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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 01:41:01 AM

Title: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 01:41:01 AM
I wanted to be able to connect my DPA 4060s to a battery box with 3.5mm jacks so I could run directly into my R09HR without a pre.  Last night I put together a cable with 10-32 RF (aka microdot) connectors and a 3.5mm plug.  I learned a lot and I think the cable came out decent.  Below are a few pics and notes.

Pasternack carries a bunch of RF connectors and will sell you them in quantities of 1 or 2, but they are not cheap and they will add service fees and shipping to orders under $100.  Here's a pic of a few 10-32 connectors (L to R: PE44357, PE44359, PE44360) along with a 4060 and Neutrik right angle 3.5mm plug. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 01:47:26 AM
I decided to use the vertical PCB Mount connectors PE44359 http://www.pasternack.com/10-32-female-standard-thru-hole-pcb-connector-pe44359-p.aspx (http://www.pasternack.com/10-32-female-standard-thru-hole-pcb-connector-pe44359-p.aspx) and had some Mogami 2368 single conductor shielded wire that is nice and thin.  http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Bulk-Wire-Cable/Bulk-Audio-Cable/Mogami-Wire-Cable-Corp/2368.xhtml (http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Bulk-Wire-Cable/Bulk-Audio-Cable/Mogami-Wire-Cable-Corp/2368.xhtml)
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 01:50:07 AM
After tinning the wire I soldered it to the 10-32 connectors and added some heatshrink.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 01:58:35 AM
Next I wrapped the base of the 10-32 connectors with copper foil to shield the open part of the assembly and also create a "cup" to hold epoxy potting.   I soldered the copper foil to the edge of the 10-32 connectors. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:03:23 AM
I wrapped both connectors with masking tape to make sure no epoxy would leak out of the copper cup onto the threads, then partially filled them up with 2 part epoxy using a baby medicine syringe.   ;D
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:06:46 AM
Once the epoxy partially set, I crimped the copper foil around the cable and started to build up a few layers of heat shrink. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:09:47 AM
I finished the 10-32 connector ends off by covering the whole thing with adhesive lined heat shrink. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:12:20 AM
I tied the two lines together in a couple spots along their length with adhesive lined heat shrink. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:17:17 AM
Finally I added a Neutrik NTP3RC-B 3.5mm Stereo Right Angle Mini Plug http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/3-5-2-5mm-Mini-Connectors/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NTP3RC-B.xhtml (http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/3-5-2-5mm-Mini-Connectors/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NTP3RC-B.xhtml)

Finished cable shown with DPA 4060s.  Tested fine.

-MIQ
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 02:40:33 AM
 :)
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Ultfris101 on February 24, 2013, 12:17:04 PM
Nice work! I had Chris Church make me the same thing which works well for my 4061s. This is a very informative how-to if you have the skills, tools, and DIY mentality.

Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B) on February 24, 2013, 12:50:31 PM
Nice.

When I had the 4060's I wanted to do a cable like that for super low-pro operations where the DPA pre-amp was too big. Never wanted to do the straight 4060 > 1/8" because I wanted to use the DPA amp most of the time.

Never got around to it though.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on February 24, 2013, 09:38:21 PM
Thanks guys.

Yea I wanted to still be able to use the mics with the P48 XLR adaptors into a full size mic pre. 

4060 > Batt Box > R09HR has a nice size to quality ratio though.   ;D
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: weroflu on March 05, 2013, 02:42:10 AM
looks good

any problems getting two of those cables into the neutrik end?

also, anyone know of a similar cable to the mogami but a different brand? (no mogami in europe as far as i know)

Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on March 09, 2013, 01:11:43 AM
looks good

any problems getting two of those cables into the neutrik end?



No the Mogami 2368 is very thin. No issues.

Miq
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: gorlando on March 13, 2013, 01:15:25 PM
I found this ad on Ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221200225883?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
If these connectors are reasonable quality, it would be possible to make a cheap adapter cable.
I bought a couple and will see...
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: weroflu on March 26, 2013, 04:20:55 AM
Does anyone know where I can get Mogami 2368 cable in Europe?

