Strain relief for 1/4" connectors

[Mike Miller]

I'm building some new multipair cables that are terminated with 1/4"
Switchcraft connectors. (On to the thin little individual jacketed pairs of
Gepco snake cable.)

I'm looking for a better method of providing strain relief at the
connection. Last time, I used some 1/2" 2:1 flexible heat shrink from an
electronics supply store. But I think I'd be better off with the thick,
very flexible, rubber-like stuff on commercial guitar cords.

Anyone know of a source for this kind of stuff for do-it-yourselfers? (Or
offer other suggestions for strain relief.)

Thanks,
Mike Miller

[Jason Lavoie]

I'm always in favor of throwing the connectors in the garbage and
replacing them with Neutrik connectors

Jason

[George Gleason]

My Radial came with what looks like fish tank clear plastic hose over
the shrink all the way back to the start of the fan

George

[Kurt Albershardt]

George Gleason wrote:
>
> My Radial came with what looks like fish tank clear plastic hose over
> the shrink all the way back to the start of the fan

Basically, that's what it is--but in .187"/.150" or thereabouts rather than the typical .250" for air hose.

Cheap, fairly durable, and lets you see the pair colors underneath.

[Lord Valve]

Mike Miller wrote:

Here's the best way to make a bulletproof termination on a Switchcraft 280/297:

Replace the plastic insulating sleeve with a piece of 3/8" HST
that's a bit shorter. Make sure that it won't protrude from the
back of the plugshell. After you've soldered the wire to the
insert and crimped the back part of the ground contact over
the cable, fill the empty space between the tip contact and the
ground contact/strain relief with hot glue. (Use the dark yellow
sticks - they work best.) *Immediately* slide the piece of HST
over the insert. It'll begin to shrink right away from the heat
of the molten glue. Hit it with your heat gun and shrink it down
tight; some of the hot glue should smoosh out the front and
back ends of the HST. Allow it to cool completely and then
pull the excess glue off with a pair of needle-nose pliers.
Nothing else is needed - I've seen multicore terminated
this way that lasted ten years in pro service. What you *don't*
want to do is put HST over the outside of the plug, or (especially)
allow any to protrude from the shell. HST sticking out of the shell
provides a fulcrum point for the cable to flex against, and the
insulation will crack there as a result. Also, *ignore* any advice
to use Neutrik 1/4" for this application - the Switchcraft crimp
system is superior to the Neutrik chuck strain relief when used
with small-diameter cable, especially foil-sheilded types. The
chuck system has a hard time closing down that small, and
the serrations in the chuck jaws tend to abrade the cable's
insulation, causing it to tear.

Lord Valve
Expert

[Rob Beech]

>
> Here's the best way to make a bulletproof termination on a Switchcraft
280/297:
>
>

> Lord Valve
> Expert
>
>
> LV...any pointers in securing XLR plugs in the same way (on a standard
16:4 multi)
having constant trouble with the ends on it. Wondered if it was possible to
use a similar approach. which XLR plugs would work and how would i go about
a similar process to the jack plugs.
Thanks in Advance

Rob
>

[Pooh Bear]

Jason Lavoie wrote:

Neutrik 1/4" 'phone jacks' are nice but your answer doesn't really address the
issue of strain relief of the tiny individual cables on a snake !

Graham

[Pooh Bear]

Rob Beech wrote:

> >
> > Here's the best way to make a bulletproof termination on a Switchcraft
> 280/297:
> >
> >
> > Lord Valve
> > Expert
> >
> >
> > LV...any pointers in securing XLR plugs in the same way (on a standard
> 16:4 multi)
> having constant trouble with the ends on it.

What kind of trouble ?

Graham

[Pooh Bear]

Lord Valve wrote:

Totally agreed. Things always fail at the 'weak spot' and that would create one. My
phone charger comes to mind ( right next to the power jack ). And no, I don't pull
it out by the cord !

Anyone concerned about the small diameter of the indivual cores might consider
'jacketing' it with some *flexible* silicone rubber type tubing though. Stuff like
Hellermann sleeving perhaps ?

> Also, *ignore* any advice
> to use Neutrik 1/4" for this application - the Switchcraft crimp
> system is superior to the Neutrik chuck strain relief when used
> with small-diameter cable, especially foil-sheilded types. The
> chuck system has a hard time closing down that small, and
> the serrations in the chuck jaws tend to abrade the cable's
> insulation, causing it to tear.

Interesting point.

Another approach is to terminate the multicore with a big multipin and run tails
individually from the mating connector. That preserves the multicore at least !

Or fit a multipin on your console and wire internally. That's what I did 30+ yrs
back !

Graham

[Rob Beech]

> > > LV...any pointers in securing XLR plugs in the same way (on a standard
> > 16:4 multi)
> > having constant trouble with the ends on it.
>
> What kind of trouble ?
>
> Graham
>

cable breaking on the pins. maybe its just poor quality cable. never have
problems with dry joints or breaking off there. the cable always seems to
break just after the pin. and i think its probably down to the strain relief
or lack of decent one.

