provided the necessary shielding as would cabling used for guitar cords. Use shielded cable for guitar cables and not shielded cables for speaker cables.
TubeDepotTV 7 months ago
Comment removed
SparcoC4 7 months ago
What diameter is the Techflex?
Carkeys1952 7 months ago
@Carkeys1952 - 1/4" Techflex.
TubeDepotTV 7 months ago
can this work for Guitar Amps?
MrGH3Man4 7 months ago
@MrGH3Man4 - this can certainly work for guitar amps. I use this same technique for the 18w amp kit we sell.
TubeDepotTV 7 months ago
@cableman338 - awesome ... you rock
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago
@cableman338 - no illicit substances here. Lots of solder fumes though.
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago
what's the point of techflex?
Antilevitation 8 months ago
@Antilevitation - just because it looks cool ... it is cable bling.
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago
@TubeDepotTV ow, ok. well it does look nice :)
Antilevitation 8 months ago
@Antilevitation - there is probably some protection of the cable going on as well ... but really, it does look nice.
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago
good idea on the heat sink tool to hold down the pesky Shield.. !!!
jjlwis 9 months ago
@jjlwis - Oh yea ... that is the second best use for the heat sink tool. It makes for a great mini clamp.
TubeDepotTV 9 months ago
Or you can just go to the hardware store and buy some 2 conductor 14awg SOOW or SJ cord and skip the twisting wire and the tech flex.
Mightypaul 9 months ago
@Mightypaul - this is a great idea too and the performance will be the same. Although, you will end up with a speaker cable that looks like it was made with a recycled extension cord. But recycling is good ...
TubeDepotTV 9 months ago
@TubeDepotTV Actually it will look just like any quality speaker cable you would buy at a music store. Especially if you use some heat shrink at the ends. The speakon cables I made for my bass amp are top notch and heavy duty. I think you could tow a truck with SOOW / SJ cord
Mightypaul 9 months ago
@Mightypaul - The video shows how to make a speaker cable that performs great and looks totally original. Nearly all my shop speaker cables are made from extension cords but they don't stand out. This video is the opportunity for you to build something different, to stand out from the crowd. Towing a truck with a look-alike Guitar Center speaker cable is cool and all but ... this cable has BLING. Check out all the different colors of techflex we have ... way cool.
TubeDepotTV 9 months ago
@TubeDepotTV Thats cool, but my speaker cables are usually hanging behind my cabs so nobody really sees them anyway
Mightypaul 9 months ago
@Mightypaul - having a custom speaker cable is like wearing sexy underwear ... no one else knows except you, but the day (night) is better in the knowing.
TubeDepotTV 9 months ago
Just ordered a bunch of stuff from these guys. Great Experience. They convinced me to make my own cables for studio use, which will save me a LOT of money in the long run.
TheDaedalEVE 11 months ago
@TheDaedalEVE - I'm certain the cable you build will be terrific. Even better, it will be fun to make.
TubeDepotTV 11 months ago
@TubeDepotTV
Just started on them today. I absolutely LOVE the way Techflex looks on everything (especially the nice texture it gives the heat shrink), it makes it feel a lot tougher as well. And you're right, it was fun.
TheDaedalEVE 11 months ago
@TheDaedalEVE - yea, I love the look of the techflex too. I've been trying to make up reasons to use it for all sorts of stuff.
TubeDepotTV 11 months ago
@TubeDepotTV I agree... but dang that stuff is expensive!!!
jjlwis 9 months ago
@jjlwis - The techflex is $0.40 a foot. A 20' cable will need about $9.00 worth ... not too bad.
TubeDepotTV 9 months ago
@jjlwis Hi just curious to your comment , what do you mean by stuff?
That cable looks like it would last 20yrs.
cheers
manfromregina 8 months ago
@manfromregina - I think that what he meant by "a bunch of stuff" was that he placed a larger order for various electronic parts. We sell electronic parts.
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago 3
@TubeDepotTV Ok. Do you have a preferred Brand of Solder?
thanx
manfromregina 8 months ago
@manfromregina - I like the Kester brand "44". It has a good quality flux core that wets easily. The multi-core solders are able to flow into a connection even quicker.
