# Soldering Connectors



## cdub260 (Mar 31, 2010)

Don't you just hate it when you're soldering and you finish all your solder points before you realize you forgot to put the back end of the connector in place?


----------



## DaveySimps (Mar 31, 2010)

OH MAN! I just soldered 20 some connectors yesterday and did this 3 times (it was a bad day). To top it off they were 5 pin DMX connectors, so it was more tedious than an XLR .

~Dave


----------



## derekleffew (Mar 31, 2010)

DaveySimps said:


> ... To top it off they were 5 pin DMX connectors, so it was more tedious than an XLR.


Dave, I'm disappointed in you--you know that a "5 pin DMX connector" IS an XLR.

Gee, I've _never_ forgotten to put the back shell on the cable before soldering.


----------



## DuckJordan (Mar 31, 2010)

I am happy and disappointed to say, i work too slowly on soldering to forget... lol. it ends up to about the time i track down solder and the iron that i remember to look at what I'm doing.


----------



## Anvilx (Mar 31, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> Gee, I've _never_ forgotten to put the back shell on the cable before soldering.



I think its worse when you put the shell on and then realize it is backwards...


----------



## rwhealey (Mar 31, 2010)

I do it once each time I assemble connectors 

After that once, I hit my myself hard enough that I remember not to make the same mistake again.


----------



## Morpheus (Mar 31, 2010)

I've done that a few times... luckily when I'm building cable, I can forget once, then just put them both on at the same time


----------



## DaveySimps (Mar 31, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> Dave, I'm disappointed in you--you know that a "5 pin DMX connector" IS an XLR.
> 
> Gee, I've _never_ forgotten to put the back shell on the cable before soldering.



You know Derek, I debated with how to phrase that so the younger folks might understand I was referring to a mic connector, and it did pop into my head that you would call me on this. You keep us all honest. 

~Dave


----------



## jstroming (Mar 31, 2010)

Don't Forget Your Boots!!


----------



## bull (Mar 31, 2010)

I have done this dang near a million times. I HATE it. I almost always forget it. I think I'm gonna like design one that can be put on after the connection is made. Not sure how that's gonna work out for me.


----------



## DuckJordan (Mar 31, 2010)

bull said:


> I have done this dang near a million times. I HATE it. I almost always forget it. I think I'm gonna like design one that can be put on after the connection is made. Not sure how that's gonna work out for me.




I think someone already beat you to it, I found a connector sheath that had a hing on one side (it was basically cut down the middle) and a little plastic clip on the other. the plastic clip could only be undone with a mini flat head screwdriver.


----------



## Soxred93 (Apr 1, 2010)

I've had this experience before.... but since I don't do cables as much, it doesn't annoy me as much as when I get a 200 foot mic cable tied to one end of a batten, run across the length of the batten, run up to the loading rail, run through the catwalk, and down to the mixer - only to find out it was the wrong end and all the gender changers were missing. D'oh!


----------



## MisterTim (Apr 1, 2010)

I always open all my connector packages, sort the parts, and put the boots on all the cables I'm soldering before I start anything else. Ever since I started doing it this way, I haven't forgotten one.


----------



## shiben (Apr 1, 2010)

Soxred93 said:


> I've had this experience before.... but since I don't do cables as much, it doesn't annoy me as much as when I get a 200 foot mic cable tied to one end of a batten, run across the length of the batten, run up to the loading rail, run through the catwalk, and down to the mixer - only to find out it was the wrong end and all the gender changers were missing. D'oh!



And this is why either 

A: invest in enough gender benders that you will never run out
or
B: make someone else deal with the noise aspects (giggles in glee at having subordinates)


----------



## philhaney (Apr 1, 2010)

Morpheus said:


> I've done that a few times... luckily when I'm building cable, I can forget once, then just put them both on at the same time



Unless your putting connectors on a 27-pair cable (each pair consisting of two insulated wires surrounded by a braided shield) that's been run through conduit from the stage to the booth at the back of the amphitheater...


----------



## Morpheus (Apr 1, 2010)

philhaney said:


> Unless your putting connectors on a 27-pair cable (each pair consisting of two insulated wires surrounded by a braided shield) that's been run through conduit from the stage to the booth at the back of the amphitheater...


I'm just that awesome, what can I say.


----------



## Scarrgo (Apr 1, 2010)

My fav is the old 10 pin jones connector, during summer stock someone crushed one connector in a 5 cable bundle. I had just finished when I found that I had NOT put the cover on first and I couldnt slide it on as it was a 250' bundle.
You would think one would learn, but it has happened many times...as a matter of fact, last fall while replacing all the 1/4" jacks to xlr for our new sound board I was in such a groove, I put 6 of the wrong sex ends on for the aux outs... and forgot to take a cover off...

Will I never learn...:neutral:
Sean...


----------



## STEVETERRY (Apr 1, 2010)

cdub260 said:


> Don't you just hate it when you're soldering and you finish all your solder points before you realize you forgot to put the back end of the connector in place?



It's really good with a 37-pin Pyle-National connector as well!


----------



## gcpsoundlight (Apr 1, 2010)

The most annoying is Co-Axial connecters (RG-58, for radio mics etc). Those things are a B**** to undo!


----------



## museav (Apr 4, 2010)

gcpsoundlight said:


> The most annoying is Co-Axial connecters (RG-58, for radio mics etc). Those things are a B**** to undo!


Easy, cut them off and start over!


----------



## Chris15 (Apr 6, 2010)

I haven't done it recently (that I can remember) but doing it with a multipin would be particularly nasty. Normal connectors, been there, done that.

What I do have a nasty habit of doing more often than I'd prefer is when making cable in batch mode and swap from males to females forgetting to reverse the wiring... This is 3 pin XLR, so the results would not endanger life, but may not do nice things with say phantom involved.

There is a reason why a visit to the cable tester is the last step in the cable assembly process


----------



## WooferHound (Apr 22, 2010)

Me and another person used to work making about 50 cables a day with 4 pin XLR connectors. They were for Pyrotechnic control systems. Everyday one of us would forget a BackShell. The other person would always know what happened because you make special little noise when you discover that it's missing.


----------



## mstaylor (Apr 25, 2010)

Scarrgo said:


> My fav is the old 10 pin jones connector, during summer stock someone crushed one connector in a 5 cable bundle. I had just finished when I found that I had NOT put the cover on first and I couldnt slide it on as it was a 250' bundle.
> You would think one would learn, but it has happened many times...as a matter of fact, last fall while replacing all the 1/4" jacks to xlr for our new sound board I was in such a groove, I put 6 of the wrong sex ends on for the aux outs... and forgot to take a cover off...
> 
> Will I never learn...:neutral:
> Sean...


Ahhhh, the old Sinch Jones plugs, I maade a ton of them, 10 pin for TTI and LMI and 8 pin for Leprecon. And yes I have missed a few backs.


----------



## techfreek (Jun 17, 2010)

I was remembering when I was learning how to solder, the guy who was teaching me was reminding me to always to the back part on because he told me that he had been soldering cables for a snake(I apologize I do not know the correct technical term, if there is one more technical than that), and he forgot, so he chopped it off, and made the same mistake once more....


----------



## gizm770o (Jul 19, 2010)

There is nothing more frustrating while soldering that forgetting the base. Of forgetting your iron if you're working off site. Or the location is "well stocked" with 10 half melted radioshack irons...


----------