Rob

[Chad Wahls]

"Lord Valve" <detr...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:41B95EBF...@ix.netcom.com...

Amen Valve!!! I also cut off the leg of the 297 that angles in (ring) and
make it level with the tip connection. It's easier to solder and trim out
wire length. This also prevents the ring from shorting against the sheild,
although that's what the glue is for :) Although it is one more step it
will shave time in the long run.

Chad

[Mike]

It's not a matter of a strain relief. It's a matter of clamping the
cable in the connector so that the stress is transfered to the body of the
connector and not on the individual wires.
In my case, I like the Neutrik connectors. The individual pairs get
heat shrink from over their complete length. Then add another piece of heat
shrink 6 inches long at the end where the connector goes on. The double
heat shrink on the end is enough for the Neutrik chuck to hold effectively
and acts like a strain relief as it can't bend as sharp as the single layer
of heat shrink.

Mike Borkhuis

[Jason Lavoie]

there's not a whole lot you can do except be careful with them. but at
least if you have Neutrik connectors on there you can be more sure
that the connection isn't going to fail very often.

Jason

[Arny Krueger]

"Pooh Bear" <rabbitsfriend...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:41B9973A...@hotmail.com

Agreed. Last I had this problem I shrink-tubed each tiny individual wire,
crimped the shrink wrap inside the TRS plugs, and also put several inches of
large shrink tube over the whole mess of wires at the cable end.

[Arny Krueger]

"Mike" <no_mail@no_spam.com> wrote in message
news:sFjud.46981$Uf.2...@twister.nyroc.rr.com

>>>> LV...any pointers in securing XLR plugs in the same way
>>>> (on a standard 16:4 multi) having constant trouble with
>>>> the ends on it.
>>>
>>> What kind of trouble ?
>>>
>>> Graham
>>
>> cable breaking on the pins. maybe its just poor quality cable.
>> never have problems with dry joints or breaking off there.
>> the cable always seems to break just after the pin. and i think
>> its probably down to the strain relief or lack of decent one.
>
> It's not a matter of a strain relief. It's a matter of clamping
> the cable in the connector so that the stress is transfered to the
> body of the connector and not on the individual wires.

...and all these years I thought that WAS strain relief!

> In my case, I like the Neutrik connectors. The individual pairs
> get heat shrink from over their complete length. Then add another
> piece of heat shrink 6 inches long at the end where the connector
> goes on. The double heat shrink on the end is enough for the Neutrik
> chuck to hold effectively and acts like a strain relief as it can't
> bend as sharp as the single layer of heat shrink.

I've found that slightly overize shrink tubing can shrink down to something
a bit thicker than usual, if carefully heated.

[Kurt Albershardt]

Arny Krueger wrote:
>
> I've found that slightly overize shrink tubing can shrink down to something
> a bit thicker than usual, if carefully heated.

Especially if you buy the 3:1 stuff.

[Rob Beech]

> It's not a matter of a strain relief. It's a matter of clamping the
> cable in the connector so that the stress is transfered to the body of the
> connector and not on the individual wires.
> In my case, I like the Neutrik connectors. The individual pairs get
> heat shrink from over their complete length. Then add another piece of
heat
> shrink 6 inches long at the end where the connector goes on. The double
> heat shrink on the end is enough for the Neutrik chuck to hold effectively
> and acts like a strain relief as it can't bend as sharp as the single
layer
> of heat shrink.
>
> Mike Borkhuis
>

> Thanks i'll give that a go.
The actual connectors are probably nto the best type anyway so i'll probably
buy a set of neutrik connectors and re wire the lot that way. time
consuming job but its gotta be worth it.
thanks again for the advice.

Rob

[Mike Miller]

> "Lord Valve" wrote

>
> Here's the best way to make a bulletproof termination on a Switchcraft
280/297:
>

> Lord Valve
> Expert
>

Thanks. I'll give that a try...

Mike Miller
Novice

[Tim Padrick]

"Mike Miller" <MikeAndB...@NO.SPAM.mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:hlaud.473193$wV.58096@attbi_s54...

Buy Neutrik (from Fullcompass)

Go to hardware store and get .187id .25od vinyl tubing

Cut tubing into 3" lengths

Cut 1/4" shrink onto 3.5" lengths and slip over tubing so all the extra
shrink is at one end

Put strain relief on cable, put tubing/shrink on cable with the extra shrink
length away from the connector

Solder it up

Heat the shrink and button it all up

[Bowser]

What may work, depending on the overall diameter of your bundle, are what
are called "hoisting grips". Here's a link to Andrew Corporation. We used
them when I was in the tower building business to secure/hoist/pull thick
coaxial cables. Give Andrew a call and check on the diameter of their
smallest...Essentially, htey're like a steel "chinese finger handcuff" with
a loop on the end...very effective...;ya pull 'em tight, then wrap with a
bit of tape and they won't come loose if there's ANY strain on them...

http://www.andrew.com/search/docviewer.aspx?docid=1013

---Bowser

"Mike Miller" <MikeAndB...@NO.SPAM.mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:hlaud.473193$wV.58096@attbi_s54...