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Try Frys Electronics. Fry's Home Electronics | Computer Parts & Accessories, Software, Games, TVs, Cameras - Frys.com
They are online or if you live near one they are electronics mega-stores, sort of what Radio Shack once was but somehow RS bungled the marketing and Frys didn't. They will have anything you could possibly want. I often just shop McMaster Carr however.
Two items I find helpful in soldering in addition to what others have suggested is a set of helping hands & a de-soldering tool (I like the plunger type "solder sucker").
Don't always need the solder sucker but it's handy if you are cleaning up someone else's sloppy work. Almost always use the helping hands. Basically a pair of alligator clips on swive ball joints at either end of a 5" rod. All on a small weighted base. Should cost less than $10. Makes any soldering task much simpler.
They are online or if you live near one they are electronics mega-stores, sort of what Radio Shack once was but somehow RS bungled the marketing and Frys didn't. They will have anything you could possibly want. I often just shop McMaster Carr however.
Two items I find helpful in soldering in addition to what others have suggested is a set of helping hands & a de-soldering tool (I like the plunger type "solder sucker").
Don't always need the solder sucker but it's handy if you are cleaning up someone else's sloppy work. Almost always use the helping hands. Basically a pair of alligator clips on swive ball joints at either end of a 5" rod. All on a small weighted base. Should cost less than $10. Makes any soldering task much simpler.
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The shrink tubing should also fit over any strain relief present. On Switchcraft plugs this is a couple of tabs that are bent around the cable. The tubing, after it has shrunk, also needs to fit within the hole in the plug shell. I believe Switchcraft plugs are available for two different size cables; the shell hole size and strain relief tab size is different. The outer overall size is the same.
Often there will be two different sizes of shrink tubing that will shrink down and conform to the cable and strain relief. You can use this to control the final thickness of the tubing. If you use a tubing that just barely fits over the cable, the end result will be thin. Using the next size larger tubing will result in a thicker layer.
Standard tubing shrinks by a factor of 2 to 1 (typically the good tubing does a bit better). So you don't want tubing that is over twice the diameter of what you are covering.
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Harbor Freight has the cheapest Multimeter IME, and a hair dryer will do the job on that heat shrink, but only for 3/8" tubing. If you use 1/2" tubing, you'll probably need something hotter.
These things help too...
They have these "helping hands" at Harbor Freight for next to nothing.
hell yeah you are the best! and forget the heat gun. im using the lighter for sure. also you think the 3/8" shrink tube should be good?
I dont know the outside diameter of your wire, you'd do well to measure it, or look up its diameter online. Order then next size or two larger as it ... shrinks ...
within 10 inches of the end is where all the stress usually manifests on them, thats why I cut so much off. Unless something seriously heavy duty happens, the plugs are reusable for many many years.
Alright. So the ends on this are still good and I just gotta cut the cable back a bunch on each side?
Dont jump to conclusions, I would have no way of knowing for sure if theyre still good. Chances are good that they still are. Only testing with a continuity meter will tell you.
heres a link to the cable im using. Canare Corp.: OFC Line, DMX, RS422 Cables: Guitar / Keyboard / Instrument Cable(GS-6) cant find my rulers at all around my apartment but looks like it's 1.0 mm on the site
