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New member Username: MiniditkaAtlanta, GA USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-08 | If I put the RCA stereo heads on 16 gauge speaker wire, can I use them to transmit a standard stereo (black and red) audio signal? I recently mounted an HD70 Optoma home theater projector and decided to wire as many connections as possible. Therefore I ran VGA to a combination VGA/3.5mm audio wall plate. I will then adapt the 3.5mm to the standard RCA (black and red) cable. The problem is that when running the cable we did not have long enough RCA cable so we ran a 16 gauge speaker wire. If I crimp the speaker wire ends with the RCA cable heads will the cable be sufficient for transmitting the signal? |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1735 Registered: Oct-04 | It depends on the length of the run & the load (Ohms). Refer to the chart on this page http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm to properly determine which gauge (AWG) is correct. Also, consider picking up some good inexpensive pre-finished cables from somewhere like this http://www.audioshowcase.com/catalog/rcacables.htm . Good luck. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12069 Registered: May-04 | . I don't understand what you want to do. Are you trying to get both left and right channel signals to transmit over the two legs of a single speaker cable? You need a ground/return leg. Two hots do not make a signal path. And a shield probably wouldn't hurt. If you have two "speaker cables", you can make one into the left channel with hot and ground and the other the right channel with similar connections. But you cannot transmit a stereo signal over one two conductor cable. Since speaker cable is unshielded you will very likely pick up noise when the cables are connected to the system. If I were you, I use the speaker cable as a pull wire for the correct cables. . |
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Silver Member Username: CcdoggyPost Number: 178 Registered: Jul-06 | use correct cables, dont use modified speaker wires for RCA connections. It will not have the correct resistance nor the correct shielding to protect the signal. You could damage the equipment if you use it. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1738 Registered: Oct-04 | I must have misread that? Sorry. I assumed you meant that these wires were 3.5mm RCA speaker connectors. For all the reasons stated above, do not use speaker wire to transmit audio signal. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2636 Registered: Sep-04 | All line level connections should be sent down screened cables in order to avoid interference. An RCA plug has a hot centre pin and the circular housing acts as a ground, usually connected to the cable's screen. This means that an RCA connection can only connect one channel, not two. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12074 Registered: May-04 | . "It will not have the correct resistance ... " You're kidding? Why won't it have the "correct" resistance? It's a piece of wire. I would really expect a 16 A.W.G. cable to have lower resistance than the 22 A.W.G. "+" conductor of a typical interconnect. Not by much but still lower. Lower resistance over any length is almost always good when it comes to cables. But the actual resistance of the chunk of wire is inconsequential since it is the termination that is important. If the RCA termination is a true 75 Ohm connector, then the 0.001 Ohm of additional resistance from the cable itself doesn't mean squat. Capacitance is almost always far more consequenctial to the quality of sound and construction of an interconnect (or speaker cable) than pure resistance. So don't get hung up on the resistance of a cable. In this case, a typical interconnect with a coaxial shield will have far higher internal capacitance than the parallel legs of a two conductor zip cord type "speaker" cable. And finally, not all interconnects must be shielded. I'm running several in my system without a shield to minimize capacitance. However, my advice to NG is still the same. Use the appropriate cable for the installation at hand. . |
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New member Username: MiniditkaAtlanta, GA USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-08 | Thank you everyone for your input and help. I have now ordered some standard, shielded RCA stereo cables. I guess patching the walls will wait until after the 'proper' cables go in. -M Ditka |