On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:28:19 GMT, (Don Pearce) wrote:

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:07:40 +0000,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

Laurence Payne wrote:

On Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:18:41 +0000,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

I've never known one break (ok, I'm talking about free ones, not 49p
ones) and as for ugly - I can't actually see them round the back of
the equipment.

If I couldn't see them, I wouldn't be troubled about the colour!

I can sort of understand not wanting cables showing if this is a
domestic setup. But if they MUST show, why on earth does the colour
matter? Haven't you got a drawer full of the ones provided with
everything you ever bought? That sort of neutral gray colour is
inoffensive enough, surely?

They have to run vertically between two black shelves, against a white
wall. A lot of care went into the aesthetics of the shelves, and
straggly grey cables do not form a part of it.

I think I will find some sort of trunking or conduit for the cables. It
will be easier.

Daniele

Tidier too. You can get electrical conduit that is white. It is a U
section with square corners and a clip-in cover. It makes for a very
tidy finish.

You should find something here

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...028+4294954906

d

More specifically

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...0527 3#header

d

In article ,
Don Pearce wrote:
You can get electrical conduit that is white. It is a U
section with square corners and a clip-in cover. It makes for a very
tidy finish.

You should find something here

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...028+4294954906

d

More specifically
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...0527 3#header

No need to use RS for this sort of thing - your local electrical
wholesaler should stock it. Maybe even some of the sheds.

--
*He who dies with the most toys is, nonetheless, dead.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:55:52 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Don Pearce wrote:
You can get electrical conduit that is white. It is a U
section with square corners and a clip-in cover. It makes for a very
tidy finish.

You should find something here

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...028+4294954906

d

More specifically
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...0527 3#header

No need to use RS for this sort of thing - your local electrical
wholesaler should stock it. Maybe even some of the sheds.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting he buy it from RS - that was just where I
found some to show what I meant.

d

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message
In article
, Arny
Krueger wrote:
Crimping is by far the best method of making a
connection - assuming that connection will get flexed
and you crimp it correctly. Which means having the
correct crimp tool. Which are usually costly. For
something like phonos which aren't designed to be
regularly removed and replaced a soldered connection
with decent strain relief will be fine. After all
pretty well every other 'connection' in your system
will be soldered.

Compression fittings are a special case - the special
tool is not a precision tool and is optional. I've got
the tool but I've installed a number of them sucessfully
using regular household or pump handle pliers. They need
to be sized to match the OD of the coax, which is not a
problem because there are a limited number of different
kinds of coax that they are likely to be used with -
actually about 4, being RG58, RG59, RG6 and RG6Q.

They are widely used with RF and video because that's
what coax is primarily used for. I've got several in
service in audio applications and they seem to be
holding up just fine. Their strong point is their tight
grip on the jacket and shield.

A 'tight grip' on the jacket is better achieved by glue
or plastic welding. Crimping to achieve a good long
lasting electrical connection requires the proper tool.
If you don't have this soldering is a better option.

That sounds like tradiational conventional wisdom.

But regrettably it is obviously spoken by a person who has lacks actual
experience with compression-type RCAs.

Technology does change...

"David Looser" wrote in
message
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote

A 'tight grip' on the jacket is better achieved by glue
or plastic welding.
Crimping to achieve a good long lasting electrical
connection requires the proper tool. If you don't have
this soldering is a better option.

I agree entirely, crimped connectors fitted using pliers
generally fail quite early simply because the grip isn't
tight enough. Unless you have the correct crimping tool
good quality solder-bucket connectors are much to be
preferred and are absolutely fine for audio. Unless making
up leads is something you do on a very regular basis
there is no point in wasting money buying a crimping
tool.

I agree with that in general, and would even agree with that right up until
I started getting experience with compression-type connectors.

