[Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables

Wed Nov 7 18:01:22 EST 2007

(LOL!) Funny Pete, but also very true. The on again/off again ones are 
enough to drive even I sane. Now that is a frightening thought in itself! 
But those that explode and blow their inerds all over the Ham Shack and very 
easy to find in the circuit!

I remember one day when W8QWL was here and had to change the AA cells in his 
antenna analyzer. He removed each cell and tested it on his VOM. The third 
of four cells literally exploded! BANG! Scared the constipation right out of 
Denny, and startled me sitting about five feet away. Mercury flew out of 
that exploded cell and got on his clothes and skin. Fortunately Dennis was 
not injured.

I have never, nor had he, even heard of any AA cell simply exploding like 
that. Sounded like a cheap firecracker on the fourth of July, not one of 
those good ones like the 'Black Cat'!

Pete, I wonder if there is some potential between the Sony ZA5 DAT deck and 
the Sony CDRW deck?

One thing I have learned is that any cassette tape one tries to record 
direct to a CDRW deck almost always fails. I spent 100 hours working with 
some historic cassette tapes from 1981-1983 and it was a nightmare! There is 
something about those analog cassette tapes, old or current, that the CDRW 
decks do not like. Hence, I am wondering if this periodic static might also 
be caused by something in the DAT tape. Who knows.

Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
dfischer at usol.com
HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
http://www.w9wze.net
HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
hhrp.w9wze.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
To: <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables

> Anything that is mechanical, (motors, belts, drive trains, etc.) have the
> potential for generating static, and propagating it either through the
> air or through the circuitry. Likewise, even components have the
> potential for generating noise, which is perceived as static and/or
> creating distortion. A capacitor that is starting to break down can
> periodically generate "noise" into the system. Current through a
> resistor, depending upon the resistor's makeup and age, can sometimes
> generate noise over time. Likewise IC's and all semiconductors also have
> to the potential, due to current leakage, to develop static and/or
> distortion. Trying to find the culprit can be a real test of sanity.
> Probably why I like burned out components or defective parts that blow
> up. They're much easier to find and to diagnose the problem.
>
> Pete
>
> On Wed, 7 Nov 2007 17:23:25 -0500 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
> <dfischer at usol.com> writes:
>> Hello Peter,
>>
>> I had already tried what you mentioned and it did not cause the
>> static to
>> occur.
>>
>> The Master recording on DAT does not have any static or any kind of
>> audio
>> distortion on it. Hence, if the source is the DAT deck, it is not
>> coming
>> from a defective recording.
>>
>> I have used a high end, supposedly 'top quality' optical cleaner on
>> the CDRW
>> deck to be sure that the Laser track is free from whatever. I also
>> used a
>> special DAT cleaning cassette to clean the high speed DAT heads.
>>
>> If I monitor the source, the DAT, as the CDRW deck records the
>> signal from
>> it, I never hear the static. Normally this static will be right at
>> the start
>> of a recording and last X seconds. However, it has happened three
>> quarters
>> of the way through a forty minute recording too.
>>
>> I am wondering if it may be generated by friction between the DAT
>> heads and
>> the DAT tape as it is being played?
>>
>> I have also heard reports that some brands of blank CDR discs have
>> had
>> problems with sporadic static. I normally use Sony and Maxell
>> "music" CDS,
>> as I do not record music with computer software. Anyone else heard
>> these
>> periodic reports of static issues with blank CDR discs?
>>
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
>> dfischer at usol.com
>> HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
>> http://www.w9wze.net
>> HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
>> hhrp.w9wze.net
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
>> To: <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 5:15 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables
>>
>>
>> > If you play something between these two units and move the cables
>> around
>> > and/or tap the connectors with a stick and hear static or
>> distortion
>> > static (I'm not really sure what distortion static is), then the
>> problem
>> > is most likely in the cable or connectors. If this activity
>> doesn't bring
>> > upon the static, most likely it's coming from one of the units.
>> >
>> > Pete, wa2cwa
>> >
>> > On Tue, 6 Nov 2007 16:58:10 -0500 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
>> > <dfischer at usol.com> writes:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Hi All,
>> >>
>> >> Have any of you used the supposedly better quality gold plated
>> audio
>> >> cables?
>> >> The pairs I have are six feet long with male RCA plugs on each
>> end.
>> >> Very
>> >> heavy shielded cable, I am not sure of the gauge.
>> >>
>> >> One thing I noticed when I first installed them was that they
>> fit
>> >> very
>> >> tight! Removing them was not something one was supposed to do
>> >> often!
>> >>
>> >> Since gold is not subject to corrosion I have left my four pairs
>> of
>> >> audio
>> >> cables connected for the past eight years.
>> >>
>> >> I am now getting some periodic static distortion between my Sony
>> ZA5
>> >> ES DAT
>> >> deck and the Sony CDRW deck. I have the gold plated cables on
>> both
>> >> the
>> >> input/outputs of the DAT deck running to the amplifier and from
>> the
>> >>
>> >> amplifier to the input/output of the Sony CDRW deck. I have
>> checked
>> >> all
>> >> cables to be sure they are not loose. I even partly unplugged
>> each
>> >> one and
>> >> then re inserted it in case of a poor connection.
>> >>
>> >> Nothing I have done thus far has eliminated the sometimes there
>> -
>> >> sometimes
>> >> not static. Any suggestions or experiences with such cables to
>> >> share?
>> >>
>> >> Thank you.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
>> >> dfischer at usol.com
>> >> HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
>> >> http://www.w9wze.net
>> >> HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
>> >> hhrp.w9wze.net
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vintage-audio
>> >> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>> >> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>> >>
>> >>
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vintage-audio
>> > List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>> > ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -- 
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>> > 11/1/2007 6:47 PM
>> >
>> >
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vintage-audio
>> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/vintage-audio
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>
>
>
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