[Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables

wolfbob wolfbob at csnsys.com
Wed Nov 7 18:56:54 EST 2007 

Duane,
 How do you have the DAT and CDRW connected? By analog 
audio? There is probably a better way using either optical 
or coaxial. The static may not go away, but it will sure be 
different than what you get with the analog path.

Bob


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <dfischer at usol.com>
To: "Vintage home and professional audio equipment from 1975 
back" <vintage-audio at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Gold Plated Audio Cables


> (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 **
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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>
> _______________________________________________
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> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>

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