Citation 11 Cable Harness

[beej]

Blue Shadow, After having checked out the plug in the link (it does look to be the right one) I spoke with Ron at Allied late yesterday afternoon and sent him the two pics and the illustration. I expect to hear from him today.

And to be clear with everyone who has offered advice and assistance, I've followed up (and am continuing to do so) with every lead offered here. I thank you.

[dshoaf]

Beej, thanks for the extra effort. I am awaiting the results of your research as I have a Cit 11 and a Cit 17, both of which use that plug.

Cheers,

David

[beej]

Originally Posted by dshoaf

Beej, thanks for the extra effort. I am awaiting the results of your research as I have a Cit 11 and a Cit 17, both of which use that plug.

Cheers,

David

David, I'm obsessing over this plug. And I'm afraid I have two Cit 11's; one the older version, the other the newer with the two gain pots on the rear panel. I have to say I love this preamp and can't wait to see it perform to its full potential.

Butch

[dshoaf]

Yes, the Cit 11 really surprised me, too. I fully recapped mine last August and the soundstage really opened up. At first, I was going to sell it on since came in with a whole Citation 11, 16 power amp, 15 tuner and ST7 TT system I picked up this summer.

That's changed now that it really has stood up to the best amps I've used with it. Given the Cit 11 was a competitor to the Mac C28, I've compared it to that pre, too, and it does, indeed do just as well or better. The C28 has been fully rebuilt, too.

One thing to look at on the Cit 11 are the RCA jacks. If it is like mine, the grounding for them is a small ring pressed onto the jack. If these have not been rotated slightly, do so to ensure the grounding has been fully made. I actually have soldered them to the jack's outer connector to make sure they are in good shape. There was a similar problem with the C28's RCA jacks oxidizing over the decades and causing hum and noise.

Cheers,

David

[beej]

While I was following up on the leads that everyone provided and waiting for Allied to call me back (still waiting as of close of business Fri 11/6) I found this site:

www.ultraelectronicactive.com

Marc the owner is a class guy. I sent him the illustration and the pics and he came up with two complete sets (plugs and sockets). He parts out nonworking vintage gear and that's where these two came from. The plugs fit .

Here's where I out myself as a novice in the DIY world. It appears that the correct cable is either 12 or 14 gauge solid. I'm thinking that the best way to secure the wire to the pins is by tinning the wire first, then inserting each into the appropriate pin while heating the outside of the pin. Have I got it right?

Again, I do appreciate any and all input and assistance.

Butch

[Firby13]

Beej,

Stranded will be a lot more flexible than solid wire and the more strands the easier the wire will be to flex ( and the easier it will be to have a stray strand short across pins ).

Are you just trying to make this work or are you trying to recreate a 30 year old cable? If the latter you will have to find some old type TW or something along that line.

Yes you should be able to just tin the end of the wire and the pin then heat the pin while inserting the wire, once the joint has flowed remove the iron and do not move the wire until the solder has cooled to avoid a bad connection.

MAKE SURE THAT NO SOLDER HAS FLOWED BETWEEN TWO OR MORE PINS ON THE BACK SIDE.

Solder flows toward heat if that helps you.

Once you have done all four it would be safest to check for (lack of) continuity between all pins before you use this cable.

Do the connectors have any part numbers or markings?

Thanks, Steve

[beej]

David

Status report: Assembled one using 5-wire thermostat cable (18g solid wire) and yes it is rather inflexible but it works!! I'm going to take some pics of this work-of-art-NOT and post 'em here.

Allied came through and is sending me two samples. I'll be able to confirm that they are the right ones on Friday (11-13) and, if they are, I will post the part number here.

Actually rather amped up over this. Love this pre-amp, particularly now that I see how really versatile it is.

And, for the record, your pin alignments were spot on. Thanks.

Butch

[beej]

Here is a pic of my DIY first attempt. This beej prototype is hardly a threat to the giants of the audio industry (Roger Russell I ain't) but it works and quite well. Original equipment pic is posted earlier in this thread (tried to post it again here but AK wouldn't let me).

I'll be assembling a couple of more that are longer with stranded wire. This one is 3ft, 4 in, plug to speaker connectors, solid 18g).

My gratitude to everyone for their help and encouragement and particualy to Firby13 (David).

As I indicated in an earlier post, I've got some sample plugs coming from Allied and if they are the right ones, I'll get the part number posted.

And, for the record, once you've got the pin alignment right, this is not at all difficult.

[dshoaf]

Hi Beej,

Thanks for the update. Things are looking really good, there. Yes, I'd like to get the part number when you can confirm it works. It might be a good idea to post it over in the Citation group at Yahoo Groups.

Be aware that the Citation 11 preamp assumes that the power amp uses a common ground for its 2 channels of output. That is, the grounds are wired together. This means that you will likely not be able to a bridged amp with the Speaker switch on the Citations - and many other preamps that have similar speaker switching features.



Cheers,

David

[beej]

David,

Absolutely re: the part and I'll check out the Yahoo Citation group.

I'll keep in mind the common ground matter. Hadn't considered bridging but if I ever do it won't be with a Citation 11 as the preamp.

Thanks,

Butch

[beej]

Got my samples from Allied just now. This is indeed the right part.

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/pro...px?SKU=7190022

Brought the matching socket that I had at home with me to work and it is exactly the right plug.

I'm going to assemble a couple of these harnesses of different lengths and using different wiring just to see which seems to work the best.

[Blue Shadow]

Gotta love it when a plan comes together. Let us know what you find out.

[Firby13]

Thanks Beej,
Ordered 2 this morning.
What did you do just cut the center pin off?
Steve

[beej]

Steve

Left the center pin in place. The socket has a center hole for it

I've now made a second one using 18G lamp cord. A lot more flexible. Can't detect any audible difference from one to the other.