TubeDepotTV 8 months ago
i made one and it sounds amazing and hey if a 14 year old like me can who can't.
redneckrollercoast1 1 year ago
@redneckrollercoast1 - fantastic, I'm glad you enjoyed the construction. You can use a similar technique for guitar cables, and power cords, and interconnects. The techflex looks great on all sorts of stuff. And at 14, I'm certain you will have plenty of opportunities to think up uses.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
"It's goggle time :D"
quickshotproductions 1 year ago 11
where can one buy wire such as featured in this video?
pInkSUPR3 1 year ago
@pInkSUPR3 - we sell this wire at our website: tubedepot(dot)com. We also sell the connectors, the braided sheathing, and the heat shrink.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
@TubeDepotTV
thank you very much. I will check it out. Hopefully you ship to Europe :)
pInkSUPR3 1 year ago
fantastic video. Thank you
pInkSUPR3 1 year ago
@pInkSUPR3 - glad we could help. If you need anything, just let us know.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
ok, so now show us how you plan on plugging that cable into the Jensen Mod speaker
1952Telecaster 1 year ago
@1952Telecaster - The cable I build here, has a 1/4" connector at each end to be used between a head and cabinet. I do use a similar cable to connect between amp and raw speaker drive in a combo amp setting. Check out my 18W kit video.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
Your mic is broken
iDeviceable 1 year ago
@iDeviceable - which mic?
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
Twisting the wires improves the transmission line characteristics at higher frequencies. Insofar that method is correct. But I wonder if anyone would be able to hear a difference when blindfolded.
MucusFelidae 1 year ago
Twisting the wires improves the transmission line characteristics at higher frequencies. Insofar that method is correct. But I wonder if anyone would be able to hear a difference when blindfolded.
MucusFelidae 1 year ago
@MucusFelidae - Interesting idea. The twisting in this application is used to create a more flexible cable. Transmission line theory isn't as applicable here due to the extremely low frequencies (10K - 12K) found in most guitar amps. Good thoughts though ...
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
Are you wanting to attach a 1/4" guitar plug style connector to the end of the cable coming from the speakers?
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
well i've only soldered once, but i was given these speakers from a pool house and they don't have a jack, that's what im trying to attach at the end. maybe they sell something on in which you just plug in the wire and then screw it on tight or something similar
sniperboy102 1 year ago
erm is there an easier way of doing this ?
sniperboy102 1 year ago
@sniperboy102 - which part are you having difficulties with? I might be able to come up with something.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
actually.. nm lol.. forgot you are pushing high current through it.. rather than the 0.5A or something used by data cable.. apologies sir
syruppie 1 year ago
This is great.. never ever thought about twisting the cable.. but wouldn't it be easier to use stranded cat 6 cable instead? Cat 6 can come in 23 gauge.. it comes pretwisted and you can use 4 wires for left and 4 wires for right. If you need flexible, stranded wires are available also. It seems we would save a bit of time by only having to worry about the ends.
syruppie 1 year ago
So, I'm need a 50 foot cable that plugs in from a mixer to my PA system, would building this cable work for that too?
SmileysRevenge100 1 year ago
@SmileysRevenge100 - This cable will work just fine, however, for sending a signal over an unbalanced shielded cable such as this for runs over about 30', you are likely to have an increase in noise and a loss of signal. It would be better to use a balanced shielded cable (such as a microphone cable) and use a couple of direct boxes, one at each end to convert between unbalanced and balanced operation. This way you can run a much longer cable without signal loss or a noise increase.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
it's goggle time ;)
imaherrrbb 1 year ago
@imaherrrbb - It's always google time when the soldering starts. And for any cleaning with chemicals afterward.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
I see in earlier comments you recommended using 18AWG for a 100W head. Would that still be sufficient for a cable length of 12-15 feet, or should I go with something beefier? I'm pushing a 16 ohm load, if that matters. Thanks.
