BillFitzmaurice.info

I needed to pick up a couple of speakon cables today and called into Maplin Electronics (they're a nationwide UK chain, a bit like a crappy version of Fry's Electronics).

They're OK for speakon cables, their prices are such that once you've factored in the cost of components, your own time, the hassle of shopping for components vs just grabbing some off the shelf and it's really not worth making your own. Their piezos are a different matter, while I was there I just thought I'd take a look around...and saw this 1016 piezo look-alike...



At current exchange rates, that's just over $20 each

Not likely to catch out any of the Brits on this forum, but it's staggering that they can still sell these things to the unwary.

Jools4001 wrote:their prices are such that once you've factored in the cost of components, your own time, the hassle of shopping for components vs just grabbing some off the shelf and it's really not worth making your own.

Because I'm such a proponent of building your own cables.....just gotta' chime in here.

I went to their site. The 10M (33 ft.) long speaker cable is 19.99 pounds on sale...the 6M is more expensive. That's $30 US.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/speakon-heavy-d ... ads-224811

The wire is 1.5mm.....according to a conversion chart, the is between 16 and 17 ga.

http://www.mesteel.com/cgi-bin/w3-msql/ ... ckness.htm

The connectors are NL2s (they may be real Neutrik, I couldn't tell from the picture) - NL4s are much easier to troubleshoot and just a better connector.

You could build this cable cheaper using the same components, but the real question is - 16ga speaker cable for a 30 foot run? For about the same money, you could build 12 ga. with NL4s.

And if you go with the 20 footer, it's an even worse deal.

Build 'em yourself - they are better and cheaper.

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Well said Bruce,

While it may not specifically apply to you Jools, for "newbies" it's also a relatively simple task to make your own speaker (and signal) leads, gives you ample practice at soldering, and, unless you carry a lot of spares, means you know the insides of all them there plugs when one fails at a gig, (which is invariably after hours when the stores are closed) giving you half a chance of fixing them on the spot.

It also, in my mind, sets you on a path of learning about your entire system, which you need to know in order to troubleshoot.

Ouch at the price of the piezo though...

Grant Bunter wrote:Well said Bruce,

While it may not specifically apply to you Jools, for "newbies" it's also a relatively simple task to make your own speaker (and signal) leads, gives you ample practice at soldering

+1

Grant Bunter wrote:and, unless you carry a lot of spares, means you know the insides of all them there plugs when one fails at a gig, (which is invariably after hours when the stores are closed) giving you half a chance of fixing them on the spot.

+2

Grant Bunter wrote:It also, in my mind, sets you on a path of learning about your entire system, which you need to know in order to troubleshoot.

+3

Grant Bunter wrote:Ouch at the price of the piezo though...

+4

A 10/10 post
FYI For piezos in the UK... go straight to Monacor... about 3 months ago I got quoted:
£2.64+VAT (£3.17) for 40
£2.32+VAT (£2.78) for 80
£2.12+VAT (£2.54) for 100
PLUS a tenner for P&P.

Maplin is an electrical shop which you use when you just can't wait for Internet delivery! Prices are usually double what you can find online.

Ha ha....yes I can, and most often do build my own cables. Instrument cords, balanced XLR's and especially Speakons, they're even easier with no soldering involved. Although I ended up in middle management, I started my career as a computer hardware engineer in the days when disc drives had to have their head alignments checked using an oscilloscope, so I have a digital electronics degree and I'm no stranger to the soldering iron.

But, even so there are times when you need some cables in a few hours...no time for internet ordering so you call into Maplin for the bits, only to find that in that particular branch the only suitable speaker cable they have is priced at 1.49/metre, that they only have 2 of the NL4 connectors you want at £6 something each and only 1 lonely NL2... So not even enough to make up the cables you want...suddenly, just grabbing a pair of ready made items off the shelf becomes a lot more attractive.

As for piezos, I thought that I would check Bill's assertions that even allowing for shipping and duty, you could buy them cheaper from Leland. Sure enough, I paid the customs duty on-line yesterday and a delivery driver has called within the last few minutes with a box of 50 Goldwood 1016s plus all the crossover components I need from Speaker Hardware. Subtracting the cost of the crossover bits, I reckon that the piezos work out around £2.60 each...so, IITP

Jools4001 wrote: But, even so there are times when you need some cables in a few hours...no time for internet ordering so you call into Maplin for the bits, only to find that in that particular branch the only suitable speaker cable they have is priced at 1.49/metre, that they only have 2 of the NL4 connectors you want at £6 something each and only 1 lonely NL2... So not even enough to make up the cables you want...suddenly, just grabbing a pair of ready made items off the shelf becomes a lot more attractive.

:

I know what you mean. I now keep a handful of male and female XLRs, TRS, and NL4 connectors handy. Probably only 20 bucks worth of investment, but I don't get caught short.

That's smart thinking, it's good to keep an inventory of often used parts. Keep some cable of various types on hand too.

Jools4001 wrote:As for piezos, I thought that I would check Bill's assertions that even allowing for shipping and duty, you could buy them cheaper from Leland. Sure enough, I paid the customs duty on-line yesterday and a delivery driver has called within the last few minutes with a box of 50 Goldwood 1016s plus all the crossover components I need from Speaker Hardware. Subtracting the cost of the crossover bits, I reckon that the piezos work out around £2.60 each...so, IITP

I did the same as I wanted to make sure I had the genuine ones seeing as it's really difficult to track them down over here. I have a box of 70 in the loft awaiting hacking to bits for a pair of OT12s.

I just hate having to run around places looking for stuff, I don't want to waste the time so whenever I have a bit of cash spare I buy up bits for later use.

byacey wrote:That's smart thinking, it's good to keep an inventory of often used parts. Keep some cable of various types on hand too.

When I started building this PA, I made several XLR to TRS jumpers for Auxes, bought two male and two female XLR gender changers, extra mic cables, extra speaker cables, got an AC current checker, etc.

Don't wait until you need something to get - trust me - you will need it at some point.

Having the extra stuff has bailed me out several times when you need some odd wiring connection or the drummer has forgotten his specially-made cable (by me) for his in-ears......or needing to turn a return into a send on the snake.....There's always something.