[Stuart Welwood]

I have a couple of pairs of Sony MDR-24 headphones that have molded plugs,
each of which has a broken connection to the right earpiece. After cutting
off the plug of one and stripping the wire, I see that each cable (one each
for left and right) has some red strands and some copper-colored strands
that are separated by some nonconductive fibers. Solder doesn't seem to
"take" to either, so I'm wondering, is there a way to replace these
otherwise working phones?

Thanks for looking,

Stuart

[Serge Auckland]

Stuart Welwood wrote:
I have a couple of pairs of Sony MDR-24 headphones that have molded plugs,
each of which has a broken connection to the right earpiece. After cutting
off the plug of one and stripping the wire, I see that each cable (one each
for left and right) has some red strands and some copper-colored strands
that are separated by some nonconductive fibers. Solder doesn't seem to
"take" to either, so I'm wondering, is there a way to replace these
otherwise working phones?

Thanks for looking,

Stuart


If I've understood you correctly, you have some red strands and some
copper-coloured strands. Have you stripped the insulation off the red
strands? You should be able to solder easily to the copper-coloured
strands.

It is possible that the insulation on the wires is a varnish, and you
will have to scrape this off before soldering.

If the wire is tinsel, that is, strands of copper mixed in with
non-conduction fibres, they are a real pig to solder. Best way I've
found is to wrap thin tinned copper wire round the tinsel wire, and
flood the wrap with solder, then attach your new plug to the tinned
copper wire.

S.

[Eeyore]

Stuart Welwood wrote:

I have a couple of pairs of Sony MDR-24 headphones that have molded plugs,
each of which has a broken connection to the right earpiece. After cutting
off the plug of one and stripping the wire, I see that each cable (one each
for left and right) has some red strands and some copper-colored strands
that are separated by some nonconductive fibers. Solder doesn't seem to
"take" to either, so I'm wondering, is there a way to replace these
otherwise working phones?

Those strands have a fine insulation covering them.

Keep the iron on them a bit longer ans they should tin properly. Do this
*before* trying to solder them to the new plug.

Graham

[Geoff]

Stuart Welwood wrote:
I have a couple of pairs of Sony MDR-24 headphones that have molded
plugs, each of which has a broken connection to the right earpiece.
After cutting off the plug of one and stripping the wire, I see that
each cable (one each for left and right) has some red strands and
some copper-colored strands that are separated by some nonconductive
fibers. Solder doesn't seem to "take" to either, so I'm wondering, is
there a way to replace these otherwise working phones?


You heat the strands hotter with a well-tined soldering-iron tip. When hot
enough the red/green/clear lacquers self-strip and the wires tin OK.

geoff

[jakdedert]

Geoff wrote:
Stuart Welwood wrote:
I have a couple of pairs of Sony MDR-24 headphones that have molded
plugs, each of which has a broken connection to the right earpiece.
After cutting off the plug of one and stripping the wire, I see that
each cable (one each for left and right) has some red strands and
some copper-colored strands that are separated by some nonconductive
fibers. Solder doesn't seem to "take" to either, so I'm wondering, is
there a way to replace these otherwise working phones?


You heat the strands hotter with a well-tined soldering-iron tip. When hot
enough the red/green/clear lacquers self-strip and the wires tin OK.

Use a little flame to burn off the fiber strands (scrape off carbon
which always results) and lots of flux in the solder joint.

jak

geoff