[ARC5] "New" headphone cord set.

[Mike Everette via ARC5]

Something I have seen done, though haven't done it myself, is to use insulated wire of a small enough (insulated) diameter to make it through the headband tubing, and terminate it with the "wire" end of a solder or crimp lug which will fit into the contact holes in the earpieces.  I think what I saw used this way was a type of "zip cord."
The original wire was tinsel-cord, which is nasty stuff to work with.  You can't solder to it.  The terminals used with it are special, in that they have a "spike" inside the terminal which penetrates the insulation on the cord and makes contact with the "tinsel" conductor.  They require a special, unobtanium crimp tool also.  The last time I saw one for sale was in a Motorola land-mobile radio parts book back in the 1980s, as part of a kit to repair bad microphone cords (imagine that!).  

It is possible, with patience, to use a pair of small, sharp cutting pliers to open up and remove the ring terminals that fit into the PL-54/PJ-054 plug.  The terminals can be spread open and the original wire removed.  The terminals will take solder readily, so you can attach them to new wire.  Probably 18 gauge is borderline-too-large, but 20 or 22 gauge should work.  (I do speak from experience on this part of the process.)
I don't think I have ever seen a replacement set of original-equipment wiring for sale, although a number of years ago Fair Radio was selling original headbands that would accept the R-14 or ANB-H-1 elements and they had the wiring attached.  These aren't in the curent catalog though.  I wish I'd bought a couple...!  The saddest words in the English language:  "Woulda, coulda, shoulda."
73
Mike
WA4DLF

      From: Kenneth G. Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
 To: Arc5 at mailman.qth.net 
 Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2015 8:20 PM
 Subject: [ARC5] "New" headphone cord set.
   
Well, it seems at though my set of R-14s/HB-7 headband need a new set of 
cords.

I thought I saw some for sale on evil-bay but now can't find them.

Anyone have a set they would part with?

I'd like it if they terminated in a PL-54 or PL-354, if possible.

Or perhaps someone can "opine" how to fix the ones I have. It looks as 
though one of the ends of one lead is making interminttant contact.

That "tinsel cord" is flexible, but is hard to repair.

Ken W7EKB
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