Need to find good 1/8 audio cable

[Ben96cal]

I've been using radio shack 1/8 mono audio cable for my scanner setup but unfortunately all I'm getting is a bunch of bleedover and cross talk. Looking for a better made shielded cable? Need about 15 ft x 14 scanners, hopefully won"t break the bank>>

 

[richtidd]

I've been using radio shack 1/8 mono audio cable for my scanner setup but unfortunately all I'm getting is a bunch of bleedover and cross talk. Looking for a better made shielded cable? Need about 15 ft x 14 scanners, hopefully won"t break the bank>>

Not sure what you mean by 15 ft x 14 scanners?

You have no feeds under the user name: Ben96cal

 

[Ben96cal]

re: audio cables

Is this an automated message that you put out because everytime I talk about a feed I get this same message about not having feeds HERE... I'm sorry I'm a supporter of radio reference but it doesn't mean it's everything...

 

[richtidd]

Is this an automated message that you put out because everytime I talk about a feed I get this same message about not having feeds HERE... I'm sorry I'm a supporter of radio reference but it doesn't mean it's everything...

No

I did not understand what you where asking for & referring to a cable 15ft x 14 scanners.

It was just a comment about not having a feed.

I can try to help you if you can provide more info as to what your set up is & what help you need.

 

[Ben96cal]

re: cables

No

I did not understand what you where asking for & referring to a cable 15ft x 14 scanners.

It was just a comment about not having a feed.

I can try to help you if you can provide more info as to what your set up is & what help you need.

Need suggestions on a mono audio cable that isn't radio shack brand. Something very well shielded and between 15-20 ft...

 

[richtidd]

Need suggestions on a mono audio cable that isn't radio shack brand. Something very well shielded and between 15-20 ft...

I know this is RCA but but is this the concept you are looking for:
http://www.national-tech.com/specs/digital-coax-cable/10r4-11125.htm

 

[Ben96cal]

re: cables

I know this is RCA but but is this the concept you are looking for:
http://www.national-tech.com/specs/digital-coax-cable/10r4-11125.htm

So this is what i'm looking for correct? I'm using an m-audio 1010LT soundcard. the cable below is stereo-stereo, or do I need stereo-mono since the audio card are stereo inputs and the scanner in mono

3.5mm Stereo Male / 3.5mm Stereo Male

 

[richtidd]

So this is what i'm looking for correct? I'm using an m-audio 1010LT soundcard. the cable below is stereo-stereo, or do I need stereo-mono since the audio card are stereo inputs and the scanner in mono

3.5mm Stereo Male / 3.5mm Stereo Male

I though you where looking for a higher grade audio cable?

As you mention, the scanner audio is mono output & a computer sound card is stereo input.

It is not a reliable connection to use a stereo mini male to stereo mini male between scanner & computer.

It is not a reliable connection to use a mono mini mail to mono mini mail between scanner & computer.

The reason is in either cable above, one end is wrong.

Best is to use what I have here for Setting up your Broadcasting Station.

This method keeps the mono side mono & the stereo side stereo but properly mating them.

Does this help?

 

[n5ims]

While not the least expensive solution, you could get some bulk RG-6, some RG-6 type RCA compression connectors (in bulk) such as these Buy.com - Paladin Tools SealTite RG-6 Compression RCA Connector - A/V Connector - RCA and a compatible compression tool such as the one in this kit Amazon.com: Paladin Tools 4915 Compression Crimp Bundle for the Smart Home A/V Kit: Home Improvement to make RCA to RCA cables that are very well shielded (use RG-6 QS and the QS connectors for even more shielding). Then get some metal RCA to 3.5mm mini-phone plug adapters to finish the task.

To label each one, get some clear heat-shrink tubing and a P-Touch label maker and be brief. While the label will stick, the glue doesn't last at times so the heat-shrink tubing will guarantee a long lasting (and easy to clean) label.

You may already have the RG-6 and compression tools, which would drastically reduce your cost for doing the project in this manner.

