Miserable failure to solder XLR connector to mic cable!

[patkim]

Hi,
Well as a hobbyist I have been doing some DIY stuff in electricals and electronics!
Sometimes it has been assembling some hobby amplifier kits to creating your own audio or instrument cables.
I buy a cable and properly solder it to the required connectors.

With audio connectors be it TRS or TS jacks etc there's a small hole on the metallic pin, so you can tuck the conductive wire thru it and then since the wire stays in place and firmly in contact with the pin it's a lot easier to solder it.
This time I tried to create an XLR cable using microphone wire (balanced) and XLR Male Female connectors, but I just could not accomplish it!!

I guess I needed a third-hand! Since there's no pinhole on the connector pin, I could not align cable + solder + gun all three together to form a firm joint! I struggled for hours before giving up. Finally I have ordered one on Amazon!

It would be great to know if anyone has any comments or suggestions.

 

[Martaine2005]

It’s good that you have tried!.
I never use the hole to tuck the wire through.
Are you tinning the wire and connector pins first?.
Then it’s a simple matter of placing the wire on the connector and wetting the solder again with the iron.
I hold the connector between my little finger and ring finger and the wire between my thumb and index finger. It takes practice but works very well.
Keep practicing and make sure you tin before soldering.

 

[H2814D]

What I find works, when using pins like that, is to insert the wire into the pin hole, heat up a small blob of solder onto the end of the soldering iron with a pencil type tip, and then just quickly place the blob over the top of the pin and wire. It will flow onto the wire and into the pin hole, securing the wire to it. Try the same method with the blob on the end, but with Martaine's method of tinning the wire first. But you are right, those are fairly difficult to do without melting the plastic around the pin.

You need one of these.

 

[Martaine2005]

What I find works, when using pins like that, is to insert the wire into the pin hole, heat up a small blob of solder onto the end of the soldering iron with a pencil type tip, and then just quickly place the blob over the top of the pin and wire. It will flow onto the wire and into the pin hole, securing the wire to it. But you are right, those are fairly difficult to do without melting the plastic around the pin.

You don’t tin?

 

[H2814D]

You don’t tin?

Sorry. I added to my post because I misread the OP's comment. I do tin when there is no hole.

 

[Externet]

Did you use chinese solder ?

 

[Delta Prime]

I would recommend eutectic 63%Sn/37%Pb solder, with no-clean rosin core flux.
It melts or wets as a lower temperature than common 60%Sn/40%Pb rosin core solder.
If you’re gonna go, “XLR balanced pro audio”. You better get used to no lead(Pb)solder or go home!
All contacts and cable conductors should be thoroughly cleaned before attempting soldering & both the contacts along with cable conductors, must be tined, no exceptions, even with easy Peezy 63/37 solder.

 

[ivak245]

I think where you mentioned "Solder gun" might be a clue. Or are you using a standard soldering iron?

 

[Delta Prime]

I think where you mentioned "Solder gun" might be a clue

The size of those connectors are
Humungous.

i use solder guns all the time on XLR’s.
It’s the soldering iron that causes me pain.

 

[patkim]

First of all thanks much for your inputs and suggestions. I might not have used the corrects terms but as a hobbyist, this is only what I have
1. A solder wire ( I do not know any tech specifications and is unused for more than 6 months)
2. A flux bottle (almost more than 6 months unused)
3. A basic soldering iron (unbranded, mostly made in China I suppose)
4. a de-soldering wick (I could never make it work!)

and as a hobbyist I do not know what exactly pro's use. All this is cheap unbranded stuff available in local market, without any packaging that tells brand name/manufacture date etc etc. However with all such unbranded stuff, I was able to do soldering when the pins had hole in them!!

Now what I have realized is that since the connector does not have hole and that I may not know the correct way, it's a dead stop.

I think what I need is something like this vise - https://robu.in/product/universal-fixed-frame-sucker-clamp-adjustable-table-vise/

This will tightly hold the connector in place, then I can use one hand to place the wire and other hand to heat the tinned connector and just slide the wire into the molten solder. I found this video that seems to demonstrate it correctly I suppose.

Someday I will surely buy such things but for now I got a working cable from Amazon!

 

[Delta Prime]

Someday I will surely buy such things but for now I got a working cable from Amazon!

Somehow, I get the feeling you will be back, & we will welcome you back, once again!