I want to create a panel on which to mount RCA jacks to retrofit the PCB used in my Hafler DH-110. Someone in another thread mentioned Tufnol, but I'm not sure where I would get that in the US.
I looked at "hardboard" sold at Home Depot, but I thought a fiber-based material might not be suitable. I have a crossover out of an old Thiel speaker, and it is mounted on something like hardboard, which is where I got that idea.
The simplest solution would be a brass plate from the hardware store, but then I'd have to take pains to insulate the plugs, or let them all share a ground (can input and out put jacks share a ground?)
I looked at "hardboard" sold at Home Depot, but I thought a fiber-based material might not be suitable. I have a crossover out of an old Thiel speaker, and it is mounted on something like hardboard, which is where I got that idea.
The simplest solution would be a brass plate from the hardware store, but then I'd have to take pains to insulate the plugs, or let them all share a ground (can input and out put jacks share a ground?)
Simplest way is to make or design/order a circuit board, with all the needed holes.
It doesn't need to have any copper on either side of it. An example:
PAS Modern RCA Jack Kit - Dynakit Parts
It doesn't need to have any copper on either side of it. An example:
PAS Modern RCA Jack Kit - Dynakit Parts
Last edited:
In this case I would rather keep costs down and do more labor myself. But I will keep that in mind…
This would be about the cheapest raw material to buy, 3.125" wide, priced by the inch.
TubeDepot.com | 1/8" G-10 Board - Natural Color
TubeDepot.com | 1/8" G-10 Board - Natural Color
Last edited:
I have used 1/8" HDPE sheet in the past, but that 1/8" G-10 board that rayma linked would certainly do the trick, and much less expensive to boot!
Dan
Dan
It's plenty strong, but too thick to punch and hard to drill.
I've used 1/16" normally, which works well with my hand punch. You can even punch
the bolt holes, so no drilling is necessary.
https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Power-Pu...ocphy=9018935&hvtargid=pla-567942298502&psc=1
I've used 1/16" normally, which works well with my hand punch. You can even punch
the bolt holes, so no drilling is necessary.
https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Power-Pu...ocphy=9018935&hvtargid=pla-567942298502&psc=1
Get a piece of Bakelite sheet, here it is used for electric switch boards.
Called Formica in your language.
Or a piece of steel sheet, if the jacks are to have ground connected to chassis ground.
Aluminum will also work, if you can find a small piece.
Even a blank glass epoxy PCB sheet will work, phenolic is weaker.
Called Formica in your language.
Or a piece of steel sheet, if the jacks are to have ground connected to chassis ground.
Aluminum will also work, if you can find a small piece.
Even a blank glass epoxy PCB sheet will work, phenolic is weaker.
I use discarded covers from television screens, some of which have removable covers over connection panels. I guess the plastic covers are made of ABS, around 2.5mm thick. They are easy to 'score and snap' with ruler and hobby knife, and easy to drill.
Probably the easiest and cheapest thing is to draw something up in KiCAD and have it made by JLCPCB. Probably about $20 delivered for FR4, and that stuff is seriously strong. Having it made saves you from having to do the machining yourself, since working with fiberglass isn't the healthiest or the most fun thing in the world.
Another option would be to use 1/8" aluminum from Speedy Metals if you don't need galvanic isolation.
Tufnol (better known as phenolic) is available, but it's expensive and the fumes released when machining it aren't particularly healthy.
Another option would be to use 1/8" aluminum from Speedy Metals if you don't need galvanic isolation.
Tufnol (better known as phenolic) is available, but it's expensive and the fumes released when machining it aren't particularly healthy.
Last edited:
To fix RCA jacks:
You need to drill the holes then fix the outer - ground - to the panel, the center is part of the fixture, and insulated.
How else do you fix a jack?
And I gave the option, for noise it is better to use as ground plane.
You need to drill the holes then fix the outer - ground - to the panel, the center is part of the fixture, and insulated.
How else do you fix a jack?
And I gave the option, for noise it is better to use as ground plane.
Best practice in general is NOT to ground the input jacks to the chassis at the point of entry.
Edit: But, seriously, most decent jacks are sold with insulating washers, and for a reason. Grounding is a complicated problem. Physically mounting jacks on a chassis is not.
Edit: But, seriously, most decent jacks are sold with insulating washers, and for a reason. Grounding is a complicated problem. Physically mounting jacks on a chassis is not.
