RG179 interconnect

[sonidos]

In Salas Symmetrical B1 thread, he mentions that he uses RG179 internally for signal wire.

I ordered some Belden 179DT which has a solid copper conductor plus some RCA compression connectors. I am going to try this out as an interconnect and internally in a head amp I am building.

Anyone have experience with this cable? It is a whopping $ 0.48 per foot from Markertek.

[sonidos]

I mentioned the compression connectors. The crimping die was almost $500. Ouch! So I went with compression connectors. I've used these types when wiring up my house for satellite and I have not had any issues with them. I'm hoping for the same luck with the RCA connectors.

[sonidos]

My compression tool won't work on RCA style compression connectors, so I ordered a universal tool off the 'bay and it arrived yesterday.

I stripped a little too much on one end and it shorted the center conductor to the shield!! aaargh!!!! And of course, I should have ordered extras.

So, tune in next week. I plan on ordering extra connectors and make a pair between my phono and buffer, as well. Right now I am using Kimber PBJ and it will be interesting to compare.

[sonidos]

Got the RCA's in last night. So I should be listening to tunes this weekend and posting my impressions. I've got a 2 meter pair in the works and a 1/2 meter pair. Heck, a 1/2 meter pair for $10 of material! Niiiice.

[sonidos]

I only got to test the new interconnects. I have not given my Kimber PBJs a chance to show what they can do.

This is all preliminary, as my two toddlers became very interested in what Daddy was doing, and the only way to pacify them was to drop my headphones on their heads! Wait..no..I gently placed them over their ears. No children were harmed in this testing and volumes were kept reasonably low.

I could hear alot of detail coming through, especially mids and highs. Lows sounded a bit thick, as of someboy laid a thick blanket in front of a woofer. But this is an early impression so I'll expand more on it later.

One thumbs down to the rca compression connectors I bought from Markertek. They do a great job of grabbing everything really tight and it feels as if you could hang a 10 lb weight from it. (specs say up to 20 lbs, but I won't try it). The bad news was that as I was removing one by reaching around the back of my phono pre, as I was pulling, the barrel piece popped off from the main body. I thought this was no problem, so got out my compression tool and I heard a slight snap. Cool. Wrong! As soon as I released pressure, the barrel popped off. No amount of pressure would hold it in place. So once they pop off, they will never fit onto the connector.

I'll provide photos later so you can see what I mean with greater discussion of my trial.

[firechief]

Sonodis
Does this look like the cable Belden 179DT Digital Video Cable (RG179) PER FOOT - Black BL-179DT - SJ Media Systems
If so, you will note that this is 75 ohm coaxial cable. You should check the specifications for the RCA compression connectors to be sure they are made for this specific cable. If not the connection will not be reliable. Also this is the common impeadance for the television cable industry so I this seems a bit strange

[Salas]

I have used such for internal signal wiring, not the Belden, an Italian multi strand copper core one. Was balanced and smooth. Maybe you got to solder on the RCAs.

[sonidos]

firechief, yes, that is the cable. I purchased it from Markertek as well as the Connectronics connectors. I made sure to purchase the connectors made specifically for that type of Belden cable. I have not yet contacted Markertek, but likely I will by the weekend. Belden markets it as a digital cable, but does mention that it handles analog too. I know, the impedance is not what you expect, but as Salas mentioned, he has used RG-179 w/o issue. I've also seen other 75 ohm impedance cable recommended for analog. Belden 1694A has been a popular cable for audio interconnect. I just ordered some as a comparison. It is also 75 ohm impedance.

Salas, yes, I agree that perhaps the best route is to try and solder the cable and compare. I'll spend some time on the 'net researching the right RCA cable. I'm befuddled that these connectors are not as rugged as one could expect.

[firechief]

sonidos
One thing about that cable is that it has excellent shielding. I am sure it will work out for you.

[sonidos]

thanks firechief! I hope they work out. I'm thinking maybe that is why I'm hearing more detail because they are well-shielded. I have Kimber pbj everywhere and it really is unshielded.

If these don't work out, I'll give them to a family member.