[Boatanchors] OT: Making up the flexible cloth covered audio cable for a keyer

[Glen Zook]

What I have done is to first use a match or cigarette lighter to burn away the fiber.  Next, use an Xacto knife to gently clean the copper.  Then, bundle the copper and then wind like 22 gauge bare copper wire around the bundle.  Finally, apply solder to the copper wire wrap.  This gets a good connection to the cable to which an appropriate connector can be attached.


I first ran into this method of making the connection on a pair of headphones that had a 1917 patent date.  The connections were original.

 Glen, K9STH 
Website: http://k9sth.net

      From: Doug Hensley <w5jv at hotmail.com>
 To: boatanchors mailman. qth. net <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net> 
 Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2017 1:03 PM
 Subject: [Boatanchors] OT: Making up the flexible cloth covered audio cable for a keyer
   
Has anyone learned how to solder or crimp the delicate wires that are in a headphone or ear-phone cable?  The wires are wrapped around cotton or synthetic fiber and colored.  They don't take well to solder.  Reminds me of the Litz (sp?) telephone handset wire that Bell used to crimp a small brass fitting on to make the electrical connection.


Any clues how this can be does reliably and repetitively?  My task is to get rid of the heavy & unsightly gray control cords on my keys and replace them with a flexible cloth cord that is easier to handle and frankly, stays out of sight better


   

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