Reddit reviews Cardas Soldering Wire Quad Eutectic Silver Solder with rosin flux 1/4 lbs (113g) roll
We found 4 Reddit comments about Cardas Soldering Wire Quad Eutectic Silver Solder with rosin flux 1/4 lbs (113g) roll. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Quad Eutectic solder 1/4 lbs (110 gram) roll contains a proprietary blend of silver, copper, tin & leadQuad Eutectic Roll Materials: Sn, Pb, Cu, Ag. Silver for higher conductivity and stronger solder jointsQuad Eutectic Roll Melting Point: 364-384º F (185 to 195º C)Solder wire diameter: 0.032" / 0.8mm with rosin flux coreTotal wire length in a roll: around 92Ft (28M)
I recently got a second pair of headphones for the office and fumbling with cables on my desk when I wanted to switch between the two got old very quickly. My solution was to extend my amp's output to a more convenient location. I chose to use my amp's balanced output because a) I have it, b) XLR is reliable and easy to work with, and c) pro-quality parts are readily available. Here are the parts I used if you want to try building something similar:
Total cost: $81.79, including the solder and 6 ft interconnect. Only $25.89 if you already have those.
It was really easy to assemble: just strip back the ends of four conductors and solder them into the solder cups of the XLR jacks, pin 1 to pin 1 and so on, and solder the cable shields to the XLR ground lugs. Check your work with a multimeter, then shove it into the Neutrik housing. I mounted the housing to my desk with 3M VHB tape and it is super secure. I made a second one for home where I screwed it into my desk instead of using VHB tape and it is even more solid.
I'm no scientist but I doubt silver solder really gives a better connection. I use the overpriced Cardas silver solder because its just so much easier to use, the stuff just flows great. It says its made for audio applications, but its probably just a marketing gimmick to fetch a higher price.
As for flux, generally its not needed at all, some headphone wires have this weird coating on them that solder just wont stick to and flux doesn't even help it. If you want to try it though, Rubyfluid is an old brand that everyone has been using forever.
Cardas:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B015X68HXW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rubyfluid:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044SD3NU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Is silver solder like this (https://www.amazon.com/Cardas-Soldering-Eutectic-Silver-Solder/dp/B015X68HXW) okay for re-soldering the female connectors onto the end of tonearm wires?
3 of the 4 female cartridge connectors broke off the wires when I was changing my cartridge recently. I resoldered them all, but there wasn't very much solder left on two of them (the left channel connectors).
I was getting very quiet sound from the left side, so I bought myself some fresh solder. The stuff I linked to above.
I tried resoldering the connectors today. First up, the solder ran into the connector itself, meaning they no longer fit on the cartridge pins. So I spent 30+ minutes with the soldering iron and various pins and screwdrivers trying to clean the solder out from inside the connector. I never managed to clean it out, but I at least reduced it to the point that they could now fit on the pins.
So I got them fitting on the pins, put on a record, and now there's no sound from the left side whatsoever?
That stuff is pretty good, but I especially like the silver-bearing solder, like this. https://www.amazon.com/Cardas-Soldering-Eutectic-Silver-Solder/dp/B015X68HXW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469639712&sr=8-2&keywords=silver+bearing+solder
I'd go for leaded solder with no silver rather than a silver-bearing lead-free mix, though. Lead-free solder is harder to use, especially with no flux/rosin. No wonder you were having problems.