Topic: AKG Blueline Active Cable mod (step by step pictorial)

[igene]

OK...
What I'm going to do here is > first upload all the photos documenting the mod process.
(it's a lot of pics, believe me)
Then slowly during the week I'm going to add words/ descriptions to them.
It's going to take a while, but this is the fastest and easiest way for me.

please be patient.

thanks.

[igene]

START HERE >

Cables in their original state >

Use a pair of thin nose needle nose pliers, turn counter clockwise (unscrew)


If it's in there tight, use some sort of non-marring clamp to hold the body (manfrotto nano clamp used here)

[igene]

[igene]

Here's what needs to come out. It's in there pretty good.

It's being held in by a stiff wire under a bit of pressure. Here you can see the tip of it pushing down on the connection.

Pry it out slowly with a small jewelers screwdriver...

Then just cut the wire...

[igene]

notice the hole is large on the inside...

but not so big on the outside...the new cable is wider...

My new cable is 1/8", so I'm going to work my way up to that size...starting w/ 3/32's

[igene]

then 7/64th's...

then finally 1/8th"

Here's the back of the inside connector w/ the protective plastic cover still on

[igene]

1/8" wire and 1/8" hole (nice and neat) Test it to make sure it fits right.

[igene]

Measure the distance from the back of the connector plain to the grounding ferrel. It's a 1/2". Very important !


cut off the shrink tubing

start removing wires and sliding the ferrel off

[igene]

take the back cover off (now that the wires are gone) and make a note of the way it goes back on

Here the connection you'll be soldering to. Get real familiar with it. Look at it with magnifying glasses to see the connection up close.

[igene]

here's the grounding ferrel

Take it off and put it in a safe place for later (don't lose it or you're screwed)

[igene]

Lace the new mic cable through the body


Lace on the protective cover. Make double sure it's facing the right way (not backwards) You'll hate yourself later if you screw this up.

Insert a jewelers screwdriver under the sheathing, but over the grounding braid, then use a razor blade to slice it.
This way you don't cut the thin copper wire.

[igene]

WALLY ! your wire is free...

Make sure you've got at least an inch out. Cut the sheathing carefully to not slice or cut the copper ground AT ALL !  neatly too

Use your screwdriver to slowly and carefully un-braid the ground wire

Peel back the foil, and carefully cut it off (don't cut that ground wire)

Twist the ground wire up tight, and cut off the other pair of wires close to the sheathing (leaving 2 different color conductors)
 Don't mess this up either.
You need 2 different colors for easier identification later. Don't try to do this with 2 sets of wires twisted together.
It's WAY too much wire to be able to solder to the connector. Believe me - I tried...What a mess. DON'T GO THERE !

[igene]

Now carefully (using the screwdriver method)
Cut back enough sheathing to fit the ferel, so the 4 wires and foil are just to the lip of the ferrel

slide on the ferrel to measure the fit

Slide it back off a bit exposing the braided ground

This part needs to be done quickly so you don't melt wires and do damage !!!
With a good soldering iron, HOT, quickly melt a spot of solder near the area where the top of the ferrel will sit.
NOT TOO MUCH !!!
2 REASONS >
1. the ferrel won't fit back on
2. too much also means too much heat and you've melted the thin sheathing on the conductors.

It should look like this when you are done.
Why did you just do this you ask ?
Because you are prepping the wire to solder inside the ferrel for a better SOLID connection for the ground.
The tiny bit of solder will melt and bond when you are soldering in the next step.

[igene]

Slide the ferrel back in place. Tight up against the sheathing.

With the wire facing up (gravity holding the ferrel in place against the sheathing) melt some solder onto the grounding braid near the ferrel
right above the spot your previous solder was melted on to insure it melts quickly. You need decent heat to do this.
Melt some solder in place, wait a second, then start blowing on it to cool it down.
After 4 - 5 seconds, lay it on the table, grab the ferrel in some Channel locks to dissipate heat (like a heat sink) to minimize damage to the thin conductor sheathing.
VERY IMPORTANT> YOU NEED TO DO THIS STEP. Read this (and really get it) BEFORE you do this step.
If you don't get it right, you'll have major issues later !!!


Your finished soldering should look something like this.
Just a spot, not too much. Enough to hold it and melt the solder inside.

[igene]

Shot of the Channel Locks grabbing the ferrel to cool it.
(I took the shot after, moving way too fast to take it during)
You should actually grab it better than the shot shows

cut off a piece of shrink tubing and slide it on. Remember, you need 1/2" from connector to protective plate, so 3/8" is enough.

heat it up and shrink it !