Superiocracy 1 year ago
@Superiocracy - the 18AWG is fine for a 100W head. If you could make it work, three strands of 20AWG for each conductor (a total of 6 wires) would be even cooler. The cable would be very flexible and very capable of handling any wattage thrown at it.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
@TubeDepotTV Thanks for the response. If I were to try using 3 strands of 20 is there a trick to the twist? Does one piece go straight down the middle with the other two wrapping around it, or do all three need to wrap around each other? Maybe it's finally time to let my wife teach me how to braid.......
Superiocracy 1 year ago
@Superiocracy - I usually twist together two of the wires first, and then twist in the third wire by hand. This works well for three wires. Although, the braiding does sound cool. Wonder how long it would take to do 15 feet?
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
How hot should the soldering tool be before soldering (warmup right?), and what wattage solder tool should i get?
skurtix 1 year ago
@skurtix - I've found when using 60/40 tin/lead solder, I like the tip to be around 650 - 680 degrees F. This is a good temperature for heating the connection quickly without overheating the wire and/or components. For the best connections and quickest assembly times (and especially if you are soldering professionally), I recommend purchasing a temperature controlled soldering station. However, if you are only occasionally soldering, a nice $30 iron should be sufficient. Good question ...
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
@TubeDepotTV Cool. Which temperature controlled station would you suggest? Weller? I don't mind spending alittle on it
skurtix 1 year ago
@skurtix - The Weller WES51 is my favorite because it has an auto-off feature. This saves tips from burning up when the soldering iron is left on by accident. The Hakko 936 is also very good.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
great video, very cool nd understanding!! =)
iwannarockon2010 1 year ago
@iwannarockon2010 - thanks friend for your great words of confidence. Hopefully you get a chance to build a few of these nice cables for yourself. They work and look great.
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
There is no such thing as 'audiophile' cable. All that term means is someone is great at marketing :) What matters is resistance (which depends on guage and length and material - copper, aluminum..etc). Even capacitance and inductance is not a big issue unless its a VERY very long cable.
Nice DIY video.
In this video, using multiple strands makes the cable a bit easier than a single solid strand. 3' of this cable can easily pass hundreds of watts of power without any problem.
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour - couldn't have said it better. Audiophoolery is only successful at parting our money from our wallets. In the famous words of John Cougar .. "Forget all about that macho (xxxx) and learn how to play guitar."
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
@svtcontour cunt following me around!..lol..
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED Umm I just did a search for DIY speaker cables and ended up here.
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour bullshit white matter....lol...I have proof your poof!
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED Why are you cluttering this guys page if you're not discussing cables?
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour you just followed me here to talk crap.....its funny how my comment was here first...lol....check out this prick and you will see for your self!..later whitte matter thrush!...lol..
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED Umm ya you're right....
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour...lol...I'm always right when things concern you.....why dont you tell your new friend how twisten cables dont work as they need to be braided to stop rf's..lol....or do you need me to point him to your comment..lol...white matter is a mofo!....lol.
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED speaker cables dont need a sheild you twitt. LOL. UTP RCA cables would be a bad idea because they DO need a shield. Twisted pair only rejects noise in the megahertz and higher range. Way above audio frequencies.
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour eh? they do need to be anti RF!...lol...I didnt say nowt about shielding..and you said on another page about twisting dosnt work, only repeating what you said, if you want me to point you to the page you said it on I will.....short selective memory white matter..lol....
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED Thats exactly what I said here. Twisting DOES NOT work for rejecting the noise that would interfere with audio frequencies. You need a full braid or foil for it to be effective. Even then, its only needed for RCA connections because we're dealing with very low signal levels vs speaker level which is high level.
svtcontour 1 year ago
@svtcontour lol......you havnt said any of the sort!..lol....and all cable need to be anti RF to stop it acting like an arial.....lol....your hard work Milhouse
SMERGHEED 1 year ago
@SMERGHEED - all right you two, off to your own corners ... and while you are there type this into the search field of youtube and watch the resultant video - "EEVblog #29". This explains all about boutique cables. Good laugh too ...
TubeDepotTV 1 year ago
@TubeDepotTV I dont need to....piss off noddy.....your the one that needs schooling..
SMERGHEED 1 year ago