Or a different brand that is comparable in spec
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on October 11, 2015, 10:51:33 PM
I recently found a slightly lower cost source for the 10-32 (micro dot) connectors I used for these adaptor cables.  There is also no minimum order requirements which means you could order just two if you wanted to for about $28 + shipping.

https://storefront.brackemfg.com/storefrontCommerce/itemDetail.do?itm_id=10424&itm_index=0&orderQty=1&cust_item=BM61016&whs_id=1&orderUom=EA (https://storefront.brackemfg.com/storefrontCommerce/itemDetail.do?itm_id=10424&itm_index=0&orderQty=1&cust_item=BM61016&whs_id=1&orderUom=EA)

They  have a few other styles that would work too but are a little more expensive.
Miq
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Gutbucket on October 19, 2015, 05:55:13 PM
I need to make up a few custom multi-channel microdot breakout and extension cables and will probably either have Chris Church make them  (since he recently did a very nice job on a 4 X female dot breakout cable into miniXLR for a custom 4 channel preamp for me).. or I'll order female-dot terminated cables from here- http://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables/10-32+female/to+10-32+female/RG188+low+noise (http://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables/10-32+female/to+10-32+female/RG188+low+noise)  which are twice the length I need, cut them in half, and re-terminate the cut ends to the multi-pin mini XLR.

Found that source a while ago but have not ordered cables from them yet.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: MIQ on October 19, 2015, 11:15:17 PM
Hi Gut,

Please let us know what you think of the quality of these when you order them.  The price looks competitive with the ones already listed considering they are already wired.  Wonder what the coax is like to work with once you cut them up. 
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: aaronji on October 23, 2015, 08:57:31 AM
^^ If you order those, I would also be curious to hear about the quality.  I would like to get a pair of extension cables, with male on one end and female on the other; the ones on that site look perfect and are half the price of the DPA versions. Do you think the low-noise version is necessary?  From their description, the regular and flexible ones (considerably less expensive than the low-noise) are good for "hi-fidelity professional audio"...
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Gutbucket on October 23, 2015, 09:54:11 AM
Do you think the low-noise version is necessary?  From their description, the regular and flexible ones (considerably less expensive than the low-noise) are good for "hi-fidelity professional audio"...

I've no idea, but was wondering the same.  Maybe one of the more electronically astute around here will comment.

That source I linked is primarily focused on supplying lab instrumentation interconnects, where the bandwidth of the signal may be far greater than that of an audio signal.  Pure speculation on my part, but low-noise requirements for some of those kinds of applications may be far more demanding than what we need.  On the other hand, these aren't balanced audio cables, so any additional shielding may be useful. 

But I've very rarely had RF interference problems with any of the miniature DPAs.  That includes using just the integral mic cable, the DPA supplied microdot extension cables (which are rather stiff), or even using two cheap radioshack "mini-jack headphone extension cables" in series to extend the run from a used pair of 4061 I reterminated to a stereo mini-plug.  The problem with that stop-gap "two headphone-extensions" solution has been occasional noise / intermittencies from those in-line mini-jack connections, rather than RF interference.  So I clean them with Caig, re-gaff-tape them as securely together as I can, and do some listen-while-wiggle-jiggle testing before weekend festival outings to head it off, but replacing that run in particular is one of my goals in re-doing this. 

The second, less-critical goal is to bundle the 6 long runs of this into one tech-flexed cable bundle (which should end up not much larger in diameter than a typical balanced mic cable), so that I only have that one bundle going down the mic-stand to 6 PFAs in the recording bag. Or alternately make a short 6-cable fan-out terminating to a multi-pin XLR at the top of the stand, which connects to a single run of cable multi-core cable down to another 6-cable fan-out to the PFAs in the bag.  The same Mogami multi-core cable Len uses for the Tetramic should work nicely, which is very flexible and very small in diameter- not much larger in cross-section than the single DPA cable on each mic.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: aaronji on October 23, 2015, 12:08:03 PM
I've no idea, but was wondering the same.  Maybe one of the more electronically astute around here will comment.

That source I linked is primarily focused on supplying lab instrumentation interconnects, where the bandwidth of the signal may be far greater than that of an audio signal.  Pure speculation on my part, but low-noise requirements for some of those kinds of applications may be far more demanding than what we need.

This is what I was thinking. 

If they will ship to Europe, I am going to give these a try.  Now, I just have to figure out which model...
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Len Moskowitz (Core Sound) on January 16, 2016, 10:28:28 PM
We have a good stock of MicroDot male pigtails, 4 to 6-inches long.
Title: Re: 10-32 to 3.5mm Cable For DPA SMK4060
Post by: Gutbucket on March 23, 2016, 09:18:39 AM
.. or I'll order female-dot terminated cables from here- http://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables/10-32+female/to+10-32+female/RG188+low+noise (http://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables/10-32+female/to+10-32+female/RG188+low+noise)  which are twice the length I need, cut them in half, and re-terminate the cut ends to the multi-pin mini XLR.

Found that source a while ago but have not ordered cables from them yet.

Finally ordered cables from the source above.  They arrived in 2 days, nicely made.  The cable is easy to work with and I found the center conductor larger and much easier to strip and solder than the integral DPA miniature mic cables.  The female dot ends are nice, eliminating the need for barrel connectors.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175358.msg2179858#msg2179858 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175358.msg2179858#msg2179858)