"will act as a shield if connected to earth..."
Post #12
His choice to connect or not, depends on the design of the unit being repaired.
I suggested a piece of Formica earlier, then confused things by saying metal would work...
The OP is new to this, still selecting tools from his other posts.
Let him find his feet, then teach him how to run.
Post #12
His choice to connect or not, depends on the design of the unit being repaired.
I suggested a piece of Formica earlier, then confused things by saying metal would work...
The OP is new to this, still selecting tools from his other posts.
Let him find his feet, then teach him how to run.
The problem is simple in principle, but made harder by the proximity of the input PCB to the back panel. It will be difficult to install panel-mount RCA jacks without interfering with the PC board behind the panel. It looks, from other internal pictures of the DH-110, that the PC board could be moved back and mounted on stand-offs. Then there would be sufficient space to install a panel over the existing slots. It will probably be necessary to drill the original panel out to make space for insulated jacks. Parts Express sells some nice ones at a decent price. Then both the ground and signal terminals can be brought to the board with short pieces of hookup wire.
This is the second thread the OP has started on the subject that I'm aware of. He got some good suggestions before. The issue seems to be that the OP is doing the work for a friend and is unwilling to commit to the time to modify the preamplifier. The best option, since the jacks are working, just an awkward size, is to use the same kind of cheap interconnect cables that the cheap jacks were designed to work with.
Good things aren't cheap, cheap things aren't free.
This is the second thread the OP has started on the subject that I'm aware of. He got some good suggestions before. The issue seems to be that the OP is doing the work for a friend and is unwilling to commit to the time to modify the preamplifier. The best option, since the jacks are working, just an awkward size, is to use the same kind of cheap interconnect cables that the cheap jacks were designed to work with.
Good things aren't cheap, cheap things aren't free.
Clearer, or clear as mud, as an English author wrote...
We say here "let him break his head"
Then only something will penetrate...
At $250 an hour for technicians, it becomes expensive to repair.
We will try to help, how much it is appreciated remains to be seen.
We say here "let him break his head"
Then only something will penetrate...
At $250 an hour for technicians, it becomes expensive to repair.
We will try to help, how much it is appreciated remains to be seen.
The jacks *mostly* work. I'm having intermittent failures on different jacks that affect different cables at different times and can be fixed by wiggling. I've tried resoldering jacks for a tighter fit, with some success.
This guy is paying me to update and improve the preamp for reliability. As such, having solid jacks is important. But, I don't want to run off into a major mod that he didn't really ask for, that I would either have to charge him for, or eat myself. So I'm poking around at different options looking for ideas.
I could remote the factory PCB entirely and run point-to-point wires from the jacks to the input/output headers.
Regarding grounding: There are both input and output jacks on this panel, which have different ground points. Also, each output jack gets it's own ground. I'm not sure if I can share these or not, for now I'm trying to copy the original schematic.
The panel cutouts are 0.5" tall. The insulating washers that come with a typical panel-mount RCA are *just* wider than this, but not strong enough that they wouldn't come off under normal use. I've looked at getting washers large and stiff enough to hold the jacks to the panel, but I quickly run out of horizontal room to fit four jacks in each cutout.
I really appreciate all the advice you folks have given me across my various threads! I'm sorry for my indecisiveness. As I said, I'm looking for options and ideas, so I'm kinda casting about in different directions. MUCH LOVE AND THANKS! <3
This guy is paying me to update and improve the preamp for reliability. As such, having solid jacks is important. But, I don't want to run off into a major mod that he didn't really ask for, that I would either have to charge him for, or eat myself. So I'm poking around at different options looking for ideas.
I could remote the factory PCB entirely and run point-to-point wires from the jacks to the input/output headers.
Regarding grounding: There are both input and output jacks on this panel, which have different ground points. Also, each output jack gets it's own ground. I'm not sure if I can share these or not, for now I'm trying to copy the original schematic.
The panel cutouts are 0.5" tall. The insulating washers that come with a typical panel-mount RCA are *just* wider than this, but not strong enough that they wouldn't come off under normal use. I've looked at getting washers large and stiff enough to hold the jacks to the panel, but I quickly run out of horizontal room to fit four jacks in each cutout.
I really appreciate all the advice you folks have given me across my various threads! I'm sorry for my indecisiveness. As I said, I'm looking for options and ideas, so I'm kinda casting about in different directions. MUCH LOVE AND THANKS! <3