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Male DIN plug on cable cooker phono adapter

I have encountered a problem using the adapter for cooking the tonearm cable and phono cable on the Audiodharma cable cooker 2.5. The pins on the male DIN plug are of much smaller diameter than those on the cartridge. In order to create a solid contact, I have to squeeze down the diameter of the cartridge leads to fit onto and make solid contact with the pins on the DIN plug. Then I have to open them up again to reattach them to the cartridge pins (a difficult task I've found). It occurred to me that after I do that several times or less, the cartridge leads will break and have to be replaced -- a huge pain, especially for someone like me who is decided unhandy with a soldering iron.

Has anyone with a cable cooker encountered this problem and found a solution? Does anyone know whether anyone makes or would custom make a male DIN plug with pins the size of the pins on a phono cartridge?

Thanks, for any suggestions.

Ed
Ag insider logo xs@2xcipherjuris
7 responses Add your response
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cipherjuris OP
145 posts
 
Thanks for the tips, guys.

I've been discussing the issue with Colleen Cardas. My idea is to have Cardas make a DIN adapter that is female on one end and on the other has 4 copper wires of the same diameter as cartridge pins. We'll see if she agrees to do it, and I will let you know the outcome on this thread, of course.

Best,

Ed
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Ed, no my connector is just like the ones Cardas and van den Hul offer (except it's straight, not rt angle.) It's for making a DIY tonearm cable.

Why doesn't Audiodharma just make an adaptor that has four colored wire pigtails that the cartridge clips attach to instead of a cartridge. Seems easy enough and a lot of people probably want to do the whole shebang at one time like you and Rgordon. Ask them.
rgordonpf
82 posts
 
Ed,

I also have an AudioDharma cable cooker and I have used the phono cartridge adapter. I had the same concerns as you regarding the DIN male pins being smaller in outer diameter than the inner diameter of the cartridge clips. I phoned Alan Kaftan, the manufacturer, and had a long chat with him. He said the loose fit is not a problem. The key is to use the velcro fastener to secure the DIN cable to the armwand so that it can not move. Then slip the cartridge clips over the male DIN pins. All the DIN pin needs to do is just touch the cartridge clip at one point. I know it sounds crazy, and it is not the way I would design it, however, it does work.

You could also put silver contact enhancer on the male DIN pins to get a better connection, but it really is not necessary.

Cooking the phono cables made a big difference in my system. Hope it does the same in yours.
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cipherjuris OP
145 posts
 
Nsgarch,

Thanks, I think you'ver got something there. It sounds like you're talking about a DIN adapter plug that is female on both sides. I have not seen one like that, but that should work quite well. I'd be delighted to buy yours.

In fact, I would not need the extra cable. I could just plug one female end of the DIN adapter into the DIN on the cooker's adapter cable and insert the cartridge leads onto the brass wires soldered to the other end.

That would be a very simple solution.

Best,

Ed
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Ed, now I understand what you're up to: You want to burn in the internal tonearm wires AND the tonearm cable all at the same time, yes? Now, bear in mind that cartridge pins come in (mainly) two different diameters (and so do cartridge clips) I know the van den Hul website has info on this subject, may be others.

So you need something that will go (easily) between the pins on the Audiodharma adaptor and the cartridge clips on the end of the tonearm, right? Okey, dokey, here's what I'd do: First get a female "DIN" tonearm plug. Vampire (and others) make these fittings (I have one I'll sell you cheap ;--) Solder a working length of R, G, B, W colored hookup wire to the correct sockets of the female plug. To the other end(s) of the wire(s) solder a 1/2" length of brass wire the same dia. as your cartridge pins, available (for sure) at model railroad shops, and you're in biz!
.
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cipherjuris OP
145 posts
 
Nsgarch,

Sorry to confuse you. I'm not bending the pins on the cartridge. I had to squeeze down the diameter of the cartridge leads on the tonearm wire to get them to make solid contact with the pins on the male DIN plug on the adapter cable because the pins on the cartridge are of a much larger diameter than those on the DIN plug. Then I had to open them up again to fit back onto the cartridge pins. I don't want to have to keep doing that to burn the tonearm cable and the phono cable, so I am trying to find a fix that will provide a DIN plug with pins of the same diameter as those on the cartridge.

From the responses I have had on and off line so far, such a DIN plug does not exist and would have to be created as a custom one-off piece. But so far I have not found anyone who thinks he can do it.

Ed

Ed
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
When you say "The pins on the male DIN plug are of much smaller diameter than those on the cartridge." I don't know what exactly you're trying to do, but you shouldn't be bending the pins on your cartridge, yikes!!! And besides, there's no standard pin spacing for cartidges as far as I know (except for the P-mount ones that are made to plug into a P-mount tonearm.)

In addition, according to Jonathan Carr, the "DIN" plugs (both male and female) used on tonearms and tonearm cables are NOT really DIN at all but something the Japanese came up with some years ago and it bacame a standard AND everyone calls them DIN but they're NOT. So you need to talk to the manufacturer and explain all that to them. If what you need is a "real" DIN plug (and I'm not sure you do) they should be able to supply you with one.
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