Testing soldered patch cables - Mogami & Switchcraft Jacks

Kiteboarder

Kiteboarder

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Testing cables.

This is a follow up to this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=44653


I finally had some success soldering Switchcraft 228 jacks using Mogami cable and following the instructions in the thread above.

I know the cables work and they sound good. The question is...

Apart from simply plugging them into your pedals to test if they sound good, is there any other kind of test you guys do? Like, can you plug one end to the pedals and the other to a multi-meter to take some readings? Or is there a specific tool for measuring cables to check for proper signal levels? etc etc.

Thanks, Danny
 
set multi meter to "continuity" setting. should look like an arrow or something.

1. touch one lead of multi meter to tip
2. touch other lead of multi meter to other tip.

continuity established? yes? good.

3. touch one lead of multi meter to sleeve
4. touch other lead of multi meter to other sleeve.

continuity established? yes? good.


5. touch one lead of multi meter to tip
6. touch other lead of multi meter to other sleeve

continuity established? yes? bad.
continuity established? no? good.
 
thats pretty much it.. you want the number to be very close to 0. it probably won't be zero, but close..

it should also stay that way when you move the cable around
 
Kiteboarder":pagm304e said:
Casey: What does a number other than 0 mean? A short? Unwanted Load?
Click to expand...

Anumber other than zero just means there is some resistance in the cable. IF there is anythingn but 0, it should be like .01 ohms.
 
Kiteboarder":p986cfae said:
Casey: What does a number other than 0 mean? A short? Unwanted Load?
Click to expand...

Well zero would be zero resistance.

If you are reading .001 through an ohm you are good, probably just the way you are touching the cable with the leads.

For the EEs out there, ya I know there is no such thing as ZERO resistance.................... :D
 
If I'm using good cables and jacks. Resistance could then be caused by a bad solder joint?

This jacks are VERY hard to solder. The only way I've been able to solder to the body is using quite a bit of solder and let it pool on the area I'm working on. I hope that using too much solder doesn't cause a problem. I mean... The body is big anyway, so quite a bit of solder is like part of the body. Right?
 
Get a Weller WP35 with a ST7 pencil tip. I solder hundreds of points a day sometimes, and it has never failed me in over 6 years. 35 watts seems to be the perfect wattage for doing audio cables, especially in the hands of a good technician.
 
I'm testing out my cables and everything checks OK. I am getting ohm readings of .1-.3 But I'm not sure if this is normal. The Multi-meter only has one decimal point space, so it cannot read more anyway.

The screen looks like this:

000.1

When I first touch the cable, it beeps steady and starts reading at about 3.9

The numbers then being dropping until a few seconds later it down to around .3 or sometimes as low as .1

Any clues? -D
 
They are good, if you get anything above about 2 ohms, something is wrong, but sounds like it is reading normally. Also check not only tip to tip and ring to ring, but between them to make sure you don't have a short in the cable shorting the shield to the conductor (tip to ring).

Try touching the leads together to see what they measure, that will give you a baseline to compare to when you measure your cables.
 
guitarslinger":eeg7hhs6 said:
set multi meter to "continuity" setting. should look like an arrow or something.

1. touch one lead of multi meter to tip
2. touch other lead of multi meter to other tip.

continuity established? yes? good.

3. touch one lead of multi meter to sleeve
4. touch other lead of multi meter to other sleeve.

continuity established? yes? good.


5. touch one lead of multi meter to tip
6. touch other lead of multi meter to other sleeve

continuity established? yes? bad.
continuity established? no? good.
Click to expand...

That's what I do.
 
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