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:07:40 +0000,
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

I can sort of understand not wanting cables showing if this is a
domestic setup. But if they MUST show, why on earth does the colour
matter? Haven't you got a drawer full of the ones provided with
everything you ever bought? That sort of neutral gray colour is
inoffensive enough, surely?

They have to run vertically between two black shelves, against a white
wall. A lot of care went into the aesthetics of the shelves, and
straggly grey cables do not form a part of it.

I think I will find some sort of trunking or conduit for the cables. It
will be easier.

Get a sheet of material that matches the wall and mount it between the
shelves. All the cables can pass behind it.

Use the gray cables but wrap them in festive tinsel. Or grow ivy up
them. Don't hide - feature!

Make the shelves actually fit the equipment, so the tallest item on
the lower shelf masks the cables running to the shelf above.

Use any cables, but buy a spray can of white paint. Or be more
interesting - use bright red. Or have rainbow cables.

Hi-fi gear is ugly anyway. Showing it off is merely pretentious. Put
it in a cabinet and use the shelves for something else.

When planning this setup you knew there would have to be cables. If
they worry you, don't try to minimise or cover them up. Design a
better setup where the issue doesn't arise. Function first, design
can follow.

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:28:19 GMT, (Don Pearce) wrote:

I think I will find some sort of trunking or conduit for the cables. It
will be easier.

Daniele

Tidier too. You can get electrical conduit that is white. It is a U
section with square corners and a clip-in cover. It makes for a very
tidy finish.

I have a friend who got seduced by some trendy-looking B&O
wall-mounted gear. (For which he dumped a pair of Spendor BC1s, just
to illustrate the depths to which fashion dragged him.) The
absolutely tackiest part visually is the white plastic trunking. It
just shouts "Health & Safety".

"Laurence Payne" wrote


I have a friend who got seduced by some trendy-looking B&O
wall-mounted gear. (For which he dumped a pair of Spendor BC1s, just
to illustrate the depths to which fashion dragged him.)


But I wonder which sounds the best?



The
absolutely tackiest part visually is the white plastic trunking. It
just shouts "Health & Safety".


Agreed. Looks like ****.

I've got a load in my garage that's going when I get a skip in next week.

OK, not a *load* but a few lengths....

In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
A 'tight grip' on the jacket is better achieved by glue
or plastic welding. Crimping to achieve a good long
lasting electrical connection requires the proper tool.
If you don't have this soldering is a better option.

That sounds like tradiational conventional wisdom.

But regrettably it is obviously spoken by a person who has lacks actual
experience with compression-type RCAs.

That's true. I can't imagine a need for them.

Technology does change...

It may do, but principles don't. To produce a good crimp requires the
correct tool. Not just flattening things with pliers. The idea being the
housing must grip the conductors all round and to a precise amount.
Normally by making a heart shaped crimp. And such precision tools are
expensive due to low production runs.

Phono sockets will soon wear out if you plug and unplug things a lot.
Regardless of the quality of the plug. They simply aren't designed for
this sort of use. That's why you don't find them on pro gear. If you want
a small reliable co-ax audio connector use a Lemo. But those ain't cheap.

--
*Change is inevitable ... except from vending machines *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:39:23 +0000, Laurence Payne
wrote:

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:28:19 GMT, (Don Pearce) wrote:

I think I will find some sort of trunking or conduit for the cables. It
will be easier.

Daniele

Tidier too. You can get electrical conduit that is white. It is a U
section with square corners and a clip-in cover. It makes for a very
tidy finish.

I have a friend who got seduced by some trendy-looking B&O
wall-mounted gear. (For which he dumped a pair of Spendor BC1s, just
to illustrate the depths to which fashion dragged him.) The
absolutely tackiest part visually is the white plastic trunking. It
just shouts "Health & Safety".

Wall-mounting is a whole nuther kettle of fish, and I agree. But
between a couple of shelves this stuff is pretty near impossible to
see - certainly not visually disruptive.

For wall mounting, chasing in is the only real option.

d