 

[Ben96cal]

re: cables

I though you where looking for a higher grade audio cable?

As you mention, the scanner audio is mono output & a computer sound card is stereo input.

It is not a reliable connection to use a stereo mini male to stereo mini male between scanner & computer.

It is not a reliable connection to use a mono mini mail to mono mini mail between scanner & computer.

The reason is in either cable above, one end is wrong.

Best is to use what I have here for Setting up your Broadcasting Station.

This method keeps the mono side mono & the stereo side stereo but properly mating them.

Does this help?

I'm confused on why I would need a y connector if I'm only feeding a mono connection via 1 scanner. Does Rs not carry a single cable without the Y? In better cable I was also inquiring something not RS also. I've heard RS have shielding issues.

 

[richtidd]

I'm confused on why I would need a y connector if I'm only feeding a mono connection via 1 scanner. Does Rs not carry a single cable without the Y? In better cable I was also inquiring something not RS also. I've heard RS have shielding issues.

The answer is in what I wrote.

No the do not have a cable that is stereo mini mail to mono mini mail.

You can make one if you know how to solder & how to sum the left & right hot leads together on a mono mini mail to make the scanner side mono.

Stereo to mono adapters are often not reliable for a good audio feed.

We get a lot of poor & no audio reports on feeds where many have cabeling issues.

The cables I show in Setting up your Broadcasting Station properly mate the tow very different formats: Mono to stereo reliably.

Notice I keep using the term "reliable".

Yes there are other ways but most are not reliable.

 

[kruser]

I've been using radio shack 1/8 mono audio cable for my scanner setup but unfortunately all I'm getting is a bunch of bleedover and cross talk. Looking for a better made shielded cable? Need about 15 ft x 14 scanners, hopefully won"t break the bank>>

Your "15 ft x 14" is confusing. I understand that a single cable needs to be about 15 feet in length but is the "14" indicating you are needing 14 of these cables for 14 different scanners?

How are you doing the audio for 14 radios if that is the case? A bunch of those little $1.00 USB sound adapters or are you actually using 7 or 14 computers each with its own sound card? Or maybe you are using an audio mixer of some type to mix them all together into a single sound card? I'm just trying to get a better understanding of your setup as the current cable may not be the problem at all.
Crosstalk and I guess what you are calling bleedover can be a result of bad cables especially if feeding two scanners into the left and right channels of a sound card. A poor or open ground in the cable or at the jack end is often the culprit and then, some sound cards are just crap and do not have good port to port isolation between the left and right channels.

What does the crosstalk and the bleedover you mention sound like? Is it truly audio or is it an intermod product from one of the scanners? If it is intermod than an audio cable swap is not going to fix that.
Or maybe your audio cables are picking up unwanted RF from a close proximity transmitter and that is what you are talking about?
I think you need to supply more info as to your setup plus be more specific as to what the crosstalk or bleedover sounds like.

What steps have you taken to prove it is a bad audio cable etc. or what makes you think it is?

 

[WA1ATA]

Kruser asks some good questions. Ben96cal, it is a lot easier to fix a problem after you have identified what the problem really is.

It would be very easy to have crosstalk problems if the stereo inputs at the computer are connected to 15' of multiconductor cable with nothing connected on the scanner side. This is what would happen if one side of a stereo plug has nothing driving it at the scanner end.

This is just one of the many reasons that richtidd repeatedly referred to the problem of mono source at the scanners and stereo inputs at the computer.

Charlie

 

[brian209]

We get a lot of poor & no audio reports on feeds where many have cabeling issues.

The cables I show in Setting up your Broadcasting Station properly mate the tow very different formats: Mono to stereo reliably.

Notice I keep using the term "reliable".

Yes there are other ways but most are not reliable.

I started getting a low/no audio complaint, changed cables from a stereo on both ends to another stereo on both ends. Things got better for a short period of time but then it was back to no/low audio.

Today at lunch I got over to RS to purchase the setup in the wiki but have not gotten over to the firehouse to change out the cables.

Brian

 

[brian209]

Today at lunch I got over to RS to purchase the setup in the wiki but have not gotten over to the firehouse to change out the cables.

Just a follow-up and/or summary. My feed was running well with a stereo patch cord, but then suddenly had low/no volume. I changed out the cord to another stereo patch cord, and the problem was fixed for a few hours or maybe even minutes. I purchase the Radio Shack cables listed in the links in the message above and the volume problems are now a thing of the past. I will have to say that I started off a little skeptical seeing as I had been running fine for months, but the low/no volume went away with those cables, so I'm a believer now!

Brian

 

[kruser]

Just a follow-up and/or summary. My feed was running well with a stereo patch cord, but then suddenly had low/no volume. I changed out the cord to another stereo patch cord, and the problem was fixed for a few hours or maybe even minutes. I purchase the Radio Shack cables listed in the links in the message above and the volume problems are now a thing of the past. I will have to say that I started off a little skeptical seeing as I had been running fine for months, but the low/no volume went away with those cables, so I'm a believer now!

Brian

Glad that fixed it! I have some older Pro-2004 and 2006 scanners that always threw me fits with getting the audio out the back. They would work for monts sometimes and then start failing. A quick re-plug of the cables would often clear it up only to have it fail sometimes within minutes. For an easy fix, I could spray a short blast of contact cleaner in the jack with decent results. The problem would always come back however. In the end, I ended up tapping all the radios that had problems and I installed rca jacks on the rear of each one. I never had a problem again.
Now I also have several much older scanners than the 2004 and they have always worked fine so maybe GRE just used cheap quality jacks in the Pro series radios from that Pro-2004,5 and 6 era.

edit: One thing I forgot to mention that has helped me. I found that when using straight 1/8" molded plug cables that the weight of the cables alone was the cause of the audio problems. Even though the cables weigh just mere grams, the weight was enough of a downward pull against the jack in the radio over time that a poor connection would often occur. I fixed that problem by using right angle adapters. Of course, using an adpater adds yet another possible point of failure into the mix, I never did have one fail after doing it. A better solution is to use cables with molded right angle 1/8" plugs on the one end the next time you need to purchase new cables.
I've also used string and bread wrappers before to tie my audio cables up so they did not put undo strain on the radio jack! Not a good idea though as that fails quickly when a radio gets bumped!

 

[Ben96cal]

re: scanner setup

Your "15 ft x 14" is confusing. I understand that a single cable needs to be about 15 feet in length but is the "14" indicating you are needing 14 of these cables for 14 different scanners?

How are you doing the audio for 14 radios if that is the case? A bunch of those little $1.00 USB sound adapters or are you actually using 7 or 14 computers each with its own sound card? Or maybe you are using an audio mixer of some type to mix them all together into a single sound card? I'm just trying to get a better understanding of your setup as the current cable may not be the problem at all.
Crosstalk and I guess what you are calling bleedover can be a result of bad cables especially if feeding two scanners into the left and right channels of a sound card. A poor or open ground in the cable or at the jack end is often the culprit and then, some sound cards are just crap and do not have good port to port isolation between the left and right channels.

What does the crosstalk and the bleedover you mention sound like? Is it truly audio or is it an intermod product from one of the scanners? If it is intermod than an audio cable swap is not going to fix that.
Or maybe your audio cables are picking up unwanted RF from a close proximity transmitter and that is what you are talking about?
I think you need to supply more info as to your setup plus be more specific as to what the crosstalk or bleedover sounds like.

What steps have you taken to prove it is a bad audio cable etc. or what makes you think it is?

You would be correct.. 14 Scanners on 2 PC's. I have 2 M-audio 1010LT along with a could standalone cards in each. All feeds running scannercast.

 

[Tweekerbob]

Ben,

Try to use (and this might be a bit much), a perf board or PCB with several 8:1000 Ohm transformers for each feed. What it sounds like is, in a since, a ground-loop problem. And of course, use good cable; RS is not the provider you should be using for such a project.