Bullets for when you can't afford Mr E's

Discussion in 'DIY Discussion' started by zanash, Jul 29, 2003.

  1. zanash

    zanash

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    I was looking at some cheap and very cheerful RCA plugs, I'd picked up from RS. These plugs retail at about 25p each, and come in packs of 25 red or black.

    So there I was sitting in the design and development centre [shed] the rain was pouring down outside. I suddenly though why not improve the little devils, then how can I improve them.

    Well this is what I done.....
    Ground connection
    1 slice of three of the four flanges that make the earth connection.
    2 cover the last one with heat shrink
    3 Run a silver wire in PTFE sleeve along the out ide of the plug and remaining insulated flange, bend the wire over the end to it fits snug, and heat shrink around the body to hold in place.
    4 Ground is now madeby soldering to the PTFE insulated wire.

    Signal pin

    1 cleaned and polished
    2 a silver wire is run throgh the hollow pin and bent back over the pin by about 5 mm.

    When inserted the silver wire contacts the tube in the RCA socket.

    How do they sound, well different but not as good as the bullets, but thier now closer than many other plugs I've used.
     
    zanash, Jul 29, 2003
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  2. zanash

    wadia-miester Mighty Rearranger

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    Zanash, please don't take this the wrong way, because it's not ment that way, :) but, a set of stock bullets is available for £25 (from at least 4 suppliers), now even if I was not flush, £25 is NOT a Bank Breaker, and the sonic benefits the reap, are fairly amazing for the outlay (bang per buck), If you paid someone to make those 'single point' contact earth style copy, it would cost more than the Bullets (yes time costs you nothing, if it's your own), but we are talking £25 here, not £250, the only negitive thing I can say against the bullet plugs is, they look shite no arguement. but they preform stunningly, unlike the Jokers on Planet dream land. Tone
     
    wadia-miester, Jul 29, 2003
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  3. zanash

    zanash

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    No, I'm not taking your comments in the wrong way, and in many respects you are correct. You are also wrong, £25 to someone who has no spare capital is a vast sum, £25 or £25,000 its quite immaterial.

    Remember.....

    Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness.
    Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.
    Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870), David Copperfield, 1849
     
    zanash, Jul 30, 2003
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  4. zanash

    wadia-miester Mighty Rearranger

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    Pete, yes Dickens wise words for the time :) But remember Thacthers been and gone :D, and I'll may get minced for this but, If you can't blag together £25 (most kiddies do for a piss up on friday nite off their parents), then you shouldn't be reading this, because you can't afford even a basic PC (internet cafe's you have to pay for anyway so your still shelling out). How can you afford even a mild hifi system?.
    Yes I've seen some cracking system put together on a shoe-string budget for sure under £500, but there are things you just can't skimp/cobble or throw together and if £25 is one of them, then time to rethink
    :rolleyes:
     
    wadia-miester, Jul 30, 2003
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  5. zanash

    zanash

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    You right, condemed by your on words !

    Perhaps you need to have the perspective of being at the other end of the economic food chain for a while !!

    I don't need to remind you that not everyone can or does have the same purchasing power or priorities.

    That said are you going to discuss HiFi DIY or economics.....I know which I'd rather !!

    Anyway thisis the DIY forum not by some manufacturers latest flavour of the month...thats the other forum.

    [The lump in the side of my mouth is my tounge]
     
    zanash, Jul 30, 2003
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  6. zanash

    wadia-miester Mighty Rearranger

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    Pete I spent 2.5 years on £88 a week for me and 2 children, I do understand mate honest :), Just £25 aint a major cash.
     
    wadia-miester, Jul 30, 2003
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  7. zanash

    zanash

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    For you !!

    But sum people I know would happily spend £70 on fags but not as you say £25 on a set of bullets.

    I'm not really disagreing with you, its just if anyone has half a bag of similar plugs or even wishes to improve the plugs they have. You never know they may decide to up grade to bullets once they have tried the mods specified here.

    But this is the DIY forum !
     
    zanash, Jul 30, 2003
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  8. zanash

    MO! MOnkey`ead!

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    Tony, if £25 is so little, how about buying 4 bullets on my behalf :)

    Isn't part of the appeal of DIY not only to out perform certain *named* products for less, but also a hobby in its own right?
     
    MO!, Jul 30, 2003
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  9. zanash

    zanash

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    OOoooo strike one for Mo !

    That my point too .
     
    zanash, Jul 30, 2003
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  10. zanash

    wadia-miester Mighty Rearranger

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    I think you just answered your own question. with that one :D
    Mo, I could do, but then You'll just be whinning on how good your M/F is, and I could have that now could I :cool:
    Most average student pissheads spend the majority of the grants on piss and weed Their choice, same as the people who spend £70@week on fags Their choice, and bleet about a £25, a lot of gorceries can be bought for that, rather than a Kebab outside the £1@pint Club on a Monday nite, or another round for the 'guys at the bar'. I could really go for it here one of my serial pet hates, but instead, just carry on regardless, then struggle fokking around in their mates/dads shed (with blown bulb, can't be arsed to buy one as it cost the price of 1/2 pint for 6 light bulbs) and rusty tools that don't suit the job, so they struggle, get pissed off, cut/slash themselves cuz the tools aint right, then decided **** it, pub time :laser: catch 22, me a sore subject, no just wednesday afternoon, and My new power pack has expired :( of well always tomorrow. WM
     
    wadia-miester, Jul 30, 2003
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  11. zanash

    MO! MOnkey`ead!

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    edited to make it all light and pink and fluffy! :)

    MO
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 31, 2003
    MO!, Jul 30, 2003
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  12. zanash

    wadia-miester Mighty Rearranger

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    Mo, and you were thinking I was pointing the finger at you :) I was I call a shovel a shovel and I would be straight about trust me :)
    Sorry Mo but £25 aint Hifi snobbery,
    Few points to straigten, FFRC I've hated long before I did cables period. not just a current thing
    I don't dismiss any DIY attempts, Un beknown to you I actively encourge them, for all things and to a great many forum users, however £25 for a set of plugs is a NO-Brainer, even for the Tab merchants can for go a few packets, they work period.(who ever you get em off)
    I could I understand if the sum was in the hundreds, it isn't,.
    Tell you what, in the intrests of showing you why some things aint worth doing and why, you get your arse up here, with your cables, and I'll fit em for you as well (fore the cost of a pint), but I don't kebabs either or weed, just the odd pint.
    What about it then mo? WM
     
    wadia-miester, Jul 30, 2003
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  13. zanash

    zanash

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    I agree, whoo where did that come from ?

    They are exception value, I use them as a matter of choice over well everything. It's taken me a while to get round to using them, but there's no loking back now !

    But I still engage the grey matter to see if I can get anywhere close with a DIY solution.

    Where did the FFRC come in, have I missed a post some where ? The stuff ok not a patch on cross linked coax and niether are as good as my last effort.
     
    zanash, Jul 30